International Conference on Health“Transforming GlobalHealth: Tackling Neglected Diseases Through Training and Research”

Date: February 17-19, 2025

Program: Click Here

Introduction:

The global health landscape demands innovative approaches to address neglected diseases, which continue to disproportionately affect millions in underprivileged regions. At ICESCO, we are
committed to empowering nations through collaborative research, capacity building, and strategic interventions. This three-day conference and training workshop (February 17-19, 2025) will bring together leading scientists, healthcare professionals, policy-makers, and young researchers to:

1. Foster collaboration by sharing the latest advancements and best practices in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of neglected diseases.
2. Equip participants with cutting-edge research methodologies and practical tools for addressing health inequities.
3. Build networks that enable sustained partnerships to tackle global health challenges effectively.
   Through panel discussions, hands-on training sessions, and expert keynotes, the event aims to serve as a catalyst for transformative change in global health. Together, we can chart a path toward eradicating neglected diseases and ensuring equitable access to health for all.

Background:

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a group of parasitic, bacterial, and viral infections that disproportionately affect impoverished and marginalized populations, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. These diseases are often overlooked in global health priorities, yet they have profound social and economic consequences. NTDs (Neglected Tropical Diseases) are a major health and economic burden in the ICESCO member states. In the context of South Asia and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions, addressing NTDs is critically important due to their widespread impact on health, productivity, and socioeconomic development. The South Asia and MENA region particularly is characterized by vulnerable, creating conditions ripe for NTDs due to overcrowded refugee camps, poor sanitation, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure. Diseases such as leishmaniasis (cutaneous and visceral), schistosomiasis, and trachoma are prevalent in parts of the region, particularly in areas with
limited access to clean water and healthcare services. The arid climate, coupled with water scarcity and urban slums, increases vulnerability to diseases such as leishmaniasis and dengue. Both
regions struggle with underfunded healthcare systems, making it difficult to provide widespread diagnosis, treatment, and preventive care. The control and elimination of NTDs require a
scale-up and integration of global mass treatment programmes,along with new technologies and drugs to diagnose and treat these diseases. There is a need to raise public awareness, primary health care, vector control, effective use of current treatments and development of new technologies and drugs.

Partners:

A Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD), UK (https://ntd-network.org/ ) COMSTECH, Centre de Virologie de Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales CVMIT, Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APNA) https://appna.org/.

Suggested No. of participants for this training session:

50 Participants (25 international participants, 25 local participants). Participants from North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia,Algeria, and Libya and other other ICESCO member states) will be invited.

Expected outcomes:

• Young scientists will be trained on recent advances in NTD diseases.
• Researchers from MENA region and other ICESCO member states will interact with each other in the training.
• Multinational interactions will lead to the development of international collaborations, research possibilities and publications.

Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kG1dtCfgR0So_WfZp6eTMg
https://icesco-accelerator.org/cansat/

Contact Information: 

Address: COMSTECH Secretariat, 33-Constitution Avenue, G-5/2, Islamabad 
Phone No. : 92 51 9220681-3
Fax : 92 51 9211115, 9220265, 9205264
Email: Khazima@comstech.org