Rabat (UNA) – The International Health Conference, entitled “Transforming Global Health: Addressing Neglected Tropical Diseases”, kicked off in the Moroccan capital Rabat yesterday, February 17, 2025. The conference is organized by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Standing Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (COMSTECH), in collaboration with Mohammed V University in Rabat. The conference will last for three days at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat.
The Coordinator General of the Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Chowdhury, delivered a keynote speech in which he stressed the urgent need to combat neglected tropical diseases through scientific solutions, capacity building and international cooperation.
Professor Chaudhry expressed his gratitude to ISESCO, the Government of Morocco and international partners for organising this important event, before highlighting neglected tropical diseases, stating that they continue to affect vulnerable groups, causing great suffering and economic burdens, and that they continue to suffer from underfunding and neglect in global health discussions.
Professor Chaudhry stressed the OIC’s commitment to combating these diseases through scientific research and innovation, capacity building and training, policy formulation and advocacy, and investment in local solutions.
He explained that since 2022, COMSTECH, in collaboration with the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases in the United Kingdom, has implemented a series of international training seminars and research workshops in areas affected by these diseases, including recent trainings in Kenya (2023) and Ethiopia (2024), with efforts expanding through this conference.
Professor Chaudhary also reviewed key programmes implemented by COMSTECH, including the establishment of the Consortium of Excellence (CoE), a network of top research institutions in OIC countries, research fellowships in virology and vaccine development in collaboration with host institutions in Indonesia and Pakistan, scholarship programmes for Palestinian and African students, COMSTECH Technology Gateway and Expert Service to enhance research collaboration, training programmes for technical staff on the use of advanced research and laboratory equipment, and others to build health and scientific capacities in least developed countries in Africa, in addition to eye camps and medical training workshops in Benin, Chad and Uganda.
Professor Chaudhary stressed that the conference is an opportunity to enhance knowledge exchange and collaboration among experts, decision-makers and researchers, calling for increased investment in scientific research and local solutions to effectively combat neglected tropical diseases and achieve global health equity.
For his part, ISESCO Director General Dr. Salim M. AlMalik stressed that this conference reflects a joint commitment to combat one of the most pressing health challenges, explaining that despite the great progress in medical research, neglected tropical diseases still affect more than a billion people around the world, especially in poor communities, noting that achieving comprehensive health justice requires the eradication of these diseases.
Dr. AlMalik announced ISESCO’s commitment to continue its contribution to addressing neglected tropical diseases, based on its awareness of the urgent need to strengthen health care systems in its Member States, consolidate international cooperation, and mobilize scientific expertise to achieve this goal, stressing that eliminating these diseases requires multilateral cooperation and long-term investment. This is what this conference aims to achieve by providing practical training for 50 participants and equipping health care workers with the necessary skills and expertise.
Following the opening, the first session of the conference began on “Eliminating Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Global Health Imperative,” which was moderated by the former Moroccan Minister of Health, Mr. Anas Doukkali, and attended by international officials and experts. It addressed the definition of neglected tropical diseases.
The second session, moderated by Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of the Science and Environment Sector at ISESCO, was titled “Combating Neglected Tropical Diseases: Field Perspectives and Best Practices”, where international experts and officials discussed the practices of some countries in combating the spread of tropical diseases.
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