COMSTECH has launched a health and higher education program for African countries. They will send a team of 7 Pakistani ophthalmologists to Niger.
The team will include 7 Pakistani highly qualified and experienced ophthalmologists. Previously, these ophthalmologists were working with LRBT. LRBT is one of the biggest NGOs fighting blindness in Pakistan.
COMSTECH will arrange eye camps for cataract surgeries and training workshops in Niamey, Niger. The Islamic Development Bank and Pakistan’s mission in the African state are collaborating with COMSTECH on this mission.
Eye camps and training workshops in Niger will run from January 31st – February 7th, 2022.
The committee’s coordinator general Professor Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary was talking to reporters in Islamabad today.
Moreover, he disclosed that the 7 Pakistani ophthalmologists will carry out 400 cataract surgeries in a week. They will also examine post-operation patients. They will also conduct training workshops for local doctors using the OTs and other facilities available at a tertiary hospital in Niamey.
Furthermore, he informed that team of Pakistani doctors will also launch a public awareness campaign about eye health. They will visit local schools as well. He added that Pakistan will transport all the medicines for these eye camps.
Earlier, COMSTECH also sent a team of doctors to Niger in November. They conducted a situational analysis there. And they successfully conducted 25 surgeries.
ABOUT COMSTECH
COMSTECH is the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation. It was launched in 1981 during the Islamic Summit in Makkah. Its goal is to advance all OIC member states in scientific knowledge & modern technology.
He also reported that the COMSTECH program includes a number of capacity-building initiatives in the areas of ophthalmology, dermatology, neurology, and telemedicine for the benefit of African people.
Moreover, COMSTECH aims to end the reliance of African health professionals on foreign assistance by building their capacity.
COMSTECH’s mission is to benefit other Muslim countries using their resources. Because among the 26 least developed countries of the world, 17 are African countries and they all happen to be Muslim states.
Foreign Contributors to COMSTECH
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has traditionally provided great support to the committee of COMSTECH and is a regular contributor. The Kingdom has been providing about $100,000 annually along with other countries.
Other Gulf nations, such as the UAE, were also spending a lot of money on their indigenous science and technology initiatives.
