Korean agency to lend a hand in fighting diseases

Dr Hee says his organisation has been making efforts to protect health of people

FAISALABAD:

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) will strengthen their ties in order to cope with the outbreak of dengue, malaria and other diseases caused by mosquitoes and learn from each other’s experiences.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) Director Dr Hee Il Lee, along with KDCA Staff Consultant Dr Sun Ran Cho, called on the UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan and later addressed a seminar in which the Entomology Department faculty and a large number of students participated.

Besides the Chairman of the Entomology Department, Dr Sohail Ahmad, Dr Waseem Akram and Dr Muhammad Tayyab also addressed the seminar.

Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said the country was facing a difficult situation due to the flood catastrophe that had affected 35 million people. Due to water stagnation, dengue, malaria and other water-borne diseases had been breaking out and making the lives of the affected people even more miserable.

He said that the university had set up a Pak-Korea Nutrition Center in collaboration with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) meant to address the issue of malnutrition with a special focus on mothers and children.

Dr Hee Il Lee said that the KDCA was making its efforts to protect the health of people and keep them safe through scientific, evidence-based policies on disease prevention and control and healthcare research.

He said that they were using physical and biological techniques to control the vector and vector-borne diseases. He said that the KDCA stood at the forefront of reducing disease burden by expanding investment in the R&D sector to fight diseases and strengthen prevention and control of chronic and rare diseases.

Dr Sohail Ahmad said that the Department of Entomology at the UAF had been taking all possible steps for controlling different diseases.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2022.