Speakers emphasise joint efforts for human welfare

Speakers at a two-day moot in the capital emphasised the need for joint efforts for human welfare and stated that to overcome the challenges in bioethics, stakeholders need to seek guidance from universal principles.

The 10th International Conference on "Bioethics: Challenges and Opportunities" was organised by the Department of Islamic Thought, History, and Culture at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in collaboration with the National Bioethics Committee (NBC), National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad, and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan.

Speaking on the occasion, AIOU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Nasir Mahmood stated that all civilisations and values in the world are for humanity, and nothing is greater than the dignity of humanity.

He said that the technology, which is growing rapidly, can only be effectively addressed through Ijtihad (independent reasoning). We have acquired knowledge without ethics, but knowledge without ethics will not serve the welfare of society. This conference will produce positive outcomes for shaping the future, helping guide the younger generation.

Professor Farhat Moazzam, Chairperson of the Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Culture at SIUT, Karachi, said in her address that whether it is medical ethics, the etiquette of medicine, or research ethics, all are fundamentally for the welfare of the public.

She stressed the need for effectively teaching medical ethics in Pakistan's medical institutions so that humanity can be served in a better way.