Professor Patrick G. Steel, Department of Chemistry and Biophysical Sciences Institute, Durham University, UK, delivered third lecture of COMSTECH-NTD Network joint lecture series on Monday. COMSTECH, in collaboration with the global network for neglected tropical diseases — NTD Network — has launched a virtual lecture series for researchers across the Muslim world, to build capacity to appropriately address Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).
Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General, COMSTECH introduced the speaker. He said, neglected tropical diseases are a major health and economic burden in OIC member states. The control and elimination of NTDs require both a scale-up and integration of global mass treatment programmes, along with new tools and technologies to tackle these diseases.
Professor Patrick G. Steel talked about the disease’s genetic basis, current research work and future prospects to treat and control Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease. He also talked about the current techniques being used by the scientists in the field.
The NTD Network — funded by UKRI’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) — is a consortium of academic researchers from South America, Asia, and the UK, seeking new therapeutic solutions to Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease.
Both COMSTECH and the NTD Network aim to promote global scientific cooperation and build research capacity to find new and better therapeutic solutions for NTDs.