Coordinator General COMSTECH, Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary invited the head of Inter-Islamic Network on Tropical Medicine (INTROM), Dr. Murizal Zainol, and Director Institute of Medical Research (IMR), Dr. Tahir Aris, at a breakfast meeting on August 10, 2022 at Concorde Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Dr. Ahmad Faudzi Yusoff of International Collaboration Secretariat, IMR, National Institute of Health, Ministry of Health, Malaysia also attended the meeting.
The issues related to the activation of INTROM and potential collaboration with the IMR were discussed in detail. It was agreed that INTROM will submit the Act for establishment of its secretariat to the Malaysian parliament again to support and establish the permanent secretariat and provide regular annual funding from the government of Malaysia. It was decided that further discussions on the collaboration between COMSTECH, IMR and INTROM will remain continued. COMSTECH will help IMR/ INTROM to disseminate information about their activities including seminars, webinars, and online lecture series, and the Director IMR, Dr. Tahir Aris will identify some tropical medicine experts from different OIC member states as COMSTECH distinguished scholars, agreed in the meeting. it will provide travel support to scientists from Cote de Ivoire and African least developed countries for participation in IMR/ INTROM short training courses, and COMSTECH will also help INTROM to expand its membership.