- Advertisement -
ISLAMABAD, Jul 27 (APP):The OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), in collaboration with the African Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Data Science (ACE-B) and MD-BIONET, successfully held an international workshop in Bamako, Mali, on genome data analysis of genetic and infectious diseases.
The training workshop, titled “Bioinformatics Training on Genome Data Analysis of Genetic and Infectious Diseases,” was conducted in a hybrid format and brought together around 150 participants, including public health professionals, PhD scholars, clinicians, and molecular biologists from across the OIC region, said a press release issued here Sunday.
The initiative aimed to bridge the knowledge gap in genomic data interpretation and analysis — a critical yet underdeveloped field in many OIC member countries due to limited access to specialized training.
In his virtual opening remarks, Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General of COMSTECH, expressed gratitude to the Malian authorities for their hospitality and praised the Pakistani expert trainers — Dr. Waseem Haider (COMSATS University Islamabad) and Dr. Zaira Rehman (Indus Hospital and Health Network, Karachi) — for their valuable contributions.
“This program reflects COMSTECH’s strong commitment to fostering scientific collaboration and empowering professionals across the OIC member states, particularly in the emerging fields of genomics and bioinformatics,” Prof. Choudhary said.
The official opening ceremony was presided over by Prof. Mahamadou Diakité, Rector of the University of Technical Sciences and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB), who acknowledged COMSTECH’s vital role in advancing scientific research and capacity-building in Mali and the broader West African region.
The workshop marks a significant step toward strengthening genomic research infrastructure and expertise in West Africa, paving the way for improved healthcare outcomes through cutting-edge scientific knowledge.