ISLAMABAD: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) has launched a health and higher education program for African countries by sending a team of Pakistani doctors to Niger, a senior official said on Thursday.
The committee was launched in 1981 during the Islamic Summit in Makkah. Headquartered in Pakistan’s federal capital Islamabad, one of its primary goals is to enhance the technological and scientific capacity of OIC member states.
“COMSTECH has scheduled to arrange eye camps for cataract surgeries and training workshops in Niamey, Niger, in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank and Pakistan’s mission in the African state,” the committee’s coordinator general Professor Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary told reporters in Islamabad, adding the activity would be carried out between January 31 and February 7.
Seven highly qualified and experienced ophthalmologists working with LRBT, one of the largest non-governmental organizations fighting blindness in Pakistan, have been selected for the task.
“The team will conduct more than 400 cataract surgeries during its visit, examine post-operation patients and conduct training workshops for local doctors using the operation theater and other facilities available at a tertiary hospital in Niamey,” Choudhary said.

He informed that Pakistani doctors would also launch a public awareness campaign about eye health and visit local schools as well, adding all the medicines for these eye camps would be transported from Pakistan.
“The COMSTECH program of health and higher education for Africa includes a number of capacity building initiatives in the areas of ophthalmology, dermatology, neurology and telemedicine for the benefit of the people,” Choudhary told Arab News.
Along with the provision of free medical treatment, he noted, the other objective of the upcoming visit of doctors to Niger was to end the reliance of African health professionals on foreign assistance by building their capacity.
Choudhary commended the Saudi role in supporting COMSTECH, saying: “The kingdom has traditionally provided great support to the committee and is a regular contributor. It has been providing us about $100,000 annually along with other countries.”

He added that other Gulf nations, such as the United Arab Emirates, were also spending a lot of money on their indigenous science and technology initiatives.
“Our mission is to use their capacity to benefit other Muslim countries, especially in Africa,” Choudhary said. “Among the 26 least developed countries of the world, 17 are in Africa and they all happen to be Muslim states.”
A senior consultant at LRBT, Dr. Khalid Masood said all doctors, including himself, had volunteered to participate in the noble cause.
“It will be my second visit to Niger,” he told Arab News. “I also went there last November to conduct situation analysis for COMSTECH.”
“We conducted 25 surgeries during the previous visit and studied the requirements of people and health professionals in the African state,” he continued. “This time, we will go there to fulfil them.” he added.