Karachi: The Aga Khan University has established a Malaria Elimination Consortium (MEC) as part of its efforts to strengthen the National Malaria Elimination Programme in Pakistan. The first hybrid meeting of the AKU-Malaria Elimination Consortium (MEC), organized by the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at AKU, shared the activities and objectives of the MEC, which aims to eliminate malaria across the country by 2035.
The Consortium will also sign a series of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with provincial and federal governments to raise awareness about malarial infections, awareness programmes, and the complete elimination of the disease over the next ten years.
The MEC, which has a broad stakeholder portfolio across various governmental and private platforms, is designed to collaboratively combat malarial diseases with joint efforts led by the Pakistan Federal Government's Directorate of Malaria Control (DoMC), the provincial Ministries of Health, representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), Oxford University, and international funding partners from the GLIDE Foundation in UAE.
“The World Health Organization recognizes malaria as one of the leading illnesses that causes great morbidity and certainly some related deaths in Pakistan," remarked Prof Dr. Asim Beg, the principal investigator of the programme.
The consortium also includes Universidade NOVA de Lisbon, one of AKU's institutional partners in Portugal, and a collaborator in this project focused on researching malaria and COVID-19.
The formation of MEC and the endeavors of the AKU team were well-received by the members, particularly by the CEO of the GLIDE Foundation, Mr Simon Bland. The CEO acknowledged the federal and provincial governments' support for the MEC.
The meeting also discussed Thatta a model district for malaria elimination, with plans for similar efforts in other regions of the country, particularly Balochistan. Zenysis Technologies, AKU's scoping partner, also received acknowledgment for their support and efforts.