PESHAWAR – Under the auspices of the Directorate of Malaria Control, National Health Services and with financial support from the Malaria Consortium South Asia and the Asian Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN), a four-day PCR training session for South Asian medical entomologists was successfully concluded at Arid University, Rawalpindi, said an official handout issued here on Sunday.
The training session saw participation from medical entomologists from all four provinces of Pakistan, as well as officials from Afghanistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh. During the training, the participants were extensively taught and observed molecular identification techniques, which will facilitate the diagnosis of Vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue.
From Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, six medical entomologists were selected for this training including Dr Aafia Zaib Khan from Battagram, Ehsanullah Gauri from Shangla, Rabia from Malakand, Shadab Begum from Mardan, Adil and Asma from Bannu.
The participants from the Vector Control Programme in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa expressed that this was their first time receiving international-standard training based on modern methodologies, which will benefit the program significantly.
They emphasised that such training was crucial for the prevention of Vector-borne diseases. Additionally, they highlighted the need for enhancing the skills and training of medical entomologists on new techniques and modern technologies, urging relevant donors working in health to focus on this area to keep up with advancements in time and technology.
