KARACHI, May 24: Participants of the first training workshop to develop the research capacity of the health-care professionals have called for setting up of a research network at national level in order to help gear up research activities in the field of health-related issues in the country.

This was stated by the Chairperson of the organizing committee, Dr S Sharaf Ali Shah while talking to APP on Friday.

He said the five-day national workshop concluded here on Friday. In all, 25 health-care professionals from various parts of the country took part in the five-day moot.

The participants also recommended that the funding available for research nationally and internationally be identified and shared with the interested researchers.

They also stressed the need for developing research collaboration nationally as well as internationally.

Yet another recommendation called for promoting mentorship in research to motivate the young scientists to take up research.

The participants also requested the government to further enhance funds for research in the country as they felt that this amount was still not sufficient.

They also asked the government of Pakistan to approach other UN agencies to enhance their funding for research activities in the country.

On the concluding day of the workshop on Friday, Dr Franklin White distributed certificates among the participants of the workshop.

Dr. Sharaf Ali Shah said that the moot was organized as a collaborative initiative between AIDS International Training and Research Programme (AITRP) of Fogatry International, University of Alabama at Birmingham USA and Sindh AIDS Control Programme with the active participation of the Department of Microbiology, University of Karachi, Department of Community Health Sciences Aga Khan University and National Research Institute for Fertility Care.

There were two speakers from the World Health Organisation, Geneva, namely Dr Devi Chikamata and Dr Faisal.

The training faculty comprised Dr. Franklin White, Debra Nanan, Dr Sarwar Zubairi, Dr Noor Mohammad Larik, Dr Sharaf Ali Shah, Prof Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi, Dr Badaruddin Abbasi and Dr Rafiq Khananai.

Sindh Minister for Finance, Planning and Development, Dr Abdul Hafiz Shaikh, had performed the inauguration of the workshop on May 20 and the next day the Federal Minister for science and Technology, Prof Dr Atta-ur-Rehman, was the key-note speaker.—APP