ISLAMABAD, June 14: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Prof Ataur Rehman has been appointed as chairman of the World Health Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean Committee on Health Research.

Prof Ata will preside over a meeting of the committee at Geneva from June 17-20. The committee was formed by the WHO to supervise research in the health sector in the region. It comprises of scientists from the region having extensive experience in health research and development.

The WHO in its report said, in spite of marked progress in health research in the region during the last decades, it was felt that the overall progress in the health sector had generally lagged behind and did not contribute to the improvement of health care.

It said the situation emerged due to the lack of political commitment; unfavourable research environments; lack of vision, stewardship and management; weak research capacities; lack of coordination and networking among scientist; inability to use research as catalyst for change and development and lack of resources.

The committee will work in collaboration with the UNDP, World Bank and WHO Special Programme for Research on Tropical Diseases (TDR).

The committee will also set priorities in the field of health research in different countries, preparing policies and initiating studies in key areas as well as developing better coordination among scienctists.

A scheme of grants for supporting researches in the field of tropical diseases has also been initiated.

The committee will also set future directions for health research in the eastern Mediterranean region and assist in setting national priorities and promoting multi-disciplinary studies.