PESHAWAR, June 29: The fourth international biennial conference which concluded here on Friday recommended to the government to establish modern viral diagnostic facilities in all provincial headquarters and introduce microbiology subject at university, college and school levels in the country.

The Pakistan Society for Microbiology organised the five-day conference on “continuing challenges in microbiology, agriculture, environment and human health” and was attended by microbiologists, medical doctors, veterinary experts and scientists from across the country, said a press release issued here on Saturday.

The conference suggested to the government to allocate sufficient funds to the research institutes and develop and produce quality vaccines for different infectious diseases. It also suggested that the veterinary public health service should be started in the country.

Researchers said that infectious diseases caused by microbes were the leading factor of death, accounting for a quarter to a third of the estimated 54 million deaths worldwide only in 1998. It was pointed out that the new and re-emerging infectious diseases were posing threat to human health and it also brought changes in human behaviour.

The press release said that 20 well-known diseases, including tuberculosis, malaria and cholera, had re-emerged or spread geographically since early 1970s, often in more virulent and drug resistant forms.

In its final recommendations, the conference asked the government to establish separate microbiology departments in all public sector universities and upgrade the existing microbiology laboratory at the Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, to a full-fledged department. It was proposed to affiliate the department of microbiology at the Veterinary Research Institute with the Peshawar University to start Master level classes.