KARACHI, March 30: As many as 1.6 million people are affected by epilepsy in the country as a large number of Pakistanis are suffering from neurological and psychiatric disorders, with the rate increasing gradually.

This was stated by Acting Director ICCBS Prof Dr M. Iqbal Choudhary while addressing the concluding ceremony of the six-day First IBRO Associate School of Neuroscience Pakistan, held at the auditorium of International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), Karachi University.

Dr Choudhary said, “A large number of people in the country have psychiatric and neurological disorders for a variety of reasons and the number of such patients is on a gradual rise.” He said that the Doctor Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD), KU, would play a pivotal role in promoting neurosciences in the country by holding neuroscience-related educational and research activities. He called for the media to disseminate information about neuroscience research to keep people abreast of developments in this field. PCMD will endeavour to find the causes of neurological and psychiatric disorders prevailing in the country, he added.

Dr Ather Enam stressed the need for holding such activities on a regular basis in the country to create awareness among the media and people and said that the alarming situation of mental diseases was getting worse day by day.

PCMD organized the First IBRO Associate School of Neuroscience Pakistan in collaboration with IBRO and Aga Khan University Hospital.

Earlier on Wednesday, KU Vice-Chancellor Prof Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui launched the society for neuroscientists of Pakistan named Pakistan Society for Basic and Applied Neuroscience (PASBAN), and said that PASBAN would help increase research activities in the related area. These neuroscience-related activities would help understand the phenomena of increasing rate of mental diseases in the country, he added.

At the meeting, Prof Pirzada Qasim was made Patron of PASBAN, Prof Dr Ather Enam President, Prof Dr Kaneez Fatima Shad Secretary and Dr Sohail Qureshi Treasurer. These members will be considered as founder committee members of PASBAN until general elections are held next year.

Prof Pirzada Qasim promised to extend his support and donated Rs50,000 for the society. Prof Dr Iqbal Choudhary also donated Rs10,000 for the society.

As many as 20 national and international delegates from Pakistan, USA, Egypt, Iran, Canada, India etc participated in the event. IBRO Chairman Prof Dr Laurence Garey, Prof Dr Fatima Shad of PCMD, Prof Dr Khalid Iqbal of Institute for Basic Research New York, US, and Dr Zulfiqar Bhutta also spoke.