LAHORE: World Health Organization (WHO) and National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad jointly arranged 3-day training course on "Introduction Laboratory Epidemiology" for epidemiologists and public health experts at the Institute of Public Health (IPH), Lahore.

The objective of this training workshop was to provide know-how and elaborate importance as well as the role of Laboratory tests in diagnosis of diseases to the epidemiologists and public health experts so that a strong linkage could be developed between both systems. Sixteen faculty members of IPH got training as "Master Trainers" who will not only educate the student doctors of Master of Public Health (MPH) class but also provide training to other epidemiologists in Punjab.

While giving details, Dean IPH, Prof. Dr. Zarfishan Tahir further said that Laboratory Epidemiology course will enable the experts working in the field to get more authentic data of any epidemic / disease and random sampling for diagnosis through Lab. tests, it would help to determine the intensity of the diseases and its future trend for in time forecast about the epidemic.

Dr. Obaidullah Qazi in-charge BSL3 Lab, IPH informed that the participants were given lecture on the role of Anti-Microbial Resistance in diagnostics keeping present case scenario of COVID19 and Dengue. WHO Punjab Chief Dr. Jamshed said that World Health Organization will continue support to IPH for capacity building and training of Public Health Experts to strengthening the Disease Control System by improving the procedure of field survey and sample collection by the field staff.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020