Islamabad: Pakistani universities will offer scholarships for medical studies to Yemeni post-graduate students and professionals under COMSTECH, an institute established by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Initially, at least 50 fellowships will be offered to Yemeni nationals currently living and working in Yemen by the Health Services Academy (HSA), University of Lahore (UoL), and the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) at the University of Karachi. These scholarships are offered in research programmes, public health, and medical technology courses.
Out of the 50 fellowships, 30 will be offered to those Yemenis working in health services and 20 to postgraduate students.
“Yemen is a country with rich history, great talent, and resources. But unfortunately, the country is facing difficult times. Nearly two-thirds of the country’s 30 million population lack access to healthcare services,” said the Coordinator General COMSTECH Prof. Dr. Iqbal Choudhary. “There is a need to build and strengthen the local health capacities,” and the COMSTECH fellowships will be the beginning of medical support to the people of Yemen.
'Most affected'
Ambassador of Yemen Mohammed Motahar Alashabi thanked COMSTECH for launching the programme and extending support in the health sector which requires urgent support. “Health sector remains the most affected during this nonstop conflict,” and this programme will help build healthcare capacity in Yemen, he said.
The ambassador appreciated the educational support and scholarships Pakistan is providing to Yemeni students. There are around 300 Yemeni students studying at various institutions of higher learning in Pakistan as part of bilateral cooperation.
Talking to Gulf News, the Yemeni ambassador urged the OIC countries to extend support in health services, education, and rehabilitation as the people of Yemen continue to suffer from a dire humanitarian crisis. Engaging in healthcare-supporting activities, such as capacity building through training and education will greatly benefit Yemenis, he said.
More than 17.4 million Yemenis are in need of food aid, according to World Food Programme (WFP). Over the last seven years, the conflict has displaced over 4.3 million people and destroyed vital infrastructure.
The fellowship programme aims to provide an opportunity for the Yemeni scholars and scientists to benefit from the excellence of the three top-class member institutions of the COMSTECH Consortium of Excellence, he said.
“This is one of the first bilateral programs” launched under COMSTECH with more similar fellowship programmes to be launched for the people of Palestine, Nigeria, and Lebanon in coming weeks, Dr Iqbal Choudhary told Gulf News.
Aala Mazhar Bukhari, Ministry of Foreign Affairs director, appreciated the COMSTECH initiative and said that the programme will help build the capacity of the Yemeni people in the health technologies and also nurture science diplomacy” and offered the ministry’s full support for science and technology-related socio-economic development projects.
COMSTECH-CCoE Yemen Programme has been launched by COMSTECH in collaboration with the Yemen embassy and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Government of Yemen. COMSTECH is the OIC’s ministerial standing committee on scientific and technological cooperation. The President of Pakistan is the chairman of COMSTECH. The organization aims to strengthen cooperation among the OIC member states and enhance the capability of the Muslim countries in science and technology.
