AJ Biologics Malaysia to help Pakistan province fight dengue
PETALING JAYA: AJ Biologics Malaysia, a member of the Aljomaih Group based in Saudi Arabia, is collaborating with the government of Kybher Pakhtunkwa, Pakistan, to help manage and contain the current dengue outbreak within the North Western Pakistani province.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is one of the four administrative provinces of Pakistan.
AJ Biologics is the flagship investment of AJ Pharma Holding.
The agreement will see the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government invest in a Dengue Advisory Board that uses AJ Biologics’ expertise and capabilities to create a programme that focuses on containment, education, treatment protocols and training to combat the country’s current dengue outbreak. This is a critical effort in addressing the situation which has recorded more than 1,000 dengue cases and killed five people in the past two weeks.
AJ Biologics, through the advisory board, will develop training programmes that will include understanding modes of dengue transmission, identifying the clinical manifestations of the four different dengue serotypes, as well as providing accurate diagnosis and subsequent clinical management of the disease.
The board will comprise AJ Vaccine Group chairman Dr Tabassum Khan, AJ Biologics COO Jerome Cabannes, Dr Mobashir Ahmed Bhatti, RMP consultant and clinical/preventive nutritional medicine member of the National Commission for Human Development, Pakistan, and two Malaysian independent researchers with globally renowned credentials in dengue management and emerging diseases.
The MoU was signed by Farah Hamid, Secretary for Industries, Commerce & Technical Education, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Cabannes.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Farah said, “Dengue is a relatively new occurrence in KP (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and the recent outbreak in the region is something we had not anticipated. The KP government has focused a lot of resources in public education and raising awareness on the disease. The partnership with AJB (AJ Biologics) is a strategic investment on our part to amplify our existing efforts by improving our medical and technical knowledge in managing the disease.”
Speaking on behalf of AJ Biologics, Dr Tabassum Khan said, “Malaysia has one of the best dengue surveillance capabilities in Southeast Asia and we have also been very successful in combatting and containing the repeated outbreaks that the country has experienced. Therefore, we are pleased to offer AJB’s experience and expertise to healthcare professionals in Pakistan, as we look at the prevention and complete eradication of dengue.”
Malaysians on the advisory board will conduct a site visit and fact-finding mission to Pakistan to come up with recommendations. The agreement with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government includes a tuberculosis screening programme to prevent and manage the disease, which is prevalent in the Indian subcontinent.