IFP Exclusive

Seventh Edition of STEP Symposium Kicks Off in Tehran

The seventh symposium of the Science and Technology Experience Exchange Program in Muslim countries known as STEP has kicked off in Tehran.

The STEP Symposium, which is held annually in one of the Muslim countries, offers a wide range of joint cooperative research opportunities and creates a platform for in-depth discussions and exchanges of strategic experience to the countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the field of science and technology.

On the first day of the STEP symposium, called Exchange of Experiences and Observations of the Therapeutic Staff in Muslim Countries, a series of lectures were held by a number of researchers and physicians, focusing on the COVID-19 epidemic.

At the beginning of the scientific conference, the speakers shared their views on the outbreak of the coronavirus.

Rasoul Dinavernd, the Chairman of the Seventh STEP Meeting and a member of the Board of Directors of the Mustafa Foundation talked about the initiative, saying that 12 speeches by researchers from different countries such as China, Pakistan, Iraq, Azerbaijan Republic and Bangladesh are presented on the first day.

Then, Abdolmajid Cheraghali, the head of the Faculty of Pharmacy at Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, gave a presentation on the treatment of the corona patients using the plasma of the recovered people.

He said the virus has created a global challenge for people and confused the medical staff due to the lack of a specific drug to treat it. All the scientists did their best to find the finest treatment, and one of them was using the plasma of the recovered patients.

“This method is not a new one and has been used in the treatment of other diseases, especially the Spanish influenza outbreak in the twentieth century and the H1N1, MERS and SARS epidemic.”

“Antibodies in plasma are injected into sick people and can treat the patient, especially in the early stages of the infection,” he added.

He further noted the plasma of the recovered individuals is very helpful because it takes a long time to produce a drug or a vaccine for emerging diseases.

“We have the plasma of the recovered people at hand, and we can use it quickly to treat patients; therefore, it is very cost-effective,” he said.

At this edition of STEP symposium, Iranian experts and university professors along with scientists from India, Turkey, Japan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Azerbaijan Republic share their experiences in treating COVID-19.

So far, various centres in the Muslim world, including Iranian universities, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Sultan Qaboos University of Oman, and Karachi University have hosted this symposium.

With the aim of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of academic centres and encouraging researchers to focus on patenting, through the enhancement of cooperation between the scientists and scholars of the Muslim world, the Mustafa Science and Technology Foundation launched STEP Program in 2015 as part of its scientific activities.

IFP Editorial Staff

The IFP Editorial Staff is composed of dozens of skilled journalists, news-writers, and analysts whose works are edited and published by experienced editors specialized in Iran News. The editor of each IFP Service is responsible for the report published by the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website, and can be contacted through the ways mentioned in the "IFP Editorial Staff" section.

Recent Posts

President Pezeshkian emphasizes need for improved foreign relations

In a consultative meeting on foreign policy, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stressed that to achieve…

2 hours ago

Qatar’s Emir orders cabinet reshuffle

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has appointed six new ministers in a…

2 hours ago

Netanyahu plans to push for West Bank annexation when Trump takes office

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to push for annexing the occupied West Bank when…

2 hours ago

Aid groups say Israel missed US deadline to enhance humanitarian help for Gaza

Israel has failed to meet United States demands to allow greater humanitarian access to the…

2 hours ago

Putin hopes to recapture lost territory in Kursk before Trump’s inauguration: Report

NATO allies believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin is aiming to recapture territory lost to…

8 hours ago

Iran does not rule out direct talks with US, advises Trump to avoid past mistakes

The Iranian government spokeswoman has not ruled out direct Iran-US talks under the new US…

9 hours ago