Pakistan International Biennial Conference on “Ramadan and Health”-10th & 11th October 2015.

Pakistan International Biennial Conference on Ramadan and Health was jointly organized by Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU), Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology (BIDE), and Sir Syed Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology (SSIDE) and was held from 9^th to 11^th October 2015 (Corresponding 24^th to 26^th Dhul Hijjah 1436 H)  at Sindh Medical College campus, JSMU. Speakers from Malaysia, Iran and United Arab Emirates along with Pakistani scientists had presented their research works regarding the effect of Ramadan fasting on different diseases. Prof Dr. Syed Muhammad Tariq Rafi, Vice Chancellor of JSMU was the Parton-in-Chief along with Prof Dr. Nazeer Khan from JSMU as the chairperson and Prof. Muhammad Yakoob Ahmedani from (BIDE) & Prof Muhammad Zaman Shaikh from (SSIDE) as co-chairpersons of the conference.
International renowned speaker: Prof. Fereidoun Azizi, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Iran; Prof. Mafauzy Mohamed, University Sains Malaysia, Malaysia, Dr. Mohsen Nematy, Mashad University of Medical Sciences Mashad, Iran and Prof. Abdul Jabbar from UAE presented their research works regarding Ramadan and Health. Conference was comprised of eight different sessions. Forty papers were presented by national and international speakers regarding the effect of Ramadan fasting on different diseases. More than four hundred (400) participants registered in this international conference. Pre-conference workshops on ‘Management of Diabetic Patients Who Fast during Holy Month of Ramadan’ were organized at three institutes on 9^th Oct, 2015. Prof. Fereidoun Azizi, was the facilitator at JSMU, Prof. Muhammad Yakoob Ahmedani and Prof. Muhammad Zaman Shaikh were the facilitators at BIDE and SSIDE, respectively. Inauguration ceremony was held at the evening of 9^th October, 2015 at Regent Plaza, Karachi. Honorable Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar (Minister of Health, Government of Sindh) was the Chief Guest and Sardar Yaseen Malik (Chief Executive Officer of Hilton Pharma) was the Guest of Honor.
Leading experts of Diabetology and other field of medicine from all over the Pakistan i.e. Prof. Abdus Samad Shera, Dr. Mohammad Yaqoob Ahmedani, Dr. Khadija Irfan Khawaja, Prof. Abdul Basit, Prof. Muhammad Zaman Shaikh, Dr. A.H Amir, Prof. Aasim Ahmed, Prof Nazli Hossain, Dr. Mohammad Wasey Shakir, Prof. Zafar Saeed Saify, Dr. Syed Abbas Raza, Dr. Shabeenaz Masood, Dr. Qamer Minhas, Dr. Saif-ul-Haque, Dr. Rubina Hakeem and Dr. Mussarat Riaz presented their findings on effect of Ramadan fasting and its impact on human health. Four sessions were designated for undergraduate and postgraduate students’ presentation. Panel discussion was also organized at last day of conference in which participants, speakers and students shared their views and identify the flaws of the conference and expressed their opinions for the future conferences.   
In the closing ceremony Prof Syed Muhammad Tariq Rafi distributed the shields to speakers, organizers of the conference, and prizes to best three contributed papers of the students decided by the jury. Abstracts of the conference presentations will be published in the Annals of Jinnah Sindh Medical University, July-December 2015; 1(2).