New Delhi: The 4th Asian Congress for Alternatives to Animal Experiments, held at Jamia Hamdard Convention Centre on December 14, marked a significant milestone as the first event of its kind hosted in India. During the congress, founding members and representatives from India, China, Japan, and South Korea signed a joint declaration to establish the Asian Federation of Societies for Alternatives to Animal Experiments (AFSAAE).
Support for the initiative was expressed by societies working for alternatives from America, Europe, and Sri Lanka.
In his address, Prof. Y.K. Gupta urged scientists to recognize the suffering of animals used in experiments. Prof. Raisuddin presented a detailed report on the three days of deliberations at the conference and announced various awards for outstanding presentations by young scientists. Dr. Christian Pellevoisin, Scientific Director at MatTek & CEO of Urbilateria, France, sponsored the best poster presentation awards and cash prizes for emerging scientists. Dr. Kristie Sullivan, Vice President of Education and Outreach at the Institute for In Vitro Sciences, USA, and Prof. Winfried Neuhaus, member of the Austrian Commission for Animal Experimentation, both praised the successful organization of the congress.
Prof. (Dr.) M. Afshar Alam, Vice Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard, congratulated the organizing committee for their efforts in making the conference a success. He also commended the patronage of Janab Hammad Ahmed, Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard, and the financial support from the Hamdard National Foundation, alongside other funding agencies, in enabling Jamia Hamdard to develop alternative models to animal experiments. Dr. Akbarsha announced that the next meeting would be held in Hyderabad.
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