25th Annual Meeting of RNAS+ and Inauguration of the Lancang-Mekong Subregional Joint Laboratory Network for Tropical Disease Control Successfully Held in Malaysia

The 25th Annual Meeting of the Regional Network on Asian Schistosomiasis and Other Helminth Zoonoses (RNAS+), alongside the Mid-Year Seminar of the Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine (MSPTM), was held in Malaysia from July 22 to 23, 2025.

The opening ceremony was chaired by Lucas Low Van Lun, President of MSPTM, with welcome remarks delivered by Dr. Noor Azian Md Yusuf, Director of the Institute for Medical Research, Malaysia, and Dr. Li Shizhu, Director of the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases (NIPD), Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC). More than 50 delegates from 11 countries attended the meeting. During the event, Dr. Li Shizhu signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the Lancang-Mekong Subregional Joint Laboratory Network for Tropical Diseases in collaborations with partner institutions in the Lancang-Mekong subregion, marking the official launch of the joint laboratory network.

During the meeting, Chinese experts presented reports on the progress of the RNAS+ network, strategies for parasitic disease control, and advancements in diagnostic technologies. Delegates from various countries shared updates on the status and control efforts for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in their respective regions, and engaged in in-depth discussions on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and rapid diagnostic methods.

In addition, NIPD hosted a dedicated launch meeting for the Lancang-Mekong Regional Joint Laboratory Network. Representatives from Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar reached an initial preliminary consensus on the network’s development objectives, cooperation mechanisms, target diseases, and work plan. 

This meeting further strengthened regional cooperation in the field of tropical disease control and contributed new impetus to both regional and global efforts in combating NTDs.

[Photo/chinacdc.cn]

[Photo/chinacdc.cn]

[Photo/chinacdc.cn]