More than 600 medical students from UAE colleges attended the 6th UAE Medical Students Conference held in Dubai, at The Palace Hotel, Burj Khalifa, from May 6-7, 2012. The conference, organized annually by the Emirates Medical Students’ Society (EMSS), was hosted by Dubai Medical College this year.

In keeping with the theme, ‘Socially Hidden Health Problems’, the conference included
a number of lectures by eminent speakers, and case studies and research presentations by medical students from Dubai Medical College, University of Sharjah, UAE University Al Ain, RAK University of Medical and Health Sciences and Gulf Medical University.

Commenting on the conference, Professor Mohammed Galal El Din Ahmed, Dean of Dubai Medical College, said: “We take great pride in the fact that Emirates Medical Students’ Society was conceived and founded by Dubai Medical College Students’ Union. The annual Medical Students’ Conference of EMSS has now grown as one of the nation’s premier forums for knowledge sharing and research, connecting all the medical colleges in the region and empowering them to actively participate in improving healthcare and healthcare delivery.”

In his key note speech, Dr. Keith M. Bagnall, Professor, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, UAE University-Al Ain, discussed in detail about the social problems that can arise while treating infertility. Topics such as ‘Prevalence of high blood pressure in school children in UAE’, ‘Weight reduction methods used by females in UAE’ , ‘Use of nanotechnology in fighting cancer’ , ‘The association of genetic polymorphism of antioxidant enzymes with infertility’ and ‘Case of sickle cell anemia with cord syndrome’ were among key research and case study presentations. An impressive line-up of events including workshops, literature review and a video completion based on the conference theme were also organized on the sideline.

Renowned speakers and evaluators present at the conference were Dr. Maryam Matar, Founder and Chairperson of UAE Genetic Diseases Association; Dr. Keith M. Bagnall, Professor, Department of Anatomy, UAE University Al Ain; Dr Ahmed Suleiman , Associate Professor in Civil Law, Ajman University of Science and Technology; Dr. Khalid Abdel Halim Ahmed , Medical Referent, Dubai Desk, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF); Dr. Erol Baysal , Head of Molecular Genetics Unit, Latifa Hospital, and Dr. Fathia, Chief Academic officer, Dubai Medical College.

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) recently held the two-day Second Middle East Metabolic Dieticians Workshop aimed at giving the latest updates on metabolic diseases and nutritional services for people with metabolic disorders.

The event was conducted at Hajar Auditorium and drew about 80 participants and 12 speakers from Qatar, the Middle East, Europe and the Hospital for Sick Children in Canada.

“Most of the participants are metabolic doctors or dieticians. This second workshop was conducted as a result of great feedback on the first workshop, and we are planning to have it every two years, to be rotated in other Gulf countries as well as Qatar,” said Dr Tawfeg Ben Omran, Head of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics at HMC’s Department of Pediatrics, and Chairman of the workshop.

“The idea for this workshop is to have a round table discussion so that we can explore collaboration with other Gulf countries in this field, as we share the same basics in regard to population and diseases in the region. We see mostly the same cases, and sometimes a new disorder is found that is not known in the rest of the world, or some countries develop new approaches to metabolic treatments. Through this discussion we might be able to come up with recommendations on how we can collaborate to deliver the best care for our patients,” Dr Ben Omran explained.

A metabolic disease or disorder is characterized by problems with converting food to energy on a cellular level, and is typically hereditary. Most persons affected may appear healthy for years, or may have symptoms that are also shared by other conditions, making specialized metabolic screening necessary for early detection of the disorder.

Most people suffering from metabolic disorders require special dietary therapy in order to avoid accumulation of toxic metabolites due to harmful substances in food, according to one of the speakers, Ms Reem Al Saadi, Acting Assistant Director for the Dietetics and Nutrition Department at Hamad General Hospital. Management of metabolic disorders should start at an early stage after a newborn baby is screened and diagnosed, in order to avoid any defects in the baby’s development.

Metabolic screening for all newborn babies in Qatar is now conducted in-house at HMC, which partnered with the prestigious University Children’s Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany in 2003 to start providing the service. “About 160,000 babies have been screened in the last nine years, and about 270 babies have been found to have metabolic disorders,” said Professor Georg Hoffmann, Chairman of Pediatrics at Heidelberg University Hospital. He explained that compared to most countries outside of the Gulf region, there are three times as many babies affected with metabolic disorders in Qatar due to high consanguinity rates in the region.

“Qatar has shown wonderfully how well the newborn screening works here and it should also be transported to other countries,” said Prof. Hoffmann, who also gave an overview and update on epileptic encephalopathies and was one of the moderators during the workshop.

Experts also discussed topics such as basic principles in ketogenic diet, update on fatty acid oxidation disorders, establishing innovative services for metabolic dietary management in the region, and emergency management of inborn errors of metabolism (IEM). Practical sessions were conducted for emergency dietary protocols for common IEM, and low-protein recipes for traditional dishes.

Over 100 Primary Care Physicians, General Practitioners, and Family Medicine specialists from the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan gathered in Beirut for the Lebanese Antibiotic and Allergy Program (LAAP) - a ‘Continuous Medical Education-CME’ seminar organized in collaboration between the Lebanese Ear/Nose/Throat (ENT) Society and the Lebanese Society of Allergy and Immunology to enhance understanding of treatment guidelines for Respiratory Infections and Allergic Rhinitis amid growing affliction rates as well as alarming self-medication and over-prescription habits across the region.

“Rates of Respiratory Infections and Allergic Rhinitis are on the rise in the region and across the world, due to a number of factors including climate, pollution and lifestyle changes, making the need to properly diagnose and treat conditions all the more persistent,” said Dr. Carla Irani, President of the Lebanese Society of Allergy and Immunology.

“In addition, trends to self-medicate and over-prescribe medications in the Middle East are causing resistance to antibiotics which when properly used can benefit patients and help avoid long-term repercussions of persistent respiratory or allergic conditions,” added Dr. Philip Rouadi, representing the Lebanese Ear/Nose/Throat (ENT) Society.

Prevalence of allergic diseases is on the rise worldwide at an alarming rate, mainly among children. Comprehensive prevalence figures in Lebanon are not fully available, though professional estimates put rates of Allergic Rhinitis at between 22 to 33% of the population.

As far as Respiratory Infections, the main issue covered at the LAAP involves increasing resistance to antibiotics, with the meeting highlighting updates from university hospitals in Beirut on susceptibility of microbes to antibiotics available in Lebanon, which “can be minimized through judicious use of antibiotics by both encouraging the public not to self-medicate and calling on physicians to avoid over prescriptions,” added Rouadi.

“Ensuring proper implementation of internationally-agreed treatment guidelines will not only benefit patients, but also help us assess their overall efficacy in changing the course of diseases as well as eventually reviewing them as necessary,” said Irani.

Dubai Cares, the UAE-based philanthropic organization founded in 2007 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched a 4-year Home Grown School Feeding (HGSF) program in Ghana which will improve the education, health and nutrition of over 320,000 primary school aged children and the livelihoods of over 80,000 rural households.
 
With the launch of this program, Dubai Cares is now reaching over 7 million children in 28 developing countries with its comprehensive primary education programs.

Commenting on Dubai Cares’ achievement, Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Cares, said: “In 2007, Dubai Cares was launched with the belief, held by HH Sheikh Mohammed, that education is the most effective tool to break the cycle of poverty and a desire to give children, regardless of their nationality, creed or religion, the opportunity to become positive contributors to society. Today, because of the guidance of His Highness, who inspired us to design innovative solutions to development challenges, and our holistic programmatic approach, Dubai Cares is reaching over 7 million children in 28 developing countries with primary education programs that are making a difference in the lives of children and their communities.”

He added, “I would like to take this opportunity to, on behalf of everyone at Dubai Cares, thank the UAE community for playing an important role in making all this possible. And, as we celebrate together this accomplishment, we should be reminded that our mission is far from over - 69 million children around the world still do not go to school.”

The program, which is receiving approximately Dhs10m ($2.7M) in funding from Dubai Cares, will be implemented by the philanthropic organization with Partnership for Child Development (PCD) and will support the Ghana School Feeding Program (GSFP), a poverty reduction initiative launched in 2005 by the Ghanaian government.

The Dubai Cares program was launched through an official event in Ghana attended by a Dubai Cares delegation led by Al Gurg, representatives from the local government and several international organizations including Ghana School Feeding Program, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, World Food Program, World Bank and SNV.

Speaking at the launch event, Al Gurg said, “This program is based on the principle that healthy children learn better. Homegrown school feeding programs, which are part of Dubai Cares’ holistic and integrated school health and nutrition programs, have shown to improve children’s regular school attendance as well as their cognitive learning through healthier and nutritious food intake. On a global level, these interventions are helping developing countries achieve their Millennium Development Goals related to primary education.”

The Homegrown School Feeding program represents a sustainable and integrated alternative to providing school meals to children while supporting economic activity in rural areas.

Al Gurg added: “This program will not only benefit school children, but marginal rural communities as well since the commodities required for producing the nutritious meals for school children will be procured from local farmers. This creates a self-sustaining cycle in which students receive the nutrition they need and household incomes increase.”

Dr. Lesley Drake, Executive Director, Partnership for Child Development (PCD), said: “This generous support from Dubai Cares to Ghana will make a real difference to the health, nutrition and education of school aged children and the communities in which they live. The GSFP provides an excellent example of good practice and this funding will undoubtedly strengthen the platform for sustainable Home Grown School Feeding Programs across the continent.”

“We are delighted to have worked with Dubai Cares over the past two years to determine where our mutual investments can have the greatest impact,” said Arlene Mitchell, Deputy Director of the Agricultural Development initiative at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “This program is an outgrowth of our collaboration, one which we believe will have a real impact on the lives of children, as well as smallholder farmers.”

The Dubai Cares program will also focus on ensuring the program’s sustainability by improving the in-country management capacity and promote more cost effective delivery systems that can result in increased program efficiency over the long term. This combination of effective delivery and increased capacity will enable the program to be scaled up in the future.

Diabetes drug proven to prevent kidney failure in 2 out of 3 diabetic patients

Dubai – 5 May 2012: Servier Pharmaceutical Company called attention to the diabetes epidemic in the UAE by launching a Physicians’ Educational Day yesterday evening (Friday, May 4th) at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, Dubai. The meeting drew particular focus on new data from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) that was announced in the latest IDF congress in December 2011 in Dubai, indicating that 19.2 percent of the UAE population has been diagnosed with diabetes. The new IDF data also highlighted the diabetes associated consequences for both the patients and the economy.

The event, accredited by the Ministry of Health and the Dubai Health Authority, was attended by participants from major private and public hospitals across the UAE.

“Latest international guidelines recommend that physicians use Gliclazide MR (Diamicron MR 60mg) to control diabetes and its complications after the drug’s strong performance in the ADVANCE trial, considered the largest ever trial in the history of diabetes. ADVANCE’s new results, announced at the World Diabetes Congress in December 2011, showed that the regular use of Gliclazide MR can avoid kidney failure in 65% percent of diabetic patients with type 2 diabetes (2 out of 3) compared to groups treated with other medications” said Professor Yehia Ghanem, Professor of Internal Medicine, Diabetes and Metabolism Department Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt.

Deaths from cardiovascular and renal failure are high among diabetics. As per a World Health Organization report 2009, 20 percent of diabetic patients die from kidney disease. “It is imperative that diabetes control be improved in the UAE, and that top of the line, Gliclazide MR when prescribed to the patients at the earliest is proven to avoid the renal and cardiovascular complications associated with diabetes” added Professor Ghanem.

The physicians meeting also discussed key issues on how to diagnose diabetes effectively, assess the risk of cardiovascular damage in diabetic patients, and how to effectively manage medication to avoid renal and cardiovascular complications while keeping diabetes in check.

“Diabetes is a serious concern for the UAE, and the medical community is realizing the need for effective and trusted partners in innovation to deliver drugs that effectively control diabetes and treat its consequences. Reputed drugs such as Gliclazde MR and Metformin are commonly prescribed by healthcare providers in the country, in addition to newer medications which have less scientific evidence about their ability to protect against diabetes complications, or safety in long term use,” said Professor Jean Claude Mbanya, President, International Diabetes Federation, Professor of Medicine and Endocrinology Faculty of Medicine, University of Yaoundé, Cameroon.

“Diabetes is an epidemic that costs lives and also imposes economic burdens. The medical and scientific communities must cooperate in treating this epidemic with resources and medications that offer scientific proof of efficacy and show discernable results in improving patient well-being,” he concluded.

Dar Al Shifa Hospital announced that the hospital is now equipped with a new and exclusive breakthrough in three of their machines at the Diagnostic Imaging Center. Digital Flat Panel Detector technology is now available in fluoroscopy, radiography, and portable radiography machines.

Commenting on this addition, Dr. Tarek El Senan, Consultant and Head of the Diagnostic Imaging Department in Dar Al Shifa Hospital, said, “This detector technology runs a full-body examination, including dynamic fluoroscopy exams for gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, fallopian tubes evaluation, post bariatric surgery assessment, deformity imaging, and bed side portable radiography. The equipment can accommodate patients with body weight up to 250 kg without compromising image quality and a reduced radiation dose compared to similar modalities.”

He continued, “At Dar Al Shifa Hospital, we continuously aim to integrate the latest in medical technologies to better serve our patients.”

Dr. Alexandra Yozanova, Clinical Development Manager at Dar Al Shifa Hospital noted, “With the availability of this technology, patients can now have general x-ray imaging done with a much lower-dose radiation than available before, thereby, enhancing patient safety. The installation of a uniquely developed machine reinforces Dar Al Shifa Hospitals commitment to continuous quality improvement and excellence in patient care.”

“Exceptional image quality is key to optimizing diagnosis, while low dose imaging helps to minimize the radiation risk in patients which is achieved through the digital flat panel detector technology to ensure that a high image quality is possible with low radiation dose at all times,” commented Dr. Amr Bassyouni, Medical Director at Dar Al Shifa Hospital.

Mafraq Hospital which is operated by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) has launched in Abu Dhabi an awareness campaign for hands hygiene, entitled: “Clean Hands Save Lives.” The campaign targets Mafraq Hospital staff and patients along with Abu Dhabi community, especially children. In the occasion of the “Global Handwashing Day”, this educational initiative aims at enhancing awareness of one of the basic prevention means against infection.

The campaign is launched involving “Habib the Hand”, the mascot which the Hospital has created to represent the Campaign in order to attract the children to the benefits of clean hands. “Habib” educated the patients and played with the children, aiming to enhance the awareness of the importance of soap hand washing, which is considered a major factor for prevention against diseases.

In this respect, Dr. Mohammad Yaman, Chief Medical Officer Chair at Mafraq Hospital, said: “This campaign aims at spreading health education through a variety of activities focusing on enhancing awareness of the importance of preserving life via hand washing to prevent infection spread.”

“This campaign is considered a wonderful experience for all, where since July 2010 till to date, the Hospital has been focusing on educating and improving the level of awareness to the benefits of hand washing,” added Dr. Yemen. “The campaign is focusing on turning soap hand wash from just a good idea into a natural habit to be practiced at homes and in schools; this is the only simple procedure to break the chain reaction of infection and to prevent against diseases,” he said.

Dr. Yemen continued: “Soap hand washing is considered the most effective and also prevents diarrhea infections (may include Shigellosis, Typhoid & Cholera), severe respiratory tract infections (including SARS & Bird Flu) and Pneumonia; where collectively, are considered the main reason for the majority of infant mortalities.”

However, regardless of the fact that soap is available in most households around the world, yet, it is noticed that the rate of soap hand washing in critical cases is very minimal. Bearing in mind that hand washing with water and soap or with a sanitizer is considered the corner stone of general health, and is considered an available self-vaccine.

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA), in partnership with AstraZeneca Gulf, launched, the Safe@Heart road show which will take place across all DHA primary healthcare centres and hospitals during the course of this year.

The road shows are aimed to educate the community about the importance of heart health.

Beginning at Nadd Al Hamar Health Center, the road show will take place every month until December 2012, across all DHA primary healthcare centres and three prominently known DHA hospitals - Dubai, Rashid and Latifa Hospital.

As part of the road show, healthcare professionals will conduct screening for both cholesterol and hypertension - two major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Once screened, participants will receive the results of their screening and advice on how to maintain their heart health.

Healthcare professionals will also provide a booklet containing critical information about heart health and ways to prevent cardiovascular disease. The booklet contains information on the importance of exercise, the ill-effects of tobacco use and tips on smoking cessation among other guidelines

Ahmad Bin Kalban, CEO of Primary Healthcare at the DHA said: “The campaign is aimed to reach out to community members through the PHC’s as primary healthcare is frontline healthcare. In 2011, the 14 DHA primary healthcare centres, treated over 700,000 patients across various specialisations. Our aim is to ensure we also educate our patients as education and sustained awareness campaigns are vital to tackle lifestyle diseases and cardiovascular disease is one such disease which can be easily prevented through lifestyle modification. Our aim through this campaign is to reach out to the community through our PHCs which are spread across the various geographical areas of Dubai and educate community members about their health. Regular screening is the first step to ensure every person is aware of their health status and can take proactive measures to ensure optimum health.”

“At AstraZeneca Gulf, we know that it is crucial to reach out to and integrate with all stakeholders in society to prevent cardiovascular disease,” said Samer Al Hallaq, President, AstraZeneca Gulf. “For us, it’s not just about providing medicines, but actually working with communities to assist them in getting and staying healthy. Programmes such as Safe@Heart are designed to better assist healthcare practitioners to achieve a healthier society. We want to go beyond the medication, because we believe that health connects us all.”

Dr Amna Khamis Al Mazrooei, Director of Health Centres, Primary Healthcare Sector at the DHA said, “Educational initiatives are important to protect the health of the people in the Emirate. Through this campaign we will also educate patients who have undergone a heart attack on tips of how to maintain a healthy lifestyle thus ensuring a healthy heart.”

She added that the aim of such awareness initiatives is to reverse the current lifestyle trends and improving patients’ health and wellbeing as much as possible.

Safe@Heart is an educational programme created by AstraZeneca Gulf, in partnership with the Dubai Health Authority. The aim of the programme is to address the unmet medical needs of cardiovascular disease in the region, specifically when it comes to high levels of LDL-cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes,

Based on some studies in certain Gulf countries, there are estimates that up to 50% of people are adversely affected by high cholesterol . Overweight and obesity, mainly driven by poor lifestyle choices, affects a large number of the population both globally and locally and UAE has a high prevalence of diabetes.

In terms of Cardiovascular disease, it is a known fact that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer both globally and locally, with one in four deaths in the UAE being attributed to CVDs.

Dr Kalban added, “These figures reiterate the need to conduct such awareness campaigns and educate our community members. If adults in the family adopt a healthy lifestyle, we can be sure that their children will automatically follow them, thus ensuring a healthy future for our future generations.”

As part of Commercial Bank International’s (CBI) ongoing commitment to support scientific research and healthcare, the Bank made a financial donation of Dhs100,000 to the University of Sharjah. The donation will go towards research in Cancer and Alzheimer’s diseases in the UAE.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Peter Cannizzaro, Chief Operating Officer of CBI explained that the bank is keen to support research based projects in Universities across UAE. He said “We are delighted to support the University of Sharjah as they have proven academic capabilities and we pledge our support to help them reach their goals.”

“UAE is evolving from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based economy through research-driven Universities, such as Sharjah University. Nurturing future leaders in the science and technology faculties is an important mandate from an academic point of view,” concluded Cannizzaro.

Speaking on the occasion Dr Sami Abdulhameed Mahmoud, Principal of University of Sharjah said, “The University seeks new ways to instill practical applications throughout the student’s life. The university appreciates CBI’s support in research and development studies which will go a long way in enhancing the knowledge and skills in scientific research.”

The University of Sharjah has achieved a major leap forward in scientific research over the last several years. Numerous innovative research projects have been funded and the University makes available state-of-the-art research equipment to researchers in its various specialized laboratories. The University is leading in scientific research at the national and regional levels and is drawing international attention.

The Pink Caravan has released their general report detailing the results of their mobile clinics’ testing program during and around the Pink Caravan’s 2nd ride.

Commenting on the findings of the report, HE Ameera BinKaram, Founding member and President of Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP), remarked that the Pink Caravan’s medical and awareness teams not only successfully achieved their target of 5000 tests done by the 17th of April, but in fact surpassed it.

The report reveals that the Pink Caravan’s mobile clinics provided free early detection breast cancer testing for a total of 4667 women and 482 men over a 17-day period during and around the actual ride. Of the individuals that took part in testing 1221 were referred to undergo mammograms and a further 433 were referred to undergo ultrasound imaging.

The report also showed a near equal demographic distribution amongst the applicants in terms of nationality, with 2514 being Emirate citizens and 2635 expatriates.

“The findings of this report are a clear indication of the success of the Pink Caravan’s mobile clinics. Through the hard work and dedication of Pink Caravan’s medical personnel we have managed to make a difference in the lives of those we tested, as well as increasing the level of public awareness about the importance of early detection in the treatment of breast cancer,” HE BinKaram added.

In 2011, the Pink Caravan’s medical team screened around 10,025 people for the early detection of breast cancer at 135 mobile clinics that were set up across the UAE up until the end of October. The huge success of the mobile clinic campaign during this year’s ride is a strong indicator that the Pink Caravan will be able to reach far greater numbers over the course of 2012, as awareness builds and the initiative goes from strength to strength.

The Pink Caravan campaign will run annually until 2014, under the patronage of HH Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah and under the directives of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs.

The Pink Caravan’s ride aims to spread greater awareness about breast cancer, encourage regular tests and raise funds to buy a 3D mammogram clinic, which will provide free tests for citizens and expatriates in the country.