Hanif Hassan: Forum within UAE’s Strategy to Fight Diabetes
Dubai, UAE, Thursday, November 25th 2010 [ME NewsWire]:
The UAE Ministry of Health in cooperation with the executive board of the Health Ministers’ Council for GCC States and its strategic partners will co- host the MENA Diabetes Leadership Forum on 12-13 December 2010 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
His Excellency Dr. Hanif Hassan Ali Al Qassim, UAE Minister of Health stated that the conference comes in implementation of the federal government’s directives under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to provide high quality healthcare services for UAE nationals and residents pointing out that it will discuss the risk factors that can contribute to diabetes.
His Excellency mentioned that the Forum is a great starting point to explore changing and innovative methods at both national and regional levels, stipulate diabetes on the priorities of government health policies in the region, and train specialists to screen diabetes at an early stage before it is too late. He pointed out that the UAE is the fourth country in the world that has organised this event in collaboration with its strategic partners after the USA, Russia and China.
His Excellency explained that the UAE Ministry of Health, since the approval of the Ministerial Council for Services led by His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs and President of the Ministerial Council for Services to the national programme to fight diabetes early 2009, put in an integrated operational plan spanning ten years (2009-2018) to fight diabetes and set up a variety of activities and events in this regard.
His Excellency Dr. Hanif Hassan Ali Al Qassim, UAE Minister of Health, emphasised that the Ministry will co-host the Forum to review with the participants the potential threats posed by this disease, act swiftly to remedy the current situation and reduce its dissemination in the region. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes are increasingly undermining healthcare in the MENA region and a coordinated response is required. This Forum constitutes a unique opportunity for the MENA region to prepare the ground for the 2011 United Nations Summit on Non Communicable Diseases and the 2011 IDF World Diabetes Congress in Dubai.
The Forum is co-hosted by the UAE Ministry of Health, the executive board of the Health Ministers’ Council for GCC States, the World Bank Group (MENA region) and the World Diabetes Foundation, with the support of the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi, the International Diabetes Federation, the Emirates Diabetes Society, the Gulf Group for the Study of Diabetes, the MENA Health Policy Forum, the Steno Diabetes Center, the Joslin Diabetes Center and the Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences. It is organised and sponsored by Novo Nordisk.
Today, diabetes is considered one of the biggest health threats and challenges invading the Middle East and Northern Africa. It is affecting the lives of men, women and children. Currently, in the MENA region alone there are an estimated 26.6 million people living with diabetes. According to recent estimates, the number is set to almost double to 51.7 million people by 2030, which will have a significant impact on health systems, governments and economies if no action is taken now.
The efforts of the UAE Ministry of Health to hold such a Forum assures its attempts to fight the disease and responds to the UN appeal in 2006 to implement its resolution on fighting diabetes and launch regional initiatives in this regard.
The Forum is a unique high-level advocacy meeting aimed at confronting the diabetes pandemic in the MENA region and exploring ways to implement the United Nations Resolution on Diabetes (December 2006) and other regional initiatives. This two-day event will also examine the impact of diabetes and explore ways to create change on a regional and national level. Through this effort, national-specific action plans are expected to be adopted with clear steps on how to prioritise diabetes on national agendas, dedicate resources, train healthcare professionals, detect diabetes and people at high risk of developing diabetes at an earlier stage, and raise awareness.
Furthermore, Lars Rebien Sorensen, president and CEO of Novo Nordisk, said: "Novo Nordisk is proud to support the efforts of the UAE Ministry of Health and the executive board of the Health Ministers’ Council for GCC States in drawing attention of the authorities, media and the public across the MENA region on the need to prioritise chronic NCDs such as diabetes on the political and public health agenda. Ultimately, we hope to contribute to changing behaviours and improving lives in the entire MENA region when it comes to diabetes.”
The MENA Diabetes Leadership Forum in Dubai will bring together key stakeholders and leaders from all over the world, representing governments; national, regional and international organisations; professional and patient associations; healthcare professionals; research and academic institutes; think tanks; foundations; business; NGOs and media. Headed by the UAE, other participating countries are Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian National Authority, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen.
Keynote speakers will include, among many others, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark; His Excellency Dr Hanif Hassan Ali Al Qassim, UAE Minister of Health; Dr Ala Alwan, assistant director general for NCDs and Mental Health at the World Health Organisation; Professor Pierre Lefèbvre, chairman, World Diabetes Foundation; Professor Jean Claude Mbanya, president, International Diabetes Federation; Dr Abdul Rahman Salem Alkuwari, president, Gulf Group for the Study of Diabetes.
For further information about the Forum, please visit the website: www.menadiabetesleadershipforum.com
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