Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid AL Makotum Award for Medical Sciences organized the 1st International Pediatric Pulmonology Conference (IPPC) in Conrad Hotel, Dubai, with the participation of the Emirates Allergy & Respiratory Society “EARS”, the Egyptian Scientific Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, and the Turkish Thoracic Society.

 

Dr. Ahmed AL Hashimi, a member of the board of trustees of the award, opened the conference with the attendance of Mr. Abdullah bin Souqat, the CEO of the Award, Dr. Ahmed Ibrahim Bin Kalban, the CEO of Hospitals Services Sector, Dubai Health Authority, and a galaxy of doctors and specialists from UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Germany, Ireland and Spain.

 

During the opening ceremony, Dr. Ahmed AL Hashimi delivered the Award’s speech, in which he welcomed the distinguished guests in this unique conference which is organized for the first time in the United Arab Emirates.

 

“The interest in the development of the human element in the medical sector comes at the top of the priorities of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences. Such interest is translated into a package of activities and events which are performed by the Award through its 5 Centres, including the Awards Centre, the Research Centre, the Centre for Arab Genomics Studies, the Publishing Centre and the Continuing Medical Education Centre”, he said.

 

“Concerning the Continuing Medical Education Centre, it is the most prominent of these centers, which contribute by its efforts to well establish the required constituents for upgrading the health services provided by the Continuing Medical Education Centre in the health institutions. The Conference, which we are going to open, is one of the most important fruits of the efforts of the Centre's activities and events, all of which we are proud of”, he added.

 

“Many of the experts and specialists have unanimous views on the high scientific quality of the scientific program of the Conference and its way of addressing the latest findings globally reached by the modern science in the field of Pulmonology in children during the past few years”, he said.

 

“We hope that the Conference would contribute to raise the degree of interest in this specialization and the other accurate specializations by promoting their existence in the health institutions by way of establishing departments for them, providing the specialists therein and continuously introducing the latest updates to them”.

 

“The Award spares no effort to support all health sectors inside and outside the state and in all health specializations in order to well establish the vision of its Patron His Highness Sheik Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Deputy Rules of Dubai, the UAE Minister of Finance and the President of Dubai Health Authority. I take this opportunity, from this podium, to extend to His Highness sincere thanks and appreciation for his unlimited support to the health sector, in general, and to the Award and its activities, in particular”, Dr. Ahmed al Hashimi said.

 

Then, Dr. Ahmed bin Kalban delivered the speech of the Dubai Health Authority in which he welcomed all guests in the conference, which is organized by the Award for the first time in the UAE to be a role model to the other specialized conferences in the field of health of children.

“I would like to thank the Award’s board of trustees on their keenness to implement the vision and directives of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, aiming at improving the medical services locally, regionally and internationally.

 

In her speech, Dr. Fatma Mohamed AL Jasim talked about the conference which includes 7 scientific sessions and 4 workshops by 39 keynote speakers. Also, she mentioned to the 15 CME hours accredited from the UAE University which will be received by the participants. 

 

During its final sessions, the conference recommended exerting much more efforts to increase the awareness among the public and among the specialists and pediatricians towards the pulmonology diseases which represents about 70% of children diseases. 

 

Also, Dr. Fatima Mohammed Al-Jassem announced that an agreement has been signed with the British “Bright Start Foundation for maternity and child health”. The agreement aims at organizing a 5-years training and awareness program about Asthma in children, in the UAE, starting from November. 

 

“The United Arab Emirates is the first country to host the program, which is expected to be extended to be applied in the other countries of the GCC, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, as one of the global and regional maternal and child health initiatives aiming at improving the health policy”, She said.

 

“The guidelines of the program will be formulated by the foundation, and the UAE Ministry of Health and the Health Authorities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi should approve them before being applied within the UAE”, she added.

 

There are 2 groups scheduled to get benefit from this project, the first of which is parents and children with Asthma. A series of workshops and lectures will be held to discuss the nature of Asthma as a chronic disease, its types, the methods of treatment and the ways to put the disease under control. Also, another section of the program, training the trainers, will be dedicated for specialists in healthcare for children with Asthma. 

 

It is worthy to mention that the second version of the conference will be held from 27 to 29 May in Alexandria, Arab Republic of Egypt, in conjunction with a 2-days training course about cystic fibrosis disease, in Dubai. As for the 3rd edition of the conference, it is scheduled to be organized in Dubai during 2017.