Juvenile diabetes main focus for the Arab Children Health Congress opening today

The three-day Congress, which aims to open a new channel of dialogue for the children, will address the issues faced by diabetic children and provide recommendations to tackle these issues effectively.

The Arab Children Health Congress was launched by Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein in an effort to create a platform for challenged Arab youth and children to discuss health issues and to raise public awareness on health concerns faced by young people in the UAE and the rest of the region. Every year, a child ambassador is chosen to help spread awareness of his / her particular illness and how it can be conquered.

"The Congress is a very important step in ensuring that children get their voices heard. Diabetes is a major issue in the region, and the sooner people realize the serious repercussions of this disease, the easier it will be for them to confront and tackle it. Listening to the experiences of these young people, together with the knowledge and expertise of the healthcare professionals, is a combination that is sure to lead to an increase in awareness of health concerns and ensure better conditions in the near future", said Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein.

Prominent medical and healthcare professionals will be speaking at the Congress, including Dr. Maha Taysir Barakat, Medical & Research Director, Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, Abu Dhabi; Dr. Mariam Harmas Al Hajiri, Vice-President Bahrain Diabetes Society, Head of School Health services at the Ministry of Health and Jeff Hitchcock, creator, editor and webmaster of Children with Diabetes, amongst others.

The different sessions over the three days will focus on discussions between these healthcare practitioners and diabetic children on the various concerns these youngsters are facing. The outcome of these debates will then be used to put forth recommendations to the Ministry of Health in order to change policies to impact healthcare in the region positively.

The opening ceremony for the Congress is at the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre today at 6pm, and the panel discussions and other sessions will take place from 6th - 8th March at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center.