Abbott and Janssen-Cilag put Helicobacter Pylori infection at top of the agenda

The seminar that took place at the Lebanese Order of Physicians was in collaboration with the Gastroenterology society & members and was attended by a large number of physicians with the aim of spreading the message amongst healthcare professionals in the country.

'This initiative follows a local study that was conducted by the Division of Gastroenterology at AUH to gauge the prevalence of H. Pylori amongst the Lebanese population,' said Professor Alaa Sharara, Head of the GI Division at the American University Hospital, who confirmed that the number of patients suffering from this disease was alarmingly high in Lebanon.

Frequent studies in the Arab world are rare but nonetheless suggest a H. Pylori infection prevalence of 40-50% in children and 60-80% in adults. The infection is associated with active chronic gastritis, duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer, non-ulcer dyspepsia and in rare cases with stomach cancer. Low socio-economic status, birth in a developing country, crowded living conditions, sharing a bed as a child, absence of hot water tap in home and poor sanitary conditions are the most likely risk factors for acquiring the infection, usually during childhood. The prevalence of H. pylori in Lebanon is estimated at 50-65% based on two studies performed at AUB Medical Center on healthy blood donors and on a large cohort of primary care physicians in Lebanon.

Professor Sharara explained that even though this infection is widely spread in the Middle East and in Lebanon, it is easily treatable, and that through early diagnosis and treatment, symptomatic patients can indeed minimize the risk of development of more serious future complications such as peptic ulcer disease and rarely cancer. Whilst he does not recommend, 'testing without the intention to treat,' he believes people with a family history of gastric cancer ought to consider treatment after testing. He also listed nausea, weight loss, anemia, excessive vomiting and persistent stomach pains as possible symptoms and said: 'These symptoms are commonly treated as isolated cases rarely linked to H. Pylori and so maximizing awareness is a top priority at this stage and a goal we hope to achieve through this conference.'

Professor Sharara also thanked Abbott Laboratories and Janssen-Cilag for supporting such efforts through active involvement in a nationwide awareness campaign that also included the distribution of over 11,000 rapid serology tests, which are used to detect H. Pylori in minutes, to physicians across Lebanon. Traditional detection methods include invasive tests such as Endoscopy and biopsy, and non-invasive ones such as blood tests, Labelled Urea Breath Tests and Fecal antigen.

Dany Khouri, Country Manager, Abbott Laboratories, talked about his company's obligation to reach out to the communities they are present in and said, 'Our experience has taught us that through awareness comes prevention and this is one of many initiatives we endorse in an effort to enhance the quality of life around us.'

'In this day and age, it is no longer sufficient to simply develop medical products and distribute them, we have to be part of the solution and communicate with every party involved in this process,' added Khouri.

Viviane Mobarak, Regional Director, Janssen-Cilag also noted: 'Improving the health and well-being of people around the world is a major part of our mission. We are fully committed to provide health education and ways and means to prevent diseases. This is only achieved through strong partnerships with the medical community to support health awareness initiatives and provide medical solutions to patients in need,' Mobarak added, 'We are committed through our capabilities, skills and passion to make a tangible and significant difference in people's lives.'