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"This campaign represents our commitment to the federal government strategy which promotes solid partnerships between government and private institutions to strive to better the wellbeing of our UAE's community and protect public health."
said H.E Mr. Qutami.
"The core objective of this initiative is to enhance awareness levels through education in an attempt to reduce disease incidence levels. We are committed to this partnership and to continually securing better healthcare services to all UAE nationals and expatriates."
His Excellency also described the initiative as 'very crucial' specifically to the UAE region since it has the second highest diabetes incidence rate in the world. He further described the social and health repercussions of diabetes on the country as a whole. In addition to the cost of management and treatment that diabetes has on the UAE's healthcare budget."
"This initiative is comprehensive, tactical and most importantly practical to implement. Diabetes and atherothrombosis are preventable lifestyle diseases, and so the key achievement of this campaign will be the prevention and management of diabetes through education. " his Excellency added.
The three year campaign targets patients, physicians and most importantly, the public.
The main pillar of the campaign begins with targeting school children, a concept labeled 'The Right Beginning' which focuses on reducing cardio-metabolic risk factors in upcoming generations by promoting a healthier lifestyle within the school education system. Regular screening, accurate filing and assessment of medical records will be given top priority in order to identify emerging risk factors in each child.
In regards to patient care, the campaign will organize consistent Patient Support Programs to encourage dialogue among patients on available treatment plans, lifestyle changes in terms of diet and exercise, and provide emotional support.
Physician Support Programs will also be implemented and will play a crucial role in the overall success of the campaign. Private and public physicians in the UAE will be exposed to the latest advancements in diagnosis and treatment of diabetes. Continuous Medical Education (CME) will be an essential component of the partnership. CME's will be made available to physicians through different state-of-the-art options.
"The Ministry and Sanofi-aventis will work side-by-side to battle diabetes and atherothrombosis. We have developed the best physician and patient care programs. We will work on raising awareness for future generations, providing the latest in research to the clinics in order to birth a unified working strategy to reduce the incidence of these diseases." said Dr. Ali Bin Shakar, General Manager, UAE Ministry of Health.
He further added that fighting diabetes is a crucial aspect of the UAE's national strategy. A dedicated team will be assigned to handle implementation, assessment and consistent updating of the grand elements of the strategy.
"As a socially responsible player, Sanofi-aventis is committed to working with the UAE Ministry of Health to enhance the wellbeing and standard of living of our society as a whole.
Considering the alarming state of diabetes prevalence in the UAE, we have dedicated massive efforts to provide the best possible tools in order to increase awareness, medical practice development and patient education not only with regards to diabetes but also cardio-vascular diseases," said Mr. Jean-Marc Voissier.
Diabetes Mellitus (type 2) and atherothrombosis are currently one of the most prevalent diseases in the UAE. According to recent media reports, 1 out of every 4 people in the UAE is diabetic, with a staggering 25% prevalence rate among UAE nationals.
It is a rapidly growing metabolic disease and worldwide, takes an ever-increasing proportion of national healthcare budgets. Recent studies from Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf showed that diabetes prevalence ranges between 15 to 25% and that diabetes accounts for between five to 10% of each nation's health budget. In addition, many type 2 diabetes patients are not diagnosed or not in control of their blood glucose, leaving them at an increased risk of diabetes related complications.
Posted by Nadeen El Ajou
