Sanofi aventis awards five Gulf doctors with grants to improve diabetes management

The grants are part of Sanofi's 'Devoted' initiative, launched in the Middle East in 2007 to improve and support the management and treatment of diabetes, among the most worrisome health threats to the Arab world.

Grant winners include:

UAE's Dr. Hussein Saadi, Professor of Internal Medicine & Consultant Endocrinology at UAE University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, for a survey of Emirati adults to determine the prevalence of diabetic complications.

Dr. Ghaida Qadaha, Consultant Diabetology, Rashid Hospital in Dubai, accompanied by two members of her team, composed of Dr. Khadeeja Hafez and Dr. Sameem Matu, were chosen for creating two extraordinary initiatives to combat diabetes. The first initiative involves training nursing staff that deal with diabetic patients in the UAE. The objective is to train nurses to directly provide diabetic patients with health information on how to gain control of their blood sugar levels by becoming what is known as Diabetes Educators. The second project is aimed at conducting a national survey to assess the prevalence of obesity and diabetes among schoolchildren in the United Arab Emirates.

Dr. Wiam Ibrahim Hussein, Consultant Endocrinology of Bahrain's Gulf Diabetes Specialist Centre, for a project using short-message services (SMS) to manage diabetes; and Dr. Mireille Samson, Consultant family Medicine & Endocrinology, of the Sheikh Khalifa Medical Centre in Abu Dhabi, for a diabetes screening project.

Devoted winners each receive a financial grant form Sanofi-aventis, to be used towards the implementation of their projects. The third edition of the 'Devoted' grants competition, open only to practicing diabetes specialists, drew more than 24 entries from across the Gulf region.

"More than three million individuals across the Gulf region have diabetes, and millions more are at risk. The grants represent Sanofi-aventis' commitment to improving health and well-being across the Gulf community, by advancing the work of physicians, researchers and educators working on the frontlines of diabetes prevention and care," said Jean Marc Voissier, General Manager, Sanofi-aventis Gulf.

"As the number of diabetic patients continues to rise in the region, particularly in the UAE, the Devoted grants will help pave the way for advanced clinical research that will reduce the risks of diabetes while improving the way the disease is treated. We are very pleased to recognize these practitioners who are making significant contributions to the field of diabetic research."

continued Jean-Marc.

All the 2009 grant recipients thanked Sanofi-aventis for supporting their projects, most of which focused on improving patient diagnosis or patient and family empowerment. Early detection of diabetes, and optimal management, can significantly improve health outcomes for patients and families.

Project summaries

Dr. Hussein Saadi, from the UAE University, hopes to conduct a survey of 800 Emirati adults that are newly diagnosed with diabetes and other undiagnosed or untested Emiratis, by examining their health and lifestyle patterns. The project, Dr. Saadi said, hopes to increase community awareness of the serious nature of diabetes if not diagnosed early. The project will also raise awareness of how early diagnosis can extremely reduce or stop the devastating complications that diabetes eventual causes.

Although recent studies demonstrate that the UAE has the second highest rate of diabetes in the world, Dr. Saadi said, very few studies have looked comprehensively into the prevalence of diabetes complications in the UAE and the factors associated with the rapid onset of these complications.

Dr. Ghaida Qadaha, of Rashid Hospital, aims to train between 80 to 100 interested health professionals in diabetes education through workshops, lectures and an observation programme that assigns 10 patients to every trainee.

"This project will help us establish a network of health professionals with a certain level of skills, knowledge and experience in the field of diabetes education, to fill the current acute gap of diabetes educators in the UAE," Dr. Hafidh said. "It will also improve patients' access to diabetes educational support services."

Bahrain's Dr. Wiam Hussein, who hopes to study the effectiveness of text messages between physicians and patients in monitoring blood glucose, physical activity, medication and nutrition levels, believes continuous communication is the key to successful diabetes management. The approach, Dr. Hussein said, harnesses the power of technology to create a supportive social atmosphere for diabetic patients.

Dr. Hussein's project will involve newly diagnosed patients and equip their physicians, educators and nutritionists with smart phones. Patients will receive the cell phone numbers of each specialist, to use to ask questions, solve problems, set goals and air concerns. At the end of six months, the patients' results will be compared to standard procedures to evaluate effectiveness.

Dr. Ghaida Qadaha, of Rashid Hospital, also hopes to identify the prevalence of obesity and Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes among UAE schoolchildren between the ages of 5 and 18. The year-long study, Dr. Qadaha said, will provide the first data on the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in this highly susceptible age group, in addition to updated prevalance figures on overweight and obesity. The resulting data will assist local government and policymakers in determining future health care delivery systems and preventative strategies.

The 'Could You Have Diabetes?' screening programme proposed by Dr. Mireille Samson, of the Sheikh Khalifa Medical Centre Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology, aims to identify asymptomatic individuals with undiagnosed diabetes through awareness drives through popular media and online channels and mall screenings.

"If we can identify patients who are unaware of their condition and refer them for further assessment, they will not only benefit from earlier treatment, but we will also be able to prevent chronic hyperglycemia and its long-term complications, improve life expectancy and quality of life," Dr. Samson said. "In the big picture, this will also reduce the burden of healthcare costs for the government and private sector."

The five grant winners received their funds on June 2009, and Sanofi-aventis will monitor the progress of the projects.