Dubai to stage Mid East's largest series of medical conferences at Arab Health 2004

The International Arab Health Congress will feature 11 dedicated conferences covering plastic surgery, otology, diabetes and obesity, disease management, workplace healthcare, advanced minimally invasive surgery, hypertension and associated conditions, dentistry, radiology and imaging, hospital design and women's health.

The Congress will take place alongside Arab Health, the region's leading healthcare event. Both events will run from January 18-21, at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre (DIEC).

Organised by IIR, with the support of the UAE Ministry of Health, and with sponsorship from Philips Medical Systems, Stryker, Bioscietia and AGFA-Gevaert NV, the Congress will bring together leading experts from the USA, Europe, Middle East, Far East and Australasia to address key regional healthcare issues and the latest in patient care.

"The Congress is one of the most important healthcare gatherings in the Middle East. It plays a crucial role in educating everyone involved in the implementation and delivery of patient services by giving them access to the very latest medical solutions," said John Hassett, Exhibitions Director, Healthcare Division, IIR.

"We are very grateful for the support of the Arab German Medical Services, the Hamburg Hospital Association, the Committee for Promoting German Medicine in Foreign Countries and Bayern International which, through its regional hospitals, has agreed to sponsor many of Germany's leading medical practitioners as speakers at the Congress."

Among the key healthcare issues to be discussed will be obesity among children and adolescents; the detection and monitoring of chronic diseases; health risks in the work place; advances in paediatric surgery; the benefits of aesthetic and restorative dentistry; early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer; latest developments in Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT); management and treatment of coronary heart disease and the latest trends in imaging and radiology.

"This much enlarged Congress programme will ensure Arab Health remains the premier industry forum for the latest medical thinking and research," said Hassett.

"It will be an unrivalled opportunity for healthcare professionals to discuss, review and exchange information on the latest developments in patient treatment. It will significantly enhance the clinical practice of physicians in their management of diseases and injuries."

IIR says the Arab Health exhibition, that will be 40% larger in 2004, will encompass all eight DIEC halls for the first time. To date 25 countries have confirmed they will have national pavilions at the show, including, for the first time, Brazil, Singapore, Pakistan, Holland and Turkey.

It will again feature a series of vertical segments, which have helped drive the event's growth. These will include five specialist arenas: Pharmacy, Arab Dentistry, MedLab, for laboratory and biotechnology products, Hospital Design and Interiors and International Health Services, a specially focussed event for hospitals, clinics and healthcare providers, that will have its own recruitment facility for visitors to search through hundreds of medical career opportunities.