Top doctors from the Middle East exchanged their thoughts on effective diabetes control, with top international healthcare experts during a high-profile summit in Dubai last week. The event, organized by Sanofi Aventis, reviewed major challenges in diabetes treatment and the latest trends in the prevention of the disease.
The special seminar witnessed leading experts from the American Diabetes Association and The Egyptian Diabetes Center interacting with GCC doctors on several crucial issues in order to find effective solutions in the treatment of diabetes.
Blaming modern lifestyle and bad eating habits for the trends – a typical car-to-lift syndrome – Professor Tarif Zawawi, Dept. of Medicine & Endocrinology, King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, said: “In the past few years, we have noticed an alarming increase in the number of youngsters suffering from Type 2 diabetes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Traditionally, Type 2 diabetes only affected patients aged 40 years and older. This disturbing trend highlights the intensity of the disease.”
Zawawi is an active member of the Diabetes Friends Association in Jeddah, which aims to raise greater awareness about diabetes and its control in the Saudi Arabia. The association, which is an important part of the King Abdul Aziz University, also provides subsidized medicines to sufferers in the region.
The Middle East, like other regions, is particularly at risk of the disease, with over 15 million people affected in the Arab world alone, according to a WHO report published in 2000. Pointing to the report, a leading doctor explained that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has over 890,000 diabetics and that number was expected to triple in 2030 unless greater awareness about the disease was spread.
“Latest studies have shown that diabetes is prevalent among 16 to 23 per cent of the pan-Arab population,” said Dr. Saud Al Sifri, MD, Consultant Internist & Endocrinologist at the Al Hada Armed Forces Hospital in Taif, KSA, and a participant in the workshop.
“It is noteworthy that the Government and other private organizations have taken the lead and begun awareness programs such as the Prince Sultan Awareness Program in the Kingdom. However, education of the disease is still too low in the Arab world and our efforts need to be intensified,” Dr Al Sifri added.
”Diabetes is serious and needs to be taken seriously, “said Dr Richard R. Rubin, the incumbent president of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at The Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, Maryland.
“Studies I have undertaken have revealed that most people around the world are extremely complacent towards the disease. Even people with a family history of the disease must realize that with the right precautions and care, diabetes is preventable. People already afflicted must recognize that with the right measures, the complications of the disease can be prevented,” Dr. Rubin said.
The workshop was also addressed by Mahmoud Ashraf Ibrahim, MD, Consultant Diabetologist, Egyptian Diabetes Center, Faramarz Ismail-Beigi, MD, Ph.D., Professor and Chief, Division of Clinical and Molecular Endocrinology, Cleveland and Anne L. Peters, MD, Professor of Medicine, Director of the USC Clinical Diabetes Programs.
About Sanofi-Aventis
Sanofi-Aventis is the world’s third largest R&D-based pharmaceutical company bringing innovative therapeutic solutions to patients and physicians worldwide addressing unmet medical needs in its core group of four therapeutic areas: cardiovascular diseases and thrombosis, diseases of the central nervous system, oncology and internal medicine.
The permanent objective of Sanofi-Aventis is to improve people’s health worldwide while respecting fundamental ethical principles. The Group has a strict code of ethics and is an active contributor to European and global industry standards and best practices. The company has been operating in the Middle East for over 20 years.
For more information on Sanofi-Aventis, please visit www.sanofi-aventis.com
