DOHA: The prestigious International Diabetes Leadership Forum, to be held in Qatar for the first time on September 26-27, will bring together leading experts from across the world to develop a road map for the successful roll out of the country’s national strategy to tackle diabetes.
The National Diabetes Strategy launched last year by the National Diabetes Committee provides a clear framework to develop the capabilities and tools required to prevent and better manage diabetes in the country. About 17 percent of Qatari population are estimated to suffer from diabetes.
The Forum will build on lessons from previous leadership forums held in New York (2007), Moscow (2008), Beijing (2009),MENA (Dubai 2010), Copenhagen (2012) and Istanbul (2013).
It will bring together leading diabetes experts and academics, patient organisations, healthcare professionals and NGOs from around the world who will join leaders from the healthcare sector, policy makers, and government officials from the Qatar and other GCC states.
Under the patronage of Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, the forum is being organised by the Ministry of Public Health and Action on Diabetes (AoD) in collaboration with the Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Healthcare Corporation, Qatar Diabetes Association, Novo Nordisk and Maersk Oil Qatar.
16.7% of Qatari population are diabetic
The sponsors include World Diabetes Foundation, International Diabetes Federation and Qatar Airways, the official airline partner. The event is also supported by the Qatar Metabolic Institute (QMI) which is a multi-institutional collaboration focused on metabolic diseases and in particular diabetes.
Minister of Public Health H E Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari said: “The forum presents a unique opportunity for leaders in our country from both the government and private sectors to come together to discuss the huge challenge presented by diabetes to our society. About 16.7 percent of the Qatari population is estimated to suffer from the disease. If we are to significantly reduce this number, it is critical that all parties from across different sectors work together in a cohesive and coordinated manner to turn our National Diabetes Strategy into reality.”
“We hope that the event will highlight the weight of the health, economic, financial and social burden of diabetes on the political agenda, emphasize the size of the issue and establish a coordinated approach to tackling the disease,” added the minister.
Through a series of workshops, plenary sessions, and partnership meetings, the participants will share ideas and experience to help shape plans for implementation of the national strategy in the coming year and beyond.
Sheikha Dr. Al Anoud Mohammed Al Thani, Manager, Health Promotion and Non-Communicable Diseases at the Ministry of Public Health and Co-Chair of the National Diabetes Committee said: “ Now, with the Qatar Diabetes Leadership Forum, we have the ideal platform to enable us to successfully put the strategy into action. We look forward to welcoming leading experts from around the world to help us take this major step forward in addressing the economic, financial and social burden of diabetes.”
Professor Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra, Chairman of Internal Medicine at HMC and Co-Chair of the National Diabetes Committee, said: “The National Diabetes Committee has developed a strategy focused on the prevention, early diagnosis and management of diabetes and its complications as effectively as possible. The Diabetes Leadership Forum will enable us to develop a comprehensive action plan to achieve the visionary transformations set out in the strategy.”
Professor Abou-Samra is also Chair of the Qatar Metabolic Institute, one of a number of leading healthcare organisations to endorse the Diabetes Leadership Forum.
Herluf Thomsen, Action on Diabetes Program Manager from Novo Nordisk said: “We’re enormously proud of the progress achieved by Action on Diabetes and our partners over the past five years. With this ambitious strategy, we now have the necessary blueprint to address this deep rooted and large-scale social, health and welfare issue.”
Saleem Al Yafei, Deputy Head of Operations, Maersk Oil Qatar added: “Since initiating the Action on Diabetes partnership in 2011 as part of our broader social investment program, we have supported awareness and prevention through nation-wide research, education and public screening initiatives. The forum is really the culmination of all these efforts to deliver a sustainable, long-term approach to overcoming the disease and we’re proud to have played a key role in that journey.”
The Peninsula
