Category: Health

Sidra Medicine (a member of Qatar Foundation) has been awarded a grant, to the value of one million US dollars from JDRF, the leading global type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and advocacy organization. The awarded grant will support the establishment of a program in Qatar that combines autoantibody and genetic screening for children with T1D.

Titled “DIA-MENA: Type 1 Diabetes Islet Autoantibody Screening Initiative in the Middle East and North Africa”, the program will initially pilot autoantibody and genetic screenings in Qatar, aiming to predict the future risks of T1D in children. The pilot will form the basis to establish national pediatric T1D autoantibody screenings across the country; which can serve as a model for the rest of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The awarded grant, which was won by Dr. Ammira Al Shabeeb Akil, lead principal investigator and head of the Precision Medicine for Diabetes Prevention lab at Sidra Medicine, will encompass a comprehensive research-based screening program over the span of four years. Key support will be provided by Sidra Medicines precision medicine program, pathology, genetics and genomic medicine clinics.

Dr. Ammira Akil said in a statement today that most global screening initiatives to identify children at high risk of developing T1D have targeted relatives of individuals living with the disease. However, latest data shows that more than 85 per cent of the children who end up with T1D, do not have affected relatives with the same disease. By combining the comprehensive islet autoantibodies and genetic risk scores testing, we intend to detect and provide estimates of the prevalence of early-stage T1D in children.

Dr. Akil concluded, “This award also highlights that Qatar and Sidra Medicines specialist childrens services and technologies are in a strong position to make such programs a reality. In fact, for the first time, the autoantibody testing and results interpretation will be carried out at Sidra Medicine, as currently patient samples are sent abroad for testing. Early risk identification for T1D can help avoid life-threatening complications, develop preventative therapies and allow patient families and doctors to create a plan for ongoing monitoring to prevent an unanticipated emergency diagnosis.” Through the JDRF grant and in partnership with the Qatar Genome Program and the Primary Health Care Corporation, Dr. Akils team will embark on a combined screening pilot program on young children from the ages of 1 years to 14 years old; using a small blood sample and pathology-based testing technology that has been developed in-house at Sidra Medicine by Dr. Akils team.

For his part, Chief Research Officer at Sidra Medicine Dr. Khalid Fakhro said, “Establishing the foundation of T1D national screening will have an immediate and long-term impact on patients in Qatar and worldwide. It will serve as the basis for pre-diabetes screening in the general pediatric and young adult population in Qatar and act as a model approach for the rest of region and beyond. In the long term, robust screening programs can help with early detection before the onset of symptoms, and make our patients eligible for approved disease-modifying treatments or to take part in clinical trials in the future.”

Source: Qatar News Agency

Dr. Shaikha Rana bint Isa bin Duaij Al Khalifa, Director General of the Institute for Public Administration (BIPA), received Dr. Tasneem Al Atatreh, representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Dr. Shaikha Rana affirmed BIPA’s keenness to strengthen cooperation with WHO to develop the health sector by improving the efficiency and quality of administrative competencies.

She noted that BIPA offers a number of training and advisory services after analysing the needs and requirements of a variety of administrative entities, as well as the current and future requirements to increase the level of administrative competencies across various sectors.

Dr. Shaikha Rana praised the WHO and Dr. Al Atatreh for their efforts to advance partnership, noting Bahrain’s pioneering steps in fighting COVID-19, which have been highly praised by international entities.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

The Doctors Syndicate announced this evening that it would stop union procedures and return to work based on the results of the dialogue with the government.

The crisis between the Doctors Syndicate, the Laboratory Medicine Syndicate, and the Federation of Health Professions Syndicates reached; It peaked yesterday, Monday, after the two unions left in two press conferences.

This crisis began to escalate at the end of last August, after the Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Health, Osama Al-Najjar, accused doctors at Jenin Governmental Hospital of committing a medical error against nurse Sally Al-Bitar, who was injured by occupation bullets, which led to the removal of one of her kidneys

Source: Maan News Agency

The Independent Commission for Human Rights “Board of Grievances” followed with great concern the escalation steps that the Doctors Syndicate announced its intention to begin implementing today, September 12, according to a statement it issued yesterday, including “not all doctors, including managers, going to their workplaces at all times.” Ministry of Health facilities and hospitals, and the government must bear its responsibilities.” Which, if implemented, will lead to the cessation of government primary health care, from which hundreds of thousands of citizens benefit, and the violations it could lead to that affect the citizen’s right to the highest attainable level of health, especially for those with chronic diseases, and the rescheduling of surgical operations for patients. Already late, this increases their suffering and may worsen their health condition.

While the Commission affirms that the right to organize unions, peaceful assembly, organize strikes, express opinion, and other peaceful protest steps are among the basic rights stipulated in the Palestinian Basic Law, these rights must be exercised taking into account a number of other basic rights, especially The right of citizens to the highest attainable standard of health and their right to life. This has been confirmed by the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization that exercising the right to strike in the health sectors must not affect groups that need emergency health care and/or cannot be postponed, or lead to compromising the health and safety of citizens.

The Commission considered that the union dispute between the Doctors Syndicate on the one hand, and the government and the Allied Health Professions Syndicate on the other hand, must be resolved through dialogue, investigation and mediation committees, or through submitting complaints to the competent authorities.

Accordingly, the independent body demanded the following:

1. The necessity of opening a rapid, serious and real dialogue to resolve this union dispute in a way that preserves citizens’ health rights and dignity, and in a way that also ensures the necessary appreciation and respect for members of the Medical Syndicate and all workers in the health sector.

2. The need to expedite the completion of the implementation procedures for Decree Law No. 31/2018 regarding medical and health protection and safety, including special rules and regulations and medical protocols, and the formation of committees and the establishment of funds stipulated in the law.

The Authority expressed its readiness to foster and facilitate a constructive dialogue between the parties in order to come up with a balanced formula to resolve the dispute causing this strike, and to preserve health and union rights

Source: Maan News Agency

Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Dr. Elal Alawi announced the plan as she opened a training workshop on introducing the papilloma virus vaccine and preventing cancerous diseases associated with it.

Themed “Prevention of Cancers Associated with Human Papilloma Virus,” the workshop reflects commitment to promoe disease prevention and the application of health strategies through the introduction of new and safe vaccines”, she said.

She stressed Bahrain’s strides in combating infectious diseases and controlling pandemics by introducing vaccines into the national immunization programme.

Indeed, the vaccine against smallpox was the first vaccine to be introduced in Bahrain in 1940. Then other vaccines were introduced to prevent diseases that could be avoided by vaccination of the target groups.

Bahrain has also recorded a success story that represented a role model and was praised by the World Health Organization while addressing the Covid-19 pandemic through the use of various vaccines.

Dr. Ijlal Al-Alawi stressed Bahrain’s commitment to implementing health strategies, developing and following up the progress of action plans and indicators of local programs, and strengthening the national capacity through integration between all levels of health care.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

In its report issued today, Monday, after the visit of its lawyer Fadi Obaidat, the Commission revealed two medical cases in the Negev prison, including the case of prisoner Khaled Kamel Nawabit (46 years old) from the town of Barqa / Jericho Governorate, where he suffers from bouts of shortness of breath with the body becoming limp from time to time. Today, this condition has become associated with him all the time, noting that the prisoner demanded tests on his health condition, but the prison administration still refuses to do so.

It is noteworthy that the prisoner was scheduled to undergo open heart surgery at Ramallah Hospital on 11/27/2022 to replace the mitral valve, but he was arrested before the scheduled date for it to be performed.

Prisoner Abdul Salam Bani Odeh from the town of Tamoun / Jenin Governorate suffers from swelling and blurred vision resulting from an accidental accident resulting from the presence of a small iron skewer, which led to a wound in the left eye on April 12, 2023. It caused an injury to the eye, and as a result, he was transferred to “Soroka” Hospital, and the wound was stitched. He was informed of the necessity of review after a week, but four weeks ago he was not transferred for review and examinations, which led to a worsening of his health condition

Source: Maan News Agency

The Moroccan authorities announced Saturday that the preliminary toll of the powerful earthquake that struck the province of Al Haouz, southwest of Marrakech last night, has reached 296 people killed and 153 others injured.

“According to a provisional report, the earthquake killed 296 people in the provinces and municipalities of Al Haouz, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant,” Morocco’s Interior Ministry said on Saturday, adding that the injured were transferred to hospitals to receive the necessary first aid.

The earthquake also caused material losses in several cities and villages after the collapse of houses and buildings. Residents of distant cities felt the tremors and were forced to evacuate their homes out of fear of aftershocks.

The National Institute of Geophysics of the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research in Morocco had previously announced that a 7-magnitude earthquake struck the southwest of Marrakech just before midnight at a depth of approximately 8 kilometers.

Source: Qatar News Agency

The death toll from the earthquake that struck Morocco, on Friday night, has risen to 1037.

1204 people were injured, 721 of them sustained severe injuries.

A statement by the Moroccan Interior Ministry said that most fatalities occurred in the regions of Al Haouz (542), Taroudant (321) and Chichaoua (103).

Search and rescue operations are underway, according to local authorities.

Source: Qatar News Agency

The death toll from the earthquake that struck the Al Haouz region southwest of Marrakech, Morocco, on Friday night, has risen to 632, with 329 injured.

A televised statement by the Moroccan Interior Ministry said that most fatalities occurred in mountainous areas that are difficult to access.

The earthquake has caused material damage in several cities and villages, resulting in collapsed homes and buildings. Residents of distant cities also felt the tremors and were forced to leave their homes due to aftershocks.

The Ministry of Interior has called for calm, pointing out that the earthquake affected the regions of Al Haouz, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua, and Taroudant.

A powerful earthquake struck the High Atlas Mountains region in Morocco on Friday, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people and the destruction of numerous buildings, causing residents of major cities to flee their homes in panic.

Source: Qatar News Agency

The Gulf Health Council (GHC) held its 97th meeting of the Executive Board on Wednesday and Thursday at its headquarters in Riyadh.

During the meeting, the Executive Committee members discussed several topics listed on the meeting’s agenda to improve the level of health services in the GCC countries. These topics fall under the Council’s primary Prevention, Awareness, Development, and Health Support pillars.

Projects of GHC and the Gulf Center for Disease Prevention and Control (Gulf CDC) for 2024 were also discussed, as well as launching the outcome of joint Gulf health studies conducted in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the ministries of health in the GCC countries.

These studies are part of the Investment Case for Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Control in the GCC countries.

Source: Saudi Press Agency