Abbott, a major global health care company, is launching an awareness campaign on Crohn’s disease in Kuwait tomorrow (May 22).

The week-long event, which is held in conjunction with World IBD day, will feature renowned doctors from different hospitals, and aims to discuss in depth Crohn’s disease as well as highlight best practice methods to cope with the disease.

"Crohn’s disease is a serious chronic, inflammatory disease of the gastro-intestinal tract which affects the end of the small intestine and the beginning of the large intestine. Our initiative is aimed at benefitting not just the Crohn’s disease patients but also doctors who are working towards managing the disease with their patients,” said Alaa Tosson, general manager, Abbott Kuwait.

Dr Ahmad Al Fadly, consultant in gastro-intestinal diseases, in Kuwait, said: “The disease, which impacts males and females, tends to be present initially in teens, with another peak incidence in the fifties to seventies. There is very little awareness about the disease itself in the Middle East, and in Kuwait, there are around 1,000-1,400 patients suffering from this disease.”

“Diagnosing Crohn’s disease is quite difficult and needs specialized practitioners in order to study individual cases through patient history, clinical examination and blood tests”, added Dr Al Fadly.

Symptoms of Crohn’s disease may include abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, rectal bleeding and weight loss. The disease may be accompanied by various extra-intestinal manifestations such as the eyes and joints or on the skin, a statement said.

The intensity of the symptoms may vary a lot over time. Patients may experience long periods of remission or recurrent flare-ups, it added. – TradeArabia News Service