A major health congress, which opened in Dubai yesterday, is highlighting paediatric cancer issues to raise awareness about the need for early intervention.

The 5th Arab Children Health Congress 2012 is being held under the patronage of chairperson of Dubai Healthcare City Authority Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, and was inaugurated by Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, director-general of the Dubai Health Authority, on behalf of Princess Haya.

The theme for the two-day congress which is being held at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Academic Medical Center in Dubai Healthcare City is ‘Childhood Cancer: Towards a Positive Approach’, said a statement.

“This year, the Arab Children Health Congress has chosen the theme of childhood cancer with an aim to raise public awareness about the importance of early intervention as well as discuss the latest treatment methods to ensure the best therapeutic outcomes for patients. Studies done by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and by international, regional and national organisations indicate that there is a need to work extensively to ensure early intervention in the treatment of childhood cancer,” Al Murooshid said.

He said that as per the direct orders of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the DHA is constructing the Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, which once operational, will provide state-of-the-art pediatric care to patients in the UAE and the region.

The hospital will have several centres of excellence including oncology that will provide the most advanced diagnostic and therapeutic treatment for children suffering from cancer.

In addition to providing the highest standards of medical care, Al Murooshid also emphasised on the need to provide support and counseling to cancer patients and their families. “There is a need to ensure that all sections of society including family members, teachers, school administrators and peers support children suffering from this disease.”

Dr Elissar Sarrouh, UN resident coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident representative in UAE, said: “We must provide necessary support for children living with cancer so that they have access to comprehensive healthcare including provision of psycho-social support and counseling services for them and their families.”

During the two-day conference survivors of childhood cancer and their families will discuss their experiences and the need to encourage a multi-disciplinary approach to tackling the disease which includes psycho-social well-being of children with cancer, the statement said.

The congress will also tackle topics such as childhood leukemia, neuro-oncology challenges and management of childhood cancer; and highlight the latest advances in medicine over the years which have helped reduce the mortality rates among children with cancer.

Dr Abdulrahman Al Jassmi, consultant pediatrician, head of pediatric hematology and oncology, Dubai Hospital and chairman of ACHC, said: “Thirty years ago, leukemia (blood cancer), which is one of the most common types of cancer among children, use to be the cause of death of more than 50 per cent of patients with this disease, within six months of diagnosis. However, today, more than 80 per cent of children with cancer recover fully from this serious illness.”

“Similarly, in the 1950s, since surgery was the only treatment for many kinds of tumors in childhood, the mortality rate for these patients was as high as 80 per cent. Today, with several forms of treatments available, ranging from chemotherapy to radiotherapy, there has been a high decline in mortality rates. For example, the success rate for cases of Lymphoma is now 90 per cent, which is a significant improvement,” he added.

Over the course of the two-day congress, various esteemed speakers from UAE and the region will discuss pertinent issues on pediatric cancer and its cure, the statement said. – TradeArabia News Service

Dubai, UAE, Arab Children Health Congress, Pediatric Cancer, Public AwarenessCongress to focus on pediatric cancer

The 5th Arab Children Health Congress 2012 which opened yesterday in Dubai aims to highlight pediatric cancer issues on a local and regional level and to raise public awareness about the need for early intervention.

The event is being held under the patronage of chairperson of Dubai Healthcare City Authority Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, and was inaugurated by Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, director-general of the Dubai Health Authority, on behalf of Princess Haya.

The theme for the two-day congress which is being held at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Academic Medical Center in Dubai Healthcare City is ‘Childhood Cancer: Towards a Positive Approach’, said a statement.

“This year, the Arab Children Health Congress has chosen the theme of childhood cancer with an aim to raise public awareness about the importance of early intervention as well as discuss the latest treatment methods to ensure the best therapeutic outcomes for patients. Studies done by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and by international, regional and national organisations indicate that there is a need to work extensively to ensure early intervention in the treatment of childhood cancer,” Al Murooshid said.

He said that as per the direct orders of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the DHA is constructing the Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, which once operational, will provide state-of-the-art pediatric care to patients in the UAE and the region.

The hospital will have several centres of excellence including oncology that will provide the most advanced diagnostic and therapeutic treatment for children suffering from cancer.

In addition to providing the highest standards of medical care, Al Murooshid also emphasised on the need to provide support and counseling to cancer patients and their families. “There is a need to ensure that all sections of society including family members, teachers, school administrators and peers support children suffering from this disease.”

Dr Elissar Sarrouh, UN resident coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident representative in UAE, said: “We must provide necessary support for children living with cancer so that they have access to comprehensive healthcare including provision of psycho-social support and counseling services for them and their families.”

During the two-day conference survivors of childhood cancer and their families will discuss their experiences and the need to encourage a multi-disciplinary approach to tackling the disease which includes psycho-social well-being of children with cancer, the statement said.

The congress will also tackle topics such as childhood leukemia, neuro-oncology challenges and management of childhood cancer; and highlight the latest advances in medicine over the years which have helped reduce the mortality rates among children with cancer.

Dr Abdulrahman Al Jassmi, consultant pediatrician, head of pediatric hematology and oncology, Dubai Hospital and chairman of ACHC, said: “Thirty years ago, leukemia (blood cancer), which is one of the most common types of cancer among children, use to be the cause of death of more than 50 per cent of patients with this disease, within six months of diagnosis. However, today, more than 80 per cent of children with cancer recover fully from this serious illness.”

“Similarly, in the 1950s, since surgery was the only treatment for many kinds of tumors in childhood, the mortality rate for these patients was as high as 80 per cent. Today, with several forms of treatments available, ranging from chemotherapy to radiotherapy, there has been a high decline in mortality rates. For example, the success rate for cases of Lymphoma is now 90 per cent, which is a significant improvement,” he added.

Over the course of the two-day congress, various esteemed speakers from UAE and the region will discuss pertinent issues on pediatric cancer and its cure, the statement said. – TradeArabia News Service