Saudi diabetes management forum attracts top world scientists, researchers

Participants gather at the second Middle East & Africa Diabetes Summit.

RIYADH: As part of its commitment to diabetes management in the region, Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Care Companies (JJDCC) recently hosted its second Middle East & Africa Diabetes Summit.
The summit brought together some of the leading international and regional endocrinologists and opinion leaders to discuss the latest innovations in diabetes management and their clinical implications.
In addition to discussing clinical practice guidelines, the summit also featured sessions on strengthening the relationship and improving communication between patients and health care professionals for better diabetes self-management.
With one in 11 people living with diabetes worldwide, the disease is one of the largest global health emergencies of the 21st century. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is no exception, with four countries among the top 10 globally in terms of prevalence in this region.
In Saudi Arabia, one in six people live with diabetes with a total of 3.5 million residents diagnosed, and the number is expected to reach more than 7 million by 2040.
“Over the last 20 years there have been significant advances in diabetes care in Saudi Arabia, from medicine and technology, to diet management,” said Dr. Bassam Saleh bin Abbas, professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology at the College of Medicine, Al-Faisal University and King Saud University.
“While eating habits are hard to change, we have seen a major improvement in terms of relatively simple things like portion control, which has an important impact on insulin therapy.”
He added: “However, I believe there is still a need to concentrate on communication and education for patients to help them self-manage their diabetes. I am excited by the innovation in diabetes management technology, but we must improve the basics, such as regular blood glucose monitoring, to fully reap the benefits of these new advances.”
Tamer Abbas, general manage for the Middle East, Africa and Turkey at Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Care Companies, said employees of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies work with partners in health care to touch the lives of over a billion people every day, throughout the world. LifeScan and Animas are part of the Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Care Companies.
“At Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Care Companies, our efforts are focused on patient-centered diabetes care,” Abbas said. “We create an integrated diabetes lifecycle management strategy spanning prevention, diagnosis and management.”
“And this can only be done by building a strong and long-term partnership with governmental authorities, HCPs, pharmacists and nurses,” he said. “We call this the Triangle of Care, where we always place patients at the center of everything we do.”
Mohammed Adel Hosni, director of Medical & Strategic Affairs, Middle East and Africa, Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Care Companies, added, “Our commitment to diabetes care is also highlighted by our efforts to enhance medical expertise, knowledge and innovation by bringing together thought leaders to discuss the future of diabetes at events such as this. We put the patient first, and our vision for the next few years is to invest heavily in educating health care professionals, patients and communities to empower diabetic patients with the sufficient knowledge to manage their disease through our integrated offerings.”