International Conference on Asthma at Ajman University
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman College of Pharmacy and Health Science at Ajman University of Science and Technology organized an International Conference on Asthma entitled “Improving Lung Health in the UAE”. It was inaugurated by His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Majid Bin Saeed Al Nuaimi, Chairman, Rulers’ Court in the Emirates of Ajman. He toured the exhibition wherein Pharmacy students and graduates presented their poster presentations related to the most prevalent Asthma. Salim Al Darmaki, Advisor, Minister of Health, Mr. Hamd Taryam Al Shamsi, Director, Ajman Medical Zone, Pharmaceutical professionals, faculty members and other participants, accompanied him.
Dr. Khalid Al Khaja, Acting Chancellor, Ajman stated “Ajman University has an ethical and moral responsibility towards the community in educating and raising awareness regarding the control and prevention of asthma. Such an approach is very much in line with our comprehensive vision, in which the priority is given to excellence and quality rather than quantity”. He expressed his gratitude on the presence of all the participants and experts from United Arab Emirates and abroad.
Professor Najeeb Hassan, Dean, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences stated in his speech “Asthma is increasing worldwide. We believe we have an ethical and moral responsibility to our community to promote asthma awareness, screening, and prevention. I believe that this event will provide an opportunity for our distinguished speakers as well as academics and clinicians to advance their knowledge in this field.”
This conference was organized to address the rapidly growing Asthma in the United Arab Emirates through spreading knowledge and awareness about improving lung health and quality of asthma care in the UAE; promoting the opportunities for collaborative research in asthma and by applying the recent scientific inventions in the management of asthma and COPD.
Some of the renowned experts who presented today include Dr. Graham Burns, Chest Consultant and Head of Chest Clinic, Royal Victoria Hospital, UK, presented a lecture entitled “ Impact and Burden of Asthma and COPD locally and Globally”. He stressed that respiratory disease is the major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, with infants and young children especially susceptible. The spectrum of disease ranges from acute infections to chronic non-communicable diseases. Five respiratory conditions dominate: acute respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, tuberculosis (TB), and lung cancer. Asthma is the commonest non-communicable disease in children. Environmental exposures such as tobacco smoke, indoor air pollution, and poor nutrition are common risk factors for acute and chronic respiratory diseases. Paediatric and adult respiratory disease is closely linked. Early childhood respiratory infection or environmental exposures may lead to chronic disease in adulthood.
Professor Omar Al- Rawas, Chest Consultant and Dean, College of Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman presented a lecture on “Adult Asthma”. Bronchial asthma is a common disorder that affects about 300 million people worldwide. Bronchial asthma, although one of the most common respiratory diseases, can be mimicked by a number of other pulmonary and airway diseases, and especially patients with so called severe or treatment refractory asthma should receive a detailed diagnostic workup with a rather broad differential diagnosis.
Dr. Chris Ward, Senior Lecturer in Respiratory Physiology at the Institute for Cellular Medicine (ICM), University Medical School, Newcastle University, UK presented his lecture on “Airway remodeling in asthma and inhaled pharmacotherapy”. He explained that Airway remodeling exists in mild yet symptomatic steroid naïve asthmatics.
Other experts will convene over the course of two days to shed light on various aspects of Asthma and the respiratory diseases. Dr. Mohammed Shamssain, Associate Professor, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences will present a lecture on “Asthma and COPD overlap Syndrome” and “International study of Asthma and Allergies”; Dr. Zehra Edis, Associate Professor, College of Pharmacy at Ajman University will present a lecture on “The Role of Vitamin D in Asthma”; Dr. Sharif Qandeel Patient Counsellor and Educator, Tawam Hospital, Al Ain, UAE will lecture on the “Role of Pharmacist in Asthma Education”. Dr. Noora Al Shami, Head of Drug Control Department at Ajman Medical Zone will present a lecture on “ Ethics in Asthma” and Dr. Heba Mahmood Abutayyem, Specialist Pharmacist, Rashid Centre for Diabetes and Research, Ajman will present her lecture on “ Drug Delivery in Management of Asthma and COPD”.
This event was hosted in conjunction with the cooperation of Ministry of Health and Prevention Ajman Medical Zone and was sponsored by Julphar Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline and Chiesi.
