The 26th International Summit on Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine kicked off this week at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The event gathers participants from across 116 countries, including 3,200 professionals from around the world and the heads of 62 international research organisations, spotlighting regional health challenges.
This is the first time in 70 years that the summit is being hosted by a country outside of Europe, and is held under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Supreme President of the Emirates Genetic Diseases Association, the organiser of the event.
Organisers shared that the five-day summit, which coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Emirates Genetic Diseases Association, serves as an opportunity to exchange knowledge and expertise between the global and regional scientific community, with three parallel medical conferences taking place simultaneously.
This includes the 17th Arab Union Conference for Biological Sciences, the 10th annual meeting of the Saudi Society for Clinical Chemistry, and the 8th International Conference on Genetic Disorders of the Emirates Society for Genetic Diseases.
This conference will discuss genetics, genomics, microbiome discoveries, healthy longevity, stem cells, regenerative medicine, genomics of rare diseases, artificial intelligence for global health, and genomics in virtual reality.
In his opening remarks at the summit, HE Humaid Mohammed Al Qatami, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of HBMSF, said: “This summit comes at a time when the UAE is endeavouring to promote investment in research and studies and encourage young people to innovate and research.”
Adding: “The UAE is interested in this type of investment sustainability strategy, achieving a long and healthy life and improving the quality of life, which is one of the priorities of the UAE government’s strategy.”
HE Al Qatami noted that the international event underscores the importance of exchanging expertise and knowledge and working as one team to draw a roadmap for future medicine, which seeks to achieve health and wellness for humanity.
It was shared that an overarching aim of the event is to enhance international cooperation and build strategic partnerships that promote scientific and medical development.
The conference comes to the Arab region for the first time in 70 years
He Al Qatami said the UAE’s hosting of this international conference highlights its pioneering role in organising and hosting international scientific events.
Further, HE Al Qatami stressed the importance of investing in health and prevention as the first step towards building healthy and prosperous societies, alongside the importance of supporting and encouraging scientific research and evidence-based medicine – the basis for providing quality healthcare and achieving progress in the fields of medicine, clinical chemistry and genomic medicine.
Dr Maryam Mohamed Fatma Matar, Founder and Chairperson of the UAE Genetic Diseases Association, explained that the 26th International Clinical and Laboratory Chemistry Summit has added several new themes, considering the context and needs of the Arab world.
Twenty per cent of the summit’s topics focus on health challenges
She continued: “At the request of the association, 20 per cent of the summit’s work and topics over the course of its days will be dedicated to discussing the health priorities and challenges of the Arab region.”
Among the new themes and topics of the event are accredited tests to estimate and examine healthy human lifespans, genetic testing and sustainability in health and solutions.
Indeed, according to Dr Matar, 4 per cent of the carbon emissions from medical laboratories are a result of the medical waste they produce.
Nine awards in the fields of genomics and artificial intelligence
Dr Matar also outlined that for the eighth consecutive year, the UAEGDA will present nine international awards in the fields of genomics, artificial intelligence and precision health during the event, with the aim of supporting the UAE’s vision of creating a world-class healthcare infrastructure.
She commented: “The awards are important in supporting research and innovation in the field of genetics, improving the quality of healthcare and raising awareness of genetic disorders.”
During the event, scientists and researchers will discuss the challenges of genetic diseases, genetic disorders, sustainability in the health system and innovation in clinical genetics, with the opportunity for scientists and researchers in the field of clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine to exchange experiences and learn about the latest developments in this field, while presenting important research papers and presentations on the latest developments.
Dr Matar notes that the UAEGDA is one of the main pillars in supporting health and scientific research in the UAE, seeking to reduce the prevalence of genetic disorders and promote awareness.
Commenting on the fact that this year is the first time since 1954 that the event has been hosted outside of Europe, Dr Shaikha Al Mazrouei, Rapporteur of the event’s Scientific Committee, said: “Dubai won the bid to host the summit in Italy last year after intense competition between Arab and foreign countries, due to Dubai’s reputation as a global destination that hosts such major events, which strengthens the position of the UAE and the Arab region in the field of medical sciences.”
She noted that the event’s attendance includes participation from scientists and researchers from Arab countries, Africa, Europe, North America, Central and South America, and the Asia-Pacific region to exchange experiences and learn about the latest medical advances in laboratory tests, clinical treatments, and diagnostic methods using technological means.
Presenting research papers for the first time
Dr Shaikha Al Mazrouei added that the summit sessions include the presentation of research papers presented for the first time in the field of test development, artificial intelligence (AI) applications, and the latest treatments for cancer and Alzheimer’s, and spotlighted the conference as an important opportunity for all doctors specialised in the field of clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine.
By Hadeer Elhadary, Lead Journalist, ESG Mena – Arabic
