DUBAI: The Dubai Health Authority is to introduce technology for the detection, diagnosis and control of infectious diseases, said a senior official of the authority on the sidelines of an international conference on Infectious Diseases and Vaccinations, on Thursday.
Dr Manal Taryam, CEO of DHA’s preventive medicine department, said: “While current preventive medicine practised by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) focuses on conventional methods, future preventive medicine will be more personalised and adapt new technologies for early response, rapid control and shape the future health policies,“ she told Gulf News.
The conference supported by the Ministry of Health and Prevention had immunology and microbiology experts from the region examining the challenges faced in practising preventive medicine in the region.
One of the common causes of illness and indisposition among children is influenza, an infectious viral disease which can be easily nipped in the bud with an effective vaccination programme.
Meral Akcay, Associate Professor of Virology, WHO Coordinator of the National Influenza Reference Laboratory and Regional Disease Expert/Flu-Medical Manager, talked about the burden of the disease. “Nearly 93 per cent of hospitalisation due to influenza is prevented when children in the age group of 5-10 years are vaccinated. This not only protects this age group but also gives ‘herd immunity’ to children below the age of five. The government saves that much finances on influenza treatment and working parents productivity at workplace is protected as usually parents of sick children have to take leave of three-four days.”
Akcay said it was indeed disappointing that there was no national surveillance programme in the UAE for influenza monitoring. “Once that is introduced, it will become easy to monitor the number of children being affected by it, the impact of the influenza vaccine, the cost saved and other such important factors that can influence the health policy on these issues.”
Akcay said that most developing countries in the Middle East lacked any national surveillance programme to manage and control influenza which was known to affect many. “It has been proved by surveys that the incidence of influenza is three times higher in developing countries than in the developed nations and yet most of these countries shy away from a proper programme.”
The three-day conference will have scientific lectures and discussions led by regional and international experts with a focus on preventive medicine, current practices and future vision, challenges in immunisation and immunisation practices among other topics.
Eminent speakers on the first day included Dr Farida Al Hosani, manager, communicable diseases department, Health Authority Abu Dhabi (Haad); Dr Laila Al Jasmi, head of vaccination department, Ministry of Health and Prevention; and Dr Nahed Jaafar Al Yousuf, director of preventive medicine division, Dubai Health Authority.
