Against the backdrop of the alarming rise in the number of patients with diabetes and obesity in the Middle East region, first regional forum of its kind to fight the diseases has been launched at the Israeli Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.

 

In an Israeli-Emirati cooperation, the forum is being held at the initiative of the Ministry of Regional Cooperation together with the Ministry of Health of Israel and the UAE attended by experts from Israel and the Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and other countries.

 

Participants of the forum include Issawi Frej, Minister of Regional Cooperation are Nitzan Horowitz, Minister of Health, Professor Itamar Raz, President of the Israeli Diabetes Council, Dr Abdul Razzaq Al Madani, President of the Diabetes Council of the UAE; and senior officials.

 

This initiative comes against the growing need to formulate a regional response and a new action plan.

 

In the past decade, and remarkably in the past two years, the problem of diabetes has become a silent but deadly epidemic just like the corona epidemic, as Israel, the UAE and Bahrain have recorded diabetes patients at rates higher than the OECD countries, nearly 10% of patients in Israel, 15.6% in Bahrain, and 16.3% in the UAE.

 

Countries in the Middle East region also share an increasing prevalence in the world, of obese patients, especially among children. According to the data, more than 35% of children in the region were diagnosed with being overweight, which is the most important risk factor for the development of diabetes.

 

The problem of obesity has worsened since the outbreak of the Coronavirus, with an average increase of 5 kg per person and a decrease of about 45% in physical activity. Diabetes is considered one of the main causes of death in the region, and the number of patients is estimated at more than 35 million people, while the number of diabetics is expected to double by 2040. In addition to the risks associated with obesity, severe obesity quadruples the risk of severe heart disease.

 

In parallel with the ongoing forum activity - which is mainly focused on formulating a five-year plan to combat diabetes and obesity in the region – the forum in Dubai is the first in a series of international conferences that are held every six months in different countries.

 

Freij said: "Diabetes is on the rise. Its containment is in the interest of the whole world, not only the interests of the countries of the region. The common problem requires joint action, and that is why we  have begun to establish the forum. We are travelling to Dubai in order to create a tremendous logical force that will allow us to develop joint action to combat this problem that weighs on all of us."

 

Professor Raz said: “The high rates of morbidity in Israel and in the countries of the region reflect the personal suffering of many and the heavy burden on health systems. We have a goal and we will achieve it - to make a significant improvement in the problem of obesity and diabetes and its complications in Israel and the countries of the region. Reducing amputation and tackling the growing problem of childhood obesity, and enabling our citizens to lead a healthy lifestyle is our goal. We have taken upon ourselves a mission of great importance to the future of the region and its residents.”

 

Dr Al Madani said: “The epidemic of Obesity and Diabetes is only getting worse. I welcome this unique initiative to bring together countries from the region, in order to promote a joint plan that will stop the increase of Diabetics and dramatically improve the quality of life and life expectancy of residents all across the region.”-- TradeArabia News Service