Day: June 6, 2021

DUBAI, The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has recently launched an awareness campaign on the dangers of obesity, chronic diseases and its association with COVID-19 to highlight the importance of public adherence to precautionary measures, healthy balanced diet and treatment plans set by doctors.

The campaign comes in line with the ministry’s strategy aimed at strengthening national efforts and protecting the health and safety of everyone while combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ministry affirmed that the health sector in the country adopts a flexible and multi-pronged strategy to create a healthy environment free from COVID-19 complications and repercussions.

The campaign comes at a time when many global reports and studies concluded that people with obesity and chronic diseases including cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes and cancer are more susceptible to contracting the virus and be affected by its complications.

Therefore, the intake of the COVID-19 vaccine by these groups will greatly protect them from getting infected with the virus and would certainly alleviate its symptoms.

“Since the early days of the pandemic, the ministry has paid special attention to obese patients and those with chronic diseases and has accordingly assigned them special healthcare. They have been given priority in the lab and home testing to limit their contact with others in health centres and are among the priority groups in receiving the COVID-19 jabs,” said Dr Hussein Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Under-Secretary of Health Centres and Clinics Sector.

“The severity of COVID-19 increases if the infected person is over 60. People with one or more of these chronic conditions such as asthma and lung disease, cardiovascular problems, uncontrolled diabetes, severe obesity, a weakened immune system due to diseases such as HIV or who are undergoing cancer treatment must be more careful to protect themselves against the virus,” Al Rand added.

For her part, Dr Fadila Mohammed Sharif, Director of Health Education and Promotion, stressed that the campaign calls on people with chronic diseases and obesity to get vaccinated at health centres available across the country to immunize their bodies and protect their loved ones and continue following a healthy lifestyle that can help improve the functioning of their bodies, including the immune system.

Dr Sharif advised those patients to continue taking medications, follow medical advice, and ensure that medication is available for at least a month or more, and stay no less than two meters away from people who are coughing or suffering from cold or flu.

She urged them to monitor blood sugar levels and blood pressure, wash their hands regularly with soap and water, take care of their mental health, stay in contact with relatives safely, and take extra precautions when leaving the house by wearing masks and gloves, keeping a safe distance, and communicating with medical staff when needed.

Dr. Fadila pointed out that overweight individuals are at greater health risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. Statistics showed that obesity triples the risks of hospitalisation in case of infection, as obesity is associated with weak immunity and reduces lung capacity, making it difficult to breathe.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has confirmed its participation in Arab Health 2021, the largest exhibition for the healthcare industry in the MENA region, which will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 21-24 June under the theme ‘United by Business’.

The ministry is well prepared for this major healthcare exhibition through the launch of innovative services, projects, and initiatives that leverage both smart and robotic systems, enhance digital health practices and telemedicine, upgrade mental health services, employ big data and predictive models for managing health facilities, and implement health information systems, among other flagship projects which all intend to accomplish the Health Ministry’s strategy to deliver comprehensive, innovative and world-class health services.

This year’s Arab Health exhibition offers an important opportunity to spotlight the flagship projects and significant efforts being made by the Ministry of Health to deliver healthcare services that meet the needs of community members. It is also an important occasion to shed light on what has been achieved in the fields of health care quality and the implementation of flagship preventive and curative projects, along with the success in ensuring businesses continued operating during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Such efforts helped to encourage people to keep faith in the UAE’s ability to endure the Covid-19 crisis, cultivate the spirit of optimism that the recovery phase is fast approaching, and that the UAE is moving firmly and steadily towards global leadership, as it leaves behind all crises and challenges. According to the 2020 Legatum Prosperity Index, the UAE has ranked first in the world in the Health Care Coverage Index.

“The UAE’s forward-looking vision has placed healthcare among the most important national priorities, with the aim of providing world-class, comprehensive and integrated healthcare services fulfilling the requirements of the sustainable development process, under a flexible and sophisticated government system whose foundations were laid by the UAE’s wise leadership as a roadmap for country’s march towards the UAE Centennial 2071,” said Abdul Rahman bin Mohamed Al-Owais, the Minister of Health.

In addition to MoHAP, other government entities attending the exhibition this year include Dubai Healthcare City Authority, the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, Dubai Health Authority and the Dubai Government. They will be joined by leading healthcare companies, thousands of medical product suppliers, and exhibits displaying the latest innovative technologies from throughout the world.

Source: Emirates News Agency