Health

Doctor wins grant to study diabetes in children

A year-long study to establish the prevalence of obesity and Type 2 diabetes in children is to be carried out by a doctor in Dubai.

Mitya Underwood

September 06, 2009

A year-long study to establish the prevalence of obesity and Type 2 diabetes in children aged between five and 18 is to be carried out by a doctor in Dubai. Dr Ghaida Qadaha, a consultant diabetologist at Rashid Hospital in Dubai, said her study would be the first of its kind to provide data on these diseases in this "highly susceptible age group". The data would be used by local government and policymakers to help devise preventive health strategies and plan future healthcare provision, she added.

Dr Qadaha, who is one of five doctors in the Gulf region to be awarded grants by the pharmaceutical company Sanofi-aventis to improve diabetes management, will also be running a programme to train nurses to deal with diabetic patients. "This project will help us establish a network of health professionals with a certain level of skills, knowledge and experience in the field of diabetes education," she said.

"It will also improve patients' access to diabetes educational support services." Dr Qadaha will train up to 100 health professionals in diabetes education and assign 10 diabetes patients to each. Another UAE doctor to win one of the grants is Dr Hussein Saadi, professor of internal medicine and consultant endocrinology at the UAE University in Al Ain. He will investigate the prevalence of diabetes complications among 800 Emirati adults - something, he said, that had not previously been looked at in any depth.

According to the World Health Organisation, the UAE has the second highest rate of diabetes in the world. Dr Saadi will conduct a health and lifestyle survey on newly diagnosed, undiagnosed and untested Emiratis. He hopes to "increase community awareness of the serious nature of diabetes if not diagnosed early". His study will also raise awareness of diabetes complications and the factors associated with the rapid onset of these complications.

munderwood@thenational.ae

New process leads to panic among jobseekers

As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.  

“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.

Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE. 

“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.

“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”