Over 40 regional & international specialists attend opening of 5th biennial Gulf Federation for Cancer Control conference
Sharjah, 5th of May 2011
Under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Honorary President of the Friends of Cancer Patients society (FOCP), the 5th Gulf Federation for Cancer Control (GFFCC) Conference was opened yesterday (Thursday 5 May 2011) by His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Abdullah bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Seaports and Customs in the Government of Sharjah.
The conference, themed “Colorectal Cancer – Diagnostics, Treatment and Control”, is being held in cooperation with the GFFCC at the Expo Centre Sharjah and will run until Saturday 7 May, alongside a medical exhibition. The first day of the three-day conference included three sessions that discussed 14 working papers submitted by specialists and doctors from the USA, the UK and GCC countries.
The opening ceremony was attended by His Excellency Dr Hanif Hassan Ali Al Qassim, UAE Minister of Health, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health and Director General of the Sharjah Medical District. A stamp designed by Emirates Post and carrying the conference’s name and logo, was unveiled to mark the opening of the conference.
In his opening speech, Dr Al Qassim said, “The Ministry of Health appreciates the efforts of the Friends of Cancer Patients society in fighting the disease, as well as their cooperation with the Gulf Federation for Cancer Control in putting on today’s conference on ‘Colorectal Cancer – Diagnostics, Treatment and Control’. The conference highlights all aspects of colorectal cancer, from check-ups and protection techniques, to modern trends in diagnosis and the effectiveness of early treatment. We look forward to attending the conference sessions, which cover UE and regional medical practices, the efforts being made to fight colorectal cancer, and new research in the field, and to hearing from renowned cancer specialists and doctors”.
“This international conference is a great opportunity to learn about the latest advances and cutting-edge science in the field of fighting cancer, which is increasing at a dangerous rate,” Dr Al Qassim continued. “The conference allows recognised academic and scientific researchers, as well as those who deal with patients and their families, to debate and exchange experiences that will inform and promote strategies for improving levels of medical education and creating trained specialists who will elevate the medical practices in our facilities”.
FOCP President Her Excellency Ms Ameera bin Karam presented the Society’s activities, milestones and achievements since its inception in 1999, including offering free mammograms to aid in the early detection of breast cancer and running UAE-wide awareness campaigns.
“In April, FOCP successfully hosted our first ‘Kashf’ initiative – the Pink Caravan Campaign for Breast Cancer awareness. The campaign empowered not only the public, but also decision makers to make a difference in the UAE community and bring about positive change and productive outcomes in the national breast cancer screening program,” she said, adding, “We at FOCP believe that this conference could be another significant opportunity to join forces with academics, doctors, researchers, scholars and oncology NGOs from all over the world to achieve breakthroughs in the field of colorectal cancer”.
Dr Khaled Al Saleh, Secretary General of the GFFCC, said, “The GFFCC conference is held every two years, with each conference focusing on a specific type of cancer. For this conference, we have invited experts to share the latest research and studies, statistics, and medical advances on colorectal cancer with us. I encourage everyone to participate and share their views to make this conference as productive and informative as possible – it will be a great success if everyone benefits from the pool of knowledge and experience of our speakers”.
Dr Ali Ahmed bin Shaker, President of the Emirates Medical Association, said that the Association aims, though its presence at the three-day event, to stay abreast with the latest developments in colorectal cancer and to continue its efforts to control and prevent this serious disease. He added that cancer has become the third leading cause of fatality amongst the UAE population, after heart disease and road accidents, demonstrating that extra efforts are required to prevent it from continuing to increase.
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