In cooperation with International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences (SHAMS) declared the results of the Middle East and Africa Regional Audit, "Epidemiology, costs and burden of osteoporosis 2011", during the press conference held this afternoon at InterContinental Hotel in Dubai Festival City on the sidelines of 1st Middle East and Africa Osteoporosis Meeting.

 

Following the press conference, Mr. Abdullah Bin Souqat, Executive Director of SHAMS said that regarding to an agreement with IOF, UAE concerned officials will be briefed on the report’s results to be a guide for regarding future UAE strategies and action plans.

 

“it is very important report as it is the first report of its kind in the region covering the results of valuable scientific studies on Osteoporosis by a group of specialists in 17 Middle East and Africa including UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Kenya and South Africa”, Bin Souqat said.

 

“The press conference discussed Osteoporosis which is indicated to in the report as a silent, serious and costly disease which should be added to the growing list of non-communicable diseases (NCDs)”, he said.

 

“Also, the report stressed that the burden of Osteoporosis can only rise with the projected increase in the aging populations, with over 35% exceeding the age of 50 years. Thus, in the coming decades, the number of fragility fractures is anticipated to quadruple in most countries”, he added.

 

Participants in the press conference included Prof. John Kenneth President of IOF, Dr. Basil Al Masri IOF Middle East and Africa representative, Dr. Mustafa Izzi Chairman of Emirates Osteoporosis Society, Dr. Gemma Adib the report’s 1st author and Secretary General of Pan Arab Osteoporosis Society and Dr. Ghada Al-Hajj Fuleihan lead author of the report and Director of the Calcium Metabolism and Osteoporosis Program, and WHO Collaborating Center for Metabolic Bone Disorders, at the American University of Beirut.