Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and the Patron of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences, the 2nd Gulf Thoracic conference Dubai 2011 is to be inaugurated today evening (Thursday) by Dr. Salem Al Darmaki General Director of UAE Ministry of Health at Ritz Carlton Dubai.

 

The conference is supported by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences and organized by Emirates Respiratory Society, EMA, in U.A.E and The Saudi Thoracic Society, in collaboration with the American College of Chest Physicians.

 

Mr. Abdullah Bin Souqat the Executive Director of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoutm Award for Medical Sciences said that supporting the Conference by the award comes within the implementation of the directives of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and the Patron of the Award concerning supporting important medical activities in UAE which contribute to improving the performance of medical staff locally and internationally.

 

Bin Souqat said that the conference will discuss the latest research papers conducted on medical issues related to chest diseases in GCC countries and all over the world.

 

He added that a galaxy of senior respiratory diseases and lung diseases specialists, nurses and technicians will participate in the conference. "At the top of the participants are 44 keynote world speakers. Also, the conference will discuss 52 research papers through 24 sessions, 72 lectures, five advanced training sessions, two workshops and three scientific seminars", he said.

 

Bin Souqat added that respiratory diseases are of a highly importance as it haunts lives of people in GCC countries and in the world. "Respiratory diseases such as Asthma, SARS and H1N1 infect all age groups with more severe on children and elderly people", he said. He said that respiratory diseases are serious diseases that pose a threat to all societies.

 

"Yearly, about 210 million people around the world are affected with respiratory diseases", he added. Asthma is considered the third leading cause of death around the world and has haunted the lives of more than three million people up to 2005 ( 5% of total deaths in the world). The total number of deaths affected with Asthma is expected to be increased by 30% during the next ten years. Beside environmental factors there are many causes of respiratory and lung diseases such as smoking.

 

Studies have shown that smoking kills 5.4 million people annually and this number is expected to be raised to about 8 million people by 2030.