Category: Medical

ABU DHABI, The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has announced that 59,818 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were given in the past 24 hours.

The total number of doses provided up to today stands at 18,876,969 with a rate of vaccine distribution of 190.86 doses per 100 people.

This is in line with the Ministry’s plan to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to all members of society and efforts to reach acquired immunity resulting from the vaccination, which will help reduce the number of cases and control the COVID-19 virus.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The 3rd HealthPlus Middle East Fertility Conference, organised by HealthPlus Fertility, part of United Eastern Medical Services (UEMedical) and a Mubadala Health partner, has concluded today Saturday 11th September, 2021.

The 3-day hybrid conference was held at JW Marriot Hotel in Dubai under the theme “Fertility Without Borders” bringing together over 2500 participants virtually from across the globe and another 250 who attended in-person.

During the conference, physicians praised the level of healthcare provided at fertility centres in the UAE, adhering to quality measures and applying best practices in the field.

Participants were pleased with the informative engaging educational sessions throughout the 3 days, which helps in keeping the medical community informed about the latest in the field of infertility.

“The conference has allowed us to achieve our set goals of exchanging knowledge about the latest technologies in fertility, IVF, ICSI, stem cells and genetics; while attracting many experts from inside and outside the UAE,” said Dr. Bohaira Elgeyoushi, Conference President, and Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility (IVF) Consultant at HealthPlus Fertility Center in Dubai. “On behalf of HealthPlus Fertility, we thank and appreciate the participation of Dr. Maryam Matar, founder and president of the Sheikh Zayed Center for Genetic Research and the Emirates Genetic Diseases Association, for her support and for presenting a very informative lecture on epigenetics.”

During her lecture about epigenetics and genetic changes due to the influence of environmental factors (nutrition, microbiome, sleep, cellular systems, etc.), Dr. Maryam Matar spoke about how they can be passed on to future generations and cause genetic disorders; and how the latest advanced genetic testing can help eliminate reproductive problems and improve clinical outcomes for the safety of the mother and child in the short and long term. “Science has proven to everyone that reproductive health begins from the grandmother’s generation and even before the mother’s birth, and continues for generations. Performing genetic testing is considered a gift to the family,’ She added.

The conference attracted a large number of participants throughout the three days, while the last day witnessed back-to-back sessions, lectures, scientific debates and multiple hands-on workshops.

Dr. Wael Ismail Madkour, Medical Director and Fertility & Reproductive Endocrinology Consultant at HealthPlus Fertility Center in Dubai led one of the morning sessions titled “Fetal Health”.

He said, “this was one of the important sessions where futuristic look into embryology was discussed. We also had a lecture presented by Dr. Luis Navarro, Molecular Biology Specialist from Spain, who talked to us about a scientific study “Embrace” showcasing how genes affect the health and may cause tumors. Within the same session, Dr. Sara Bisari, Genetics Lab Manager at HealthPlus Fertility Center in Abu Dhabi presented a paper about “Prioritising Embryos in Preparation for their Transfer to the Womb” with all the mechanisms and timings that control the process.”

Dr. Irfan Aslam, IVF Lab Director at HealthPlus Fertility Center, Abu Dhabi chaired two debate sessions in which a number of embryologists from leading IVF centers in UAE participated. The first debate was about genetic testing of embryos, while the second was a debate showing the differences between frozen embryo transfer and fresh embryo transfer.

“The first debate focused on whether to genetically test or not the embryo from the embryologist point of view,” Dr. Irfan said. “The second debate was about fresh embryos versus frozen embryos. The discussion revealed that there are no differences of clinical pregnancy rates between frozen embryos and fresh embryos in cases where high-quality embryos were transferred. However, there are certain conditions in which fresh embryos cannot be transferred directly in the same cycle and should be frozen. Therefore, it is not advisable to adopt either a “freeze all strategy” or a “fresh embryo transfer”, as clinical indications should dictate the use of fresh or frozen embryo transfer.”

Mr. Ahmed Sulieman, IVF Lab Director at HealthPlus Fertility Centre in Dubai conducted a 4-hour hands-on workshop during the conference.

Ahmed said that “the introduction of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) 30 years ago was groundbreaking technology in the invitro fertilisation (IVF) field. However, it still continues to improve due to multiple reasons including the quality of the spermatozoa which has been pointed out as critical, and the presence of high percentages of DNA-damaged spermatozoa in patients indicated for ICSI. In this workshop, we discussed the most updated technologies and approaches for sperm selection to ensure the highest quality of the spermatozoa used in ICSI and specifically, in terms of genetic integrity which aims to increase the pregnancy outcome in this cohort of patients.”

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) announced that it conducted 298,919 additional COVID-19 tests over the past 24 hours, using state-of-the-art medical testing equipment.

In a statement, the Ministry stressed its aim to continue expanding the scope of testing nationwide to facilitate the early detection of coronavirus cases and carry out the necessary treatment. As part of its intensified testing campaign, MoHAP announced 725 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the UAE to 728,266.

According to the Ministry, the infected individuals are from various nationalities, are in a stable condition, and receiving the necessary care.

MoHAP also announced 2 deaths due to COVID-19 complications, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 2,062.

The Ministry expressed its sincere condolences to the family of the deceased and wished COVID-19 patients a speedy and full recovery. It called on all members of the society to cooperate with health authorities, adhere to the instructions and physical distance to ensure the health and safety of all.

MoHAP also noted that an additional 945 individuals had fully recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries to 719,163.

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has announced that 90,610 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were given in the past 24 hours.

The total number of doses provided up to today stands at 18,817,151 with a rate of vaccine distribution of 190.26 doses per 100 people.

This is in line with the Ministry’s plan to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to all members of society and efforts to reach acquired immunity resulting from the vaccination, which will help reduce the number of cases and control the Covid19 virus.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The 3rd HealthPlus Middle East Fertility Conference, organised by HealthPlus Fertility, part of United Eastern Medical Services (UEMedical) and a Mubadala Health partner, has kicked off its in-person part in Dubai today under the theme “Fertility Without Borders”.

The conference attracted a large number of physicians, specialists, embryologists, nurses, technicians, pharmacists and many other professionals from inside and outside the UAE, virtually and physically. The sessions discussed many topics related to fertility, new technologies in in vitro fertilization (IVF), as well as gynaecological surgeries related to infertility, genetics and more. On 9th September, the conference was attended by more than 2,000 participants virtually online, and another 250 participants attended physically today alongside another 1,200 delegates who attended virtually.

Majd Abu Zant, CEO of UEMedical, said during his opening speech that: “HealthPlus Fertility Conference in its 3rd hybrid edition today attracted experts and speakers from leading universities and IVF centres in the United Kingdom (UK), Spain, Italy, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Egypt and the UAE; aiming to enrich the sessions with the latest innovative technologies and updates related to fertility in women and men. The conference was an opportunity for us and other participating IVF centres in the UAE to showcase the capabilities available locally which are on par with international practices and protocols.”

Zant praised the role of the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, Dubai Health Authority and the Ministry of Health and Prevention in creating and facilitating the proper environment for IVF centres and other healthcare facilities in the UAE to grow and develop using the latest diagnostic and treatment technologies, while applying the best protocols to achieve the best possible clinical outcomes.

Dr. Bohaira Elgeyoushi, Conference President, and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (IVF) Consultant at the HealthPlus Fertility Centre in Dubai, said, “The participation and attendance rate at the conference is really impressive. We are truly happy that we managed to bring this amazing group of speakers together with the delegates.”

“One of the most important features in the conference in its 3rd edition is showcasing research papers and new important lectures presented by experts from across the globe. Some of these lectures were discussed for the first time, evolving around new technologies that improve the success rates of IVF, genetic testing, new advancements in fertility preservation like ovarian tissues cryopreservation, the use of stem cells in infertility treatments and reproductive health in general,” Dr. Elgeyoushi added.

During his talk, Dr. Walid Sayed, Group Medical Director and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (IVF) Consultant at HealthPlus Fertility, spoke about the treatment journey of one of the couples at HealthPlus Fertility Centre in Abu Dhabi. “The wife, 35 years old, who was married for 10 years back then, was unable to get pregnant and had unfortunately been diagnosed with cancer. It caused her a lot of distress. She underwent long-term treatment which affected her ovarian reserve. At the same time, her husband had a low sperm count. Following an ultrasound, a small egg was found and she underwent an IVF cycle. With Allah’s will, it was a success and the couple had their first child. In the following years, the couple underwent treatment again which resulted in another two healthy children. This story shows the importance of the long-term relationship we develop with our patients. Due to the nature of these treatments and theit privacy, couples seeking our care have not only medical needs, but also psychological needs for support, respect, compassion, clear and transparent two-way communication, continuity of care and more,” Dr. Sayed said.

Source: Emirates News Agency