KUWAIT: Kuwait will continue its achievements in reducing the mortality rate of newborns and children under five and reach the global level of vaccination coverage against preventable childhood diseases, a senior Health Ministry official said.

Undersecretary Dr Mustafa Redha made that statement yesterday during the opening ceremony of the Third Jahra Hospital International Conference on Pediatrics, which he attended on behalf of Health Minister Sheikh Dr Basel Al-Sabah. "The hospital pays great attention to training and continued education in pediatrics, as well as the development of pediatrics and premature departments in hospitals and childcare clinics in primary centers," he said.

The scientific program of the conference allows for exchanging expertise and research to develop and update healthcare protocols and policies in various specialties, in line with the ministry and government's work program, Redha added. The senior official also expressed confidence that the conference will make many recommendations in the field of pediatrics that match the high level and experience of the elite guests and participants in the conference.

The conference includes 30 lectures on pediatric medicine and new scientific developments, besides several workshops, Head of the pediatrics department at Jahra Hospital and conference's president Dr Fahd Al-Enezi said. He added that the conference will discuss the most notable diseases children suffer from, such as diabetes, obesity, asthma and others, adding that one of the speakers pointed to the high risk of any surgery related to removing part of a child's stomach to reduce weight.

Complicated conditions

Abdulrazaq Al-Kawari from Qatar's Sidra Medicine executive management team said: "Our participation in Kuwait comes at the invitation of our Kuwaiti colleagues, as Sidra is not only a hospital, but also a research center that deals with complicated conditions in women and children." He added that Sidra is the only specialized hospital for children in the region.

"We seek development in relations with our Kuwaiti colleagues as we have specialties that meet and exceed the demands of the region, and we would like to expand and receive patients from Kuwait and the region," he told Kuwait Times. He said patients from the region normally seek treatment in Europe, which is something that consumes time and effort, but "the presence of our center cuts down on such requirements and patients remain in close proximity with their families". Kawari said there are 150 researchers in the center who work on various issues including genome sequencing.

Dr Abdullah Al-Kaabi from the board of governors said Sidra Medicine is participating for the third time and is keen to participate with the largest possible number of doctors, "as it is our commitment to continue contacts with our colleagues, as this will contribute to the enhancement of the health level and standards in our countries".

Dr Ibrahim Al-Janahi from the Clinical Management Group said emphasis is on training in pediatric medicine, as the center is an educational one with three aspects - quality services, research and medical education and training. Meanwhile, head of the epidemics unit at the health ministry Musab Al-Saleh said 180,000 persons were vaccinated this fiscal year and expected the number to reach 185,000, compared to 50,000 two years ago and 120,000 last year.

By Abdellatif Sharaa