UAE | Health

Dubai to welcome US paediatric group

A US-based advocacy and education group for paediatricians is setting up practice in Dubai, bringing regulation and education standards for child health to an area lacking uniform paediatric policies.

  • By Nina Muslim, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:04 November 24, 2008
  • Gulf News

Dubai: A US-based advocacy and education group for paediatricians is setting up practice in Dubai, bringing regulation and education standards for child health to an area lacking uniform paediatric policies.

The Dubai chapter of the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP), would be the first overseas chapter of the medical group, comprising mostly of paediatricians, dedicated to the well-being of children.

The organisation sets out guidelines and recommendations for child care in the US, while also looking after the interests of child healthcare providers. These policies have now been adopted as standard policy in many countries.

Dr. David Tayloe Jr., President of AAP, told Gulf News Dubai was ripe for a chapter. "A number of countries are underdeveloped, poverty is an issue - and that is not the case here," he said.

He added the UAE's struggle with child health issues, such as obesity and diabetes - on par with developed countries, were issues the AAP usually dealt with. Dr Tayloe expects the chapter to work closely with UAE health authorities on child health policies.

Dr Alya Ahmad, head of paediatrics at City Hospital , spearheading the move to open the AAP chapter in Dubai, told Gulf News there was a need for standardised child health policy in the UAE.

"There are regulations, but they are usually related to licensing and requirements to practise, not the promotion of health itself," she said. Dr Ahmad cited the lack of regulations requiring standardised immunisation programmes as an example.

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