Gulf health officials slam unethical advertising

Dubai: Senior medical practitioners and officials from Gulf states on Wednesday slammed some advertising agencies and Arab TV channels for cheating the public with their false promises and hiding behind the shadows of religious scholars and celebrities.

Consultants said some agencies seek endorsements from religious scholars and try to play on the sentiments of people.

Speaking at the UAE's first Health Advertisement Conference, which started on Wednesday, officials agreed that it was a huge task to control the burgeoning advertisement industry, some of whom are unethical and who try to fly under the radar by promoting unsafe cosmetic and pharmaceutical products.

Dr Hanif Hassan, Minister of Health, said the UAE was the first country in the region to have a law governing medical advertisements. "It has been effective in rectifying the situation and has reassured patients," he said.

The minister said it has helped stop misleading advertising. He said these types of adverts had a "negative impact" on the society, which assured needy patients who would seek any help to relieve their pain.

He said the ministry is keeping a watch on such unethical agencies who promote unsafe or ineffective products on purpose or out of ignorance.

A senior Ministry of Health official also pointed that major tobacco companies have filed cases against the UAE for its stand against cigarette advertising.

"We are working with the Arab League to restrain Arab media outlets in promoting such fake claims," said Dr Abdul Karim Al Zarouni, director of health advertising department at the ministry.

He said the UAE had formulated the legislation two years ago to control medical advertisements.

Dr Abdul Rahman Al Awadi, chairman of the Islamic Organisation for Medical Science said it was an "impossible task" to control some advertisements which commit fraud against patients "What we can do is try and make them tell the truth and be ethical," he said.

Dr Ameen Al Amiri, CEO for medical practice and licence at the Ministry, told Gulf News on the sidelines of the conference that the UAE law passed in 2007 has been restructured and no advert can pass without the ministry's approval.

He said advertising of junk food does not come under the ministry but under the purview of the municipality. "But there is good cooperation between the two and any adverts affecting the health of people have either been withdrawn or changed."

The two-day conference attracted experts from Europe and Arab Gulf states. The topics to be discussed include herbal and alternative medicine advertisements, social marketing and health communication strategy and digital internet marketing in the industry.

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