Dubai: Adapting to the new normal, in its 46th edition, Arab Health 2021, being held in Dubai on Monday, June 21, will unveil several innovations in health care in the post COVID-19 world.
What to expect at the region’s biggest health care congress?
With over 35,000 health care and trade professionals both in person and online, Arab Health this year has a hybrid model. The online model for the congress began earlier from May 23 and will continue until July 23 while the in-person congress along with MedLab Middle East that will focus on cutting edge diagnostic solutions, will be held from June 21-24.
Under the show theme of ‘United by business, driving the industry forward’, the co-located events will reinvigorate the health care sector following the challenges of the pandemic by building on the Dh3.7 billion business deals done at the 2020 edition of the show.
Wouter Molman, Executive Vice President for Informa Markets, the organisers of Middle East largest and world’ second largest health care congress, said: “Arab Health and Medlab Middle East have been instrumental in supporting the UAE’s ambitions to become a health care hub for trade and business. The opportunity to host a physical event is testament to the UAE Government’s vaccination strategy, while also underscoring the appetite of those from the health care industry to come together to network, discuss the industry’s future, and do business.”
COVID-19 protocols and solutions to be underlined
This year, the congress will be highlighting many of the post-COVID-19 concerns at their exhibitions. From focusing on vaccine trials to vaccine roll outs to indigenous COVID-19 drug manufacturing companies, Arab Health 2021, will highlight new age AI powered health innovations such as digital health, generic drugs for the pandemic, oxygen concentrators, special personal protective gear for health care industry among other things.
Know all about Phase III clinical trials for Sinopharm in UAE
Among the leading indigenous companies is G42 Health care, an Abu Dhabi-based health-tech company that has played a key role in the 4Humanity Phase III clinical trials of Sinopharm Vaccination campaign in the UAE. This was the world’s first phase III clinical trial of an inactivated vaccine.
In addition to this, G42 Health care will discuss other initiatives at Arab Health such as waste water analysis to study spread of infectious diseases, COVID-19 tracking and testing and other disruptive solutions to build an integrated health care response beyond the current pandemic.
At Medlab Middle East, it will have its capabilities on display such as genome sequencing, molecular diagnostics, digitisation, and research programmes and other futuristic projects currently underway at Biogenix Labs, the UAE’s first COVID-19 accredited large-scale detection laboratory and the Omics Centre of Excellence, the region’s largest and technologically advanced multi-omics facility.
Apart from the methodology of the clinical trials, G42 health care will display their latest AI platform, scientific research, innovative technology in genomics, digital health, diagnostics to transform the UAE’s health care and life sciences ecosystem at the Congress.
First Genome centre of the region to be unveiled
Dubai Health Care City, a public health care organisation, will highlight several innovative research projects that it is involved in such as the launch of the first Genome Research Centre in the region for studying genetic diseases and causes, Project C37 — a private medical workspace — a shared / co-workspace for doctors, the first anniversary of this Genome Genetic laboratory, and the results of first study in the region on spinal muscular atrophy using genetic sequencing to treat newborns.
Vaccine storage solution wins the Innov8 start-up pitch
Among the highlights of the online events was the Innov8 Talks competition that showcased start-ups with innovative solutions in health care from May 29-June 8. The competition this year included 32 start-ups, from across the world participating in 8-minute pitches about their product or idea.
The winner for Innov8 selected by a panel of judges on June 9 was Kitty Liao, CEO of Ideabatic Ltd from UK, who has designed a smart new portable cooling system to prevent the vaccine spoilage in the last mile of distribution.
In her presentation, Liao, who has over 10 years’ experience in multidisciplinary system design and low-temperature research and development, said that nearly 20-80 per cent vaccines were rendered ineffective owing to poor temperature control and said over 2-3 million children died worldwide owing to vaccine preventable diseases. The smart back cooling system had multiple chambers that could carry anything between 500-700 vaccines where those operating it could dial a chamber and get access to vaccines in only those chamber without disturbing the temperature of the other vaccines. This system, in the backdrop of vaccine accessibility for COVID-19, worldwide, was the winning pitch in the talks.
Multi-disciplinary health care talks for professionals
About 12 medical conferences are to be hosted life in-person this year for Continuing Medical Education for health care professionals that will include topics across all disciplines ranging from Artificial Intelligence to specialities such as gynaecology and obstetrics, orthopaedics, ENT, radiology, public and family health, among other important topics. At least nine of these conferences will be streamed live while three will be held for in-person attendance.
Stringent and sustainable COVID-19- safety protocols deployed
Extending support to a congress that augments the cause of health care and medical tourism for the UAE, Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) appreciated the manner in which the event was organised keeping in view the COVID-19 protocols. He said, “As we reopen Dubai’s doors to tourism and welcome our international visitors back to the city, our foremost priority is their well-being, achieved through stringent hygiene and safety protocols that have been deployed across all tourist touch points. The World Travel and Tourism Council’s ‘ Safe Travels’ stamp endorses Dubai’s strong global cooperation in combating the pandemic with comprehensive and effective measures to ensure guest health and safety. We trust that our efforts provide an optimised experience for our visitors and encourage people from every corner of the world to visit Dubai.”
