Nahyan bin Mubarak opens Tenth Emirates Oncology Conference

ABU DHABI, 25th November 2022 (WAM) – Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence today opened the Tenth Emirates Oncology Conference which is being organised by the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA).

The three-day sceintific event, continues till 27th November in Abu Dhabi, aims to bring together the most important oncology experts in the UAE, doctors, surgeons and health professionals to exchange expertise on the latest research, technologies and innovations in cancer treatment and care.

It also showcases presentations on the latest research in the field of cancer care, while the participating entities highlight the most advanced treatments, products and services in oncology.

In his keynote address during the conference, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak said, ‘’This Emirates Conference demonstrates that the United Arab Emirates is a country that is committed to the promotion of excellent health and advanced medical practice. President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan acts on the strong conviction that good health promotes success. He sees the improvement of the health of our people as one of our nation’s highest priorities.

He added, “With the leadership and guidance of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed, we have adopted a comprehensive approach to health care in the UAE. Not only do we strive to provide the best care for patients, but we also understand that health promotion and disease prevention are critical initiatives in ensuring the best public health. Regarding the scourge of cancer, we strive to attain the most advanced technologies, to detect the disease as early as possible, to implement the most effective treatments and cures, and to empower all segments of society to support cancer patients and their families. Your conference will certainly make important contributions to those efforts.”

Sheikh Nahyan also indicated that this conference comes at a time of remarkable progress in the struggle to prevent and to treat cancer. Innovations such as nanotechnology, T-cell therapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, artificial intelligence, precision medicine, cancer vaccines, and robotic surgery are helping to prolong lives and energise the fight against this dreaded disease. The pace of change in your field is incredible.

As a result of these continued innovations and fast developments, he continued, the medical profession is succeeding with amazing interventions never before imagined. Yet, you also understand that you cannot rest on your laurels. Cancer will always be a major challenge to us all. And there will continue to be many who could be helped with a better understanding of the disease. It is ironic that we know that more and more cancers are preventable, while at the same time public awareness of early warning signs and acceptance of suitable lifestyles are far from adequate. Unfortunately, many people ignore symptoms of cancer until the time has passed for effective treatment, he noted.

The UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence affirmed, “As we continue the fight against cancer, we must work to educate the public in order to change this behaviour. We must stress the importance of knowledge about the disease and the significance of timely action. We must help improve screening, detection, and prevention procedures. We must work to remove the fear associated with cancer. And we must promote environmental and lifestyle changes. We must build our capacity to conduct original scientific research relevant to our region.”