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JEDDAH – The Stop TB (Tuberculosis) campaign was launched here Monday evening by a group of young Saudis with the partnership of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the cooperation of the Ministry of Health.

“We are pleased and proud of the work that has been done by Saudi youth and of their involvement in last years Stop TB campaign. Mohammed Bakhrieba, the founder of the Stop TB Group of Jeddah, and his team did an excellent job in creating awareness and promoting the campaign,” said Dr. Sami Badawood, Director General of Health Affairs in Jeddah.

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JEDDAH – The 1st Saudi and 4th Gulf Conference for Health Promotion opens here Monday with a focus on encouraging a healthy lifestyle to combat the increase in non-contagious ailments such as obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), cancer, and chest complaints.

“The rapid change from a simple life to urban living and the changes in both individual and family lifestyles involving an increased dependence on modern technology have led to numerous chronic non-contagious diseases,” said Dr. Khaled Bin Obaid Bawakid, Secretary General of the Family and Community Medicine Society, ahead of the conference.

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JEDDAH – The Stop TB (tuberculoses) Group of Saudi Arabia will launch its annual campaign here March 15.

The campaign, to continue till March 26, under the patronage of Prince Mishal Bin Majed, Governor of Jeddah, is being organized with the cooperation of the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization in six major malls with new and innovative ideas for combating this deadly disease.

This year, the motto for the Stop TB 2010 campaign has been chosen by the World Health Organization which is introducing new ways to diagnose the disease and develop other research, Mohammed Bakhrieba, the founder of the Stop TB Group of Saudi Arabia, told Saudi Gazette.

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JEDDAH – A Saudi delegation is taking part in the 6th International Festival for Road Safety Campaigns and International Forum for Young Drivers in Tunisia starting Thursday.

According to Dr. Intisar Felemban, a Saudi female participant, the three-day gathering aims to collect and exchange experiences and innovative ideas related to road safety.

“The gathering is a good chance for road safety associations members and experts to exchange thoughts about their experiments,” Dr. Felemban told Saudi Gazette.

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DAMMAM – Over 70 percent of Saudi men and women are overweight, according to Dr. Jafar Al-Qallaf of the Saudi Diabetes and Endocrine Association in the Eastern Province.

Speaking at a symposium on diabetes, nutrition and obesity last Friday, Dr. Al-Qallaf said that social and economic changes in developing countries had led to the problem of excess weight and obesity reaching the “scale of a global epidemic”.

“The World Health Organization estimates there to be 1.6 billion overweight persons over the age of 15,” Dr. Al-Qallaf said. “About 400 million of them are obese.”

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RIYADH – The World Health Organization (WHO) has awarded Abha a certificate recognizing it as a healthy city

Mayor of Abha Hamdan Bin Faris Al-Asaimi received the certificate from WHO Wednesday. The Asir Governorate is a founding member of the WHO Standards of Healthy Cities Program.

The Healthy Cities Program, which was first conceived in 1984 at a symposium held in Canada, is a global movement with networks established in all six WHO regions. The healthy cities concept is based on community participation and partnership between municipal authorities, civil society, individuals and all other stakeholders to take action to improve health, the environment and the quality of life in cities. -SPA

AL-KHOBAR – The Saudi Diabetes & Endoctrine Association (SDEA) will honor and recognize individuals and organizations who supported the national campaign in the management and fight against diabetes during a ceremony to be held on Feb. 25, 2010 in Al-Khobar.

To be honored and recognized are Saudi citizens, medical staff from various hospitals and medical institutions, leading businessmen, lay leaders and volunteers, non-government organizations, and contributing companies and establishments.

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JEDDAH – A World Health Organization (WHO) delegation Saturday visited the headquarters of the International Islamic Relief Organization of Saudi Arabia (IIROSA) and discussed issues involved in providing health care for the needy, especially children, in some poor countries.

Dr. Ayoub Khawaldah, WHOs Nutrition Adviser, and Dr. Fouad Hamed Mojlad, Regional Adviser for External and International Relations of the international health organization, met with Dr. Adnan Bin Khalil Basha, Secretary General of IIROSA, and discussed topics related to the strengthening of relations between the two organizations.

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JEDDAH: The only clinic for visually impaired people in Saudi Arabia has been closed since last month because there is no trained optometrist or ophthalmologist to help run it.

The clinic’s last optometrist, who was there for the last two years, left as she received a better job offer elsewhere.

Mohammad Tawfiq Bellow, who is the founder and general manager of Ebsar Foundation which runs the clinic, says getting the right person is not easy as special training is required. Those who are trained prefer to work in hospitals because of better perks and financial security.

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RIYADH – Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Rabea, Minister of Health, has ordered the formation of a multi-dimentional National Committee for the prevention of Al-Khurma fever, Dr. Khalid Marghlani, the ministry spokesperson said here Sunday.
Dr. Ziayd Ahmed Meemesh, Undersecretary for Preventive Medicine in the ministry would head the committee, Marghlani said.
The committee has been tasked with following up updates on Al-Khurma virus.
It will also participate in the development of plans and recommendations for combating the disease, its prevention and its awareness, said Marghlani.
The virus (genus Flavivirus, AHFV) was recently identified as the agent of a viral hemorrhagic fever in Saudi Arabia and characterized serologically and genetically as a variant genotype of Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV).
Since viral diagnosis and vaccine development may be hindered by genetic diversity, this study was intended to address AHFV genetic heterogeneity.
Eleven strains isolated from hospitalized patients from 1994 to 1999 in Saudi Arabia were sequenced in the envelope, NS3, and NS5 genes. Homologous sequences were compared and used to look for patterns reflecting specific evolution associated with spatiality, temporality, infection pathway, and disease prognosis.
Genetic analyses showed low diversity, which suggests a slow microevolution.
Evaluation of divergence times showed that AHFV and KFDV ancestral lineage diverged 66-77 years ago, and the diversity observed within the studied AHFV strains reflected a 4 to 72-year period of evolution.
Earlier last week, Dr. Al-Rabea launched an international workshop on the national plan to discuss Al-Khurma fever with participation of experts from the World Health Organization. – SPA