(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Dr Abdulkareem Al Olama Jalila Foundation CEO shares the organisations long-term plans and tells Anindita Chatterjee why corporate partnerships are crucial in fighting diabetes.
Recently the Landmark Group joined hands with Al Jalila Foundation established by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai for the ‘Beat Diabetes Campaign’ which will see thousands participate in a walkathon on December 12. Dr Abdulkareem Al Olama Jalila Foundation CEO shares the organisation’s long-term plans and tells Anindita Chatterjee why such corporate partnerships are crucial
Globally an estimated $13.6 billion was spent on diabetes healthcare last year with the Middle East and North Africa region accounting for a mere 2.5 per cent of the expenditure. Almost 19 per cent of the UAE population is living with the dreaded condition and the global picture looks worse considering the rate of diabetes is rising to 10 per cent in urban areas.
According to the World Health Organisation the death rate has doubled and it’s all due to erratic lifestyle and lack of exercise rather than genetic predisposition.
There is a renewed call now to generate more funds to fuel research aimed at diabetes prevention and treatment enhance knowledge for public benefit and produce scientific data to support initiatives of health providers and policy makers.
Tell us more about Majlis Al Ata’a a local medical research initiative that focuses on diabetes among other diseases.
Majlis Al Ata’a (which means ‘Majlis of Giving’) is an iconic movement which marshals the goodwill influence and financial capability of a circle of prominent business professionals philanthropists and organisations towards medical research in the UAE as a common national goal. Our mission is not only to lend financial support to medical research but to make it a national dialogue. We have raised more than Dh30 million through the current members of the Majlis who have chosen to lend their hearts voices and financial support to medical research. We are hopeful that this will grow as we continue to build the case for medical research in the UAE.
One of the five diseases Al Jalila focuses on is diabetes. Since its launch what has the foundation achieved in this field
HOW YOU CAN DONATE
> Register forthe sixth annual Beat Diabetes Walkathon slated for December 12 at Zabeel Park Dubai on www.beatdiabetes.me before December 6. Proceeds from the participation fees — Dh20 per head for adults and Dh10 per head for 8-15 years old — will be donated to Al Jalila Foundation and will be utilised for diabetes research.
> You can optto donate Dh5 or its multiples to Al Jalila Foundation’s diabetes research initiative when you shop at any Landmark Group store.
Developing effective medical research is a long-term process which requires adequate time and resources. It is not possible to find life-changing treatments to medical problems without building the correct infrastructure and cultivating an interest in medical research from the next generation. Our scholarship and fellowship programmes will encourage students to enter the world of medical research and our seed grants will source budding scientists with strong potential. We believe that the establishment of a dedicated research centre will boost progress much further.
What prompted the foundation to partner with the Landmark Group to raise funds
GET THE APP
Diabetes is a complicated condition. It requires patients to monitor their blood sugar and pay close attention to diet and exercise. Apps designed specifically for diabetes management can save you a lot of time and effort.
> Glooko Logbook —Saves time and eliminates error of manual entry by quickly downloading blood glucose readings from your meter to iOS device.
> dLife Diabetes Companion –Offers access to the most essential tools needed to manage diabetes on the go.
> WaveSense Diabetes Manager –Reviews entered data with convenient charts and graphs and helps to gain a new perspective on diabetes management.
> Glucose Buddy –A data storage utility where users can manually enter glucose numbers carbohydrate consumption insulin dosages and activities.
At Al Jalila Foundation we collaborate with a number of leading corporates in the UAE to raise money for medical research into the UAE’s most prevalent health challenges.
In the UAE diabetes is one such challenge with more than 1 in 5 people living with the disease.
Landmark Group’s CSR initiative ‘Beat Diabetes’ has taken great strides in creating awareness and educating people about the disease. This is a commendable endeavour to help combat a high incidence of diabetes not only in the UAE but also in the GCC region.
How will the funds be allocated and used
Al Jalila Foundation is developing the UAE’s first ever independent multi-disciplinary medical research centre Al Jalila Foundation Research Centre expected to open in 2016. The funds contributed by Landmark Group will be dedicated to supporting research into diabetes.
Are there any plans to build a dedicated diabetes centre in the UAE considering 1 out of every 10 people suffer from the condition in the country
The Al Jalila Foundation Research Centre will house advanced medical labs one of which will be dedicated to diabetes research. Our seed grants programme will also fund diabetes research specific to our region.
newskhaleejtimes.com