DUBAI, 20 October 2007 — World Osteoporosis Day will be held in Dubai with a series of global events to create awareness about the bone disease. Organizing events in Dubai is the Emirates Osteoporosis Society and the International Osteoporosis Foundation.
Activities include a walkathon at Zabeel Park, a shopping mall awareness campaign and a scientific program, which will be held at Al-Murooj Rotana. On Wednesday, Um Khammas of Freej (a popular Arabic animated cartoon series) toured the city on a bus-top tour to create awareness about osteoporosis in Dubai’s streets.
The walkathon begins today at 9 a.m. and will be backed by daylong osteoporosis awareness stands at Deira city center, and the Ibn Battuta and Al-Ghurair shopping malls. DJs from Channel 4 Radio will broadcast live from the malls at various times of the day.
“Experts will be on hand at the shopping malls to conduct bone density tests, so members of the public are urged to take advantage of this opportunity to check their vulnerability to osteoporosis,” said Dr. Jamal Ali Al-Saleh, president of the Emirates Osteoporosis Society.
“The walkathon will be a perfect morning out for the family, providing a fun way to get some exercise while children of all ages can enjoy drummers, face painters, and other entertainment,” he added.
A briefing for local and international media will take place at Madinat Jumeirah tomorrow. The briefing will highlight the problem, current treatments and how people can protect themselves against the disease. More than 50 international journalists will be present to cover the launch.
Despite consistent efforts to increase awareness of osteoporosis and the consequent risk of fractures, studies show that very few women over 50 have understood the debilitating effect the “brittle bone” disease could have on their lives.
