Marking the occasion of World Diabetes Day, a global health care leader brought the best of American Diabetes Association (ADA) 2015, to Dubai on Nov. 13 and 14.

With participation of over 200 health care professionals, the congress showcased key findings from the scientific sessions of the ADA held in the United States in June.

A media summit themed "Together for Diabetes" was held in parallel with the medical congress, where journalists from the Kingdom, the UAE, Lebanon, Egypt, Kuwait and Jordan had the opportunity to hear from some of the leading international experts from the field as well as from patient ambassadors from My Diabetes Story, a Middle East diabetes awareness platform.

The discussions revolved around diabetes challenges and disparities in the region, diabetes guidelines, new treatment modalities, and outcomes of new diabetes trials related to cardiovascular health.

Professor Abdul-Rahman Al-Sheikh, consultant in endocrinology, president of the Saudi Scientific Diabetes Society, said: “Despite all the awareness efforts in the Middle East and globally, diabetes management is still a considerable challenge for the health authorities and the health care community.”

Dr. Salah Mousa, GM at Sanofi Saudi Arabia, said: “With the rising incidence of diabetes in Saudi Arabia, we at Sanofi strongly recognize the necessity to support the development of advanced therapies, enhance the knowledge and expertise of health care providers, and address the patient’s needs and understanding diabetes.”

Rami Awad, a diabetes patient ambassador in the Kingdom, said: “Patient and family support remains the backbone for those who have developed the condition.”

The Best of ADA congress focused on providing new, relevant data and insights to enable physicians and health care professionals across the Middle East.

The second edition of the congress is a collaborative initiative being organized under the patronage of the Saudi Scientific Diabetes society and supported by Sanofi.