The 8th Diabetes and Ramadan International Alliance Conference: January 23–24, 2020, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Abstract

The 8th Ramadan and Diabetes International Alliance Annual Conference was held over 2 days on January 24th and 25th in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The program included six sessions in total. The three states of the art lectures addressed (a) an overview of the current knowledge on insulin therapy during Ramadan, (b) journey of diabetes from EPIDIAR, to CREED and ending by DAR-MENA-T2DM, and (c) feasibility and management of fasting after bariatric surgery. Sessions on the 1st day considered four themes spanning from the impact of Ramadan on physical and mental well-being, efficacy and safety of newer antidiabetic medications during Ramadan, adherence to medications for diabetes and hypothyroidism, and the safety of Ramadan fasting in high-risk groups (cardiovascular and renal). The 2nd day started with a session on bridging the gap between physicians and religious scholars, including a live question and answer session “ask the imam.” The rest of the sessions covered management of type 1 diabetes during Ramadan, patients and doctors perceptions of fasting from various regions and finally a scientific session on nutrition and weight management during Ramadan. RaD activities seem to develop progressively in variety and quality of content and also far-reaching audiences and participants.

Knowledge gaps and perceptions of future research directions on management of diabetes during Ramadan fasting: An online survey of physicians

“…This prompts a need to promote educational programs focused on the management of diabetes during Ramadan. 29] Our survey Respondents also agreed on this strategy, favouring disseminating information via workshops with interactive case discussions followed by international and regional conferences. While various international diabetes societies have made concerted efforts in putting together guidelines for assisting physicians, hands-on workshops seem equally crucial to clinicians to put those guidelines into practice.…”

Epidemiology, Technology, and Professional Perspectives on Diabetes in the United Arab Emirate: A Focused Review

“…In addition, the Arab Society of Pediatric Endocrine and Diabetes has its headquarters in the UAE and runs many of its activities locally. 65…”

“…In addition, the Arab Society of Pediatric Endocrine and Diabetes has its headquarters in the UAE and runs many of its activities locally. 65 UAE pioneered early access to the latest types and therapies, including modern pharmacological classes, shortly after their approvals in their manufacturing countries. Also, health insurance schemes widely support adopting high technology, such as CGM and insulin pump therapy, as discussed above.…”

Highlights of the Ninth Diabetes and Ramadan International Alliance conference (mena-zone virtual), January 21–22, 2021

“…Perhaps, the most notable contributions are its annual meeting and the continuously updated guidelines. [2,3] The declared objectives of DaR include enhancing understanding of how best to manage diabetes during the month of Ramadan by uniting health-care professionals (HCPs), patient associations, Muslim societies, public and private stakeholders in education and research. In addition to several local and national conferences, since its inception, DaR has held 8 international meetings before.…”

“…In addition to several local and national conferences, since its inception, DaR has held 8 international meetings before. [2,3] The 9 th DaR international alliance annual conference was held over 2 days (January 21 th and 22 th ) for the MENA region time zone and 2 days (23 rd and 24 th January) for South East Asia time zone. Both were virtual due to the travel and social distancing restrictions.…”