KUWAIT: Officials Celebrate 100 Years of Insulin at Dasman Diabetes Institute.
KUWAIT: To celebrate the 100th anniversary of insulin, the Dasman Diabetes Institute (DDI), a research institute established by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, gave a series of lectures and moderated panel discussions with health ministry stakeholders from primary and secondary care as well as well as the pharmaceutical sector and patient advocates, supported by Novo Nordisk. This was the first time in Kuwait that prominent players in diabetes care met to discuss possible options for improving diabetes management in Kuwait.
The event was hosted by Dr. Qais Al-Duwairi, Director General of DDI, opened, followed by Ole Moesby, Ambassador of Denmark, who highlighted the global burden of diabetes. Dr. Akin Aksekili, Vice President of Novo Nordisk, also delivered a speech to commemorate 100 years of innovation in diabetes care and hope for the next generation of diabetes treatments and health solutions.
Dr. Dalal Al-Hajeri, representative of the primary health sector in Kuwait, discussed the unmet needs in diabetes care and highlighted areas of focus and strengths in primary care. Dr. Peter Kurtzhals, Novo Nordisk’s Chief Scientific Advisor, presented an insightful look into the future of diabetes management by discussing the innovations in insulin therapy that we can look forward to.
The round table discussion was led by Dr. Ebaa Al-Ozairi, Chief Medical Officer at DDI, moderated and focused on three main topics: improving diabetes prevention, further developing our health system and supporting high-quality care for people with diabetes. “We have seen the development of diabetes therapies since the beginning of insulin production,” said Dr. Ozairi.
“Today we can offer our people with diabetes a range of management and treatment solutions that better suit their lifestyle and improve the quality of life. Our medical services at DDI use the latest research results and innovations for high-quality care and treatment. “
Dr. Ozairi also highlighted the important role of the diabetes clinics in the primary care centers dedicated by the MoH, adding to the excellent work done there. DDI has trained MoH caregivers to better train them in diabetes care to meet the needs of patients across Kuwait.
Dr. Duwairi said, “Our teams at DDI work tirelessly to develop effective research, training, education and health promotion programs that improve the quality of life for people with diabetes in Kuwait. To celebrate 100 years of insulin, we have created a platform to share a roadmap for improving diabetes care with our MoH partners, the Blue Circle patient representative and all non-profit organizations. “
