The upcoming Economist Conference, “Healthcare in the Gulf” Summit, will be held on March 28 at the Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai. Healthcare in the Gulf is a platform that will facilitate high-level discussions between governments, healthcare providers, suppliers, patient groups and investors, in order to foster in-depth discussions on the complexity of healthcare issues, promote innovation by analyzing breakthrough approaches and generate fresh thinking, including practical solutions for sustainable changes. One of the premium sponsors and keynote speakers will be Royal Philips Electronics, the company has announced. During the summit, Philips Senior Research Scientist Dr. Lina Meinel will present “Into the Future: The healthcare tools of 2020,” which will focus on Philips' emerging innovations in women's health that are likely to have the greatest impact on patients and care-givers. It will also focus on how the innovative research ideas might reflect new choices and behavior in patients. “Women's health is an extremely important area that needs more attention and education in the region,” Dr. Meinel said. “In the past, there has been a lack of focus and awareness on women's healthcare, which is currently reflected in the regional studies and statistics. For example, breast cancer is the number one cause of death for women in the UAE, including the tendency to get it at an earlier age — in their 20s — than women in the West.” In Saudi Arabia, 70% of breast cancer cases are not reported until they are at a very late stage, and in Jordan, only 5% are diagnosed at an early stage. “Many women do not perform self exams, and only a small percentage go to a doctor at an early stage, mostly due to lack of awareness about the seriousness of the disease, and that regular breast screening is a vital preventative method,” Dr. Meinel said. At the summit, Philips will showcase their mobile MicroDose mammography unit for breast cancer screening, which was launched during Arab Health 2012, specifically adapted to the requirements of patients and healthcare providers in the Middle East. The unit was developed as part of the “Simply Healthy Women” roadshow that entails different initiatives, starting with the mammography unit that will tour the region, performing breast screenings — with up to 50% less radiation — for early detection, as part of Philips' commitment to women's health and preventative care. Breast cancer will touch 1 of 8 women in their lifetimes, and by gaining a deeper understanding of women's conditions like these, care can be improved, costs reduced and lives saved.
