Ministry of Health highlights the importance of early detection of diseases  

UAE, Dubai, March 17, 2019:   The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) has stressed that the National Periodic Health Screening and Cancer Screening initiatives titled ‘Etminan’ (Contentment in Arabic) are running smoothly and perfectly as scheduled.  

Being part of the Cabinet approved programmes, the two initiatives aims to reduce the prevalence of cancer and non-communicable diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, breast, cervical and colon cancer.

The ‘Etminan’ initiative has been launched to support the Ministry of Health and Prevention’s strategy, seeking to heighten the public awareness on health risks and provide diagnostic and therapeutic services in accordance with the best international standards 

The two initiatives aim to educate people about the importance of conducting a comprehensive periodic screening, promote healthy lifestyles and detect cardiovascular diseases risk factors, such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol and the expected risk of cardiovascular disease.

Strengthening the culture of prevention and periodic screening 

Dr. Hussein Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Ministry's Health Centres and Clinics Sector and Public Health, said that the early detection services being offered by the ministry will help establish a culture of prevention and periodic screening, which represents a key pillar for maintaining better health and avoiding the most common pathogens including cancer, heart disease, diabetes and others.

He added: 'The Ministry of health is working very hard to early detect diseases as that increases the chances of recovery. To that end, it spares no efforts to develop and implement joint awareness programs and activities, encourage adopting a healthy eating pattern and exercising sports activities among all segments of society. It also works to activate national programs to combat cancer, which is shared responsibility between the public and private sectors. This comes as part of the Ministry's strategy aiming to provide comprehensive and integrated health care based on innovative and sustainable methods to ensure the prevention of disease. '

Introduce National Initiatives and Campaigns 

Al Rand lauded the ministry’s relentless efforts being made to train early cancer detection professionals, provide accurate information on the latest scientific developments related to certain diseases and mechanisms used in the early screening programs. “The ministry is keen to support partnership and cooperation between all governmental and non-governmental health bodies, to reduce the spread of non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, through early detection and identifying the leading factors” He further said.

Building on its efforts to develop preventive measures, the Ministry of Health and Prevention has launched many national initiatives and campaigns including ‘Etminan’, for which it has assigned a specialized medical and nursing staff equipped with the best and latest treatment methods.

The ‘Etminan’ initiative was preceded by social awareness campaigns targeting government bodies and commercial centers. The awareness campaigns aimed to introduce ‘Etminan’ and its goals to the public, encourage residents to utilise such a useful initiative and adopt a culture of periodic health screening. The awareness campaigns also aimed to reduce the incidence of diseases, early detect breast cancer, prevent infectious diseases, provide proper treatment for diabetes, blood pressure and discover tumours.