The MOH Deputy Minister for Executive Affairs Dr. Mansour bin Nasser Al-Hawasi said the international conference on thalassemia and sickle cell anemia, which is to be organized by MOH in collaboration with the International Union of Thalassemia on 24th and 25th/04/1429, comes within a series of health programs aiming at controlling the diseases prevalent among citizens and residents, promoting awareness among all community sectors, conducting research studies for eradicating diseases, and boosting the competence of health practitioners, including physicians, nurses, and technicians, for enabling them to handle the patients and the diseases.
He said MOH has set a strategy for improving health services whereby attention is paid to all preventive, therapeutic, and rehabilitation aspects. He said such a strategy is based on preventive programs that enable MOH to combat diseases and control expenditure by avoiding payments on therapeutic aspects.
Dr. Al-Hawasi highlighted the national programs established by MOH in this regard, the most important of which is the pre-marriage program which has been put into effect since early 1425 for controlling hereditary and contagious diseases such as thalassemia and sickle cell anemia. In addition the national program has been applied for controlling AIDS, malaria, asthma, etc.
It is worth mentioning that the conference has been accredited as 17 hour continuous medical education by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties. More than 600 physicians, technicians, and nurses will attend the conference.