Dubai, 9th Feb. 2010 (WAM) -- The Dubai Health Authority and GlaxoSmithKline have sealed a new partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide world-class respiratory care for patients with asthma. The aim of the MoU is to establish Dubai and the UAE as a centre for excellence in respiratory care especially in light of the recent research, sponsored by GSK, which showed the UAE to have one of the highest rates of asthma, with a 13% diagnosis rate.
The Asthma Management Partnership Initiative was created in response to this research particularity because despite this high statistic, effective asthma diagnosis, care and management remain insufficient, a reality the new project aims to transform with the training and support of Respiratory Nurse Specialists, the first in the UAE. The Asthma Management Partnership Initiative, and the Dubai Respiratory Centre of Excellence which will be established aims to improve diagnosis to provide early intervention, establish clear and simple management guidelines following the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), reinforce asthma management plans to ensure patient compliance and benchmark the indictors of asthma care to allow continuous improvement. The project hinges upon the partnership between doctors and respiratory nurse specialists, and will provide a concerted multi-disciplinary approach to the management of asthma. Dr Ahmad Ibrahim Saif Kalban, CEO of the Primary Healthcare Sector at the DHA, said:"As the strategic health authority for the Emirate of Dubai, it is our aim to strengthen the primary care system because that is the first point of intervention for patients. We believe the private medical sector is our key stakeholder and this partnership reinforces our commitment to work with the private sector to strengthen the healthcare system in the Emirate of Dubai. Training our nurses in Asthma management will help further improve the quality of treatment given to patients and will aid in early intervention and treatment which is crucial to improve the quality of life of our patients." Mohammad Zafrullah, General Manager and Vice President, GSK, commented on the MoU saying, "This partnership is a very positive step forward for Dubai in terms of essential asthma management improvement. We are very proud to be working with the DHA on this vital initiative and look forward to seeing the impact it has on the lifestyle and productivity of patients in Dubai." Dr Aly Ziwar, Medical Director GSK Gulf and Near East, commented on the issues surrounding asthma saying, "In UAE, 58% of asthmatics suffer daytime symptoms which is an unnecessary compromise on life that can be prevented by following an asthma management plan that achieves control. With this initiative we want to improve patient quality of life by increasing patient compliance, creating a team of knowledgeable, best-in-class respiratory nurse specialists and improve overall standards of primary health care for asthma." All nurses chosen to participate in the program will complete a diploma, certified from the United Kingdom by Respiratory Education in Edge Hill University in Liverpool and led by assistant tutor and independent respiratory nurse consultant, Jacqueline Brereton. The diploma will mean that before and after an appointment with the doctor, the patient will be able to access additional support from a specialist nurse who will offer guidance on how to use prescribed medication effectively and how to reduce the incidence of asthma attacks. Dr Bassam Mahboub, Head of Pulmonology Department at the DHA, and project leader of the Asthma Management Partnership Initiative, added, "Poor asthma management is a major cost to any economy and its healthcare system, not to mention a danger to life and lifestyle. Therefore we believe that educating and training our primary healthcare practitioners like our nurses will lead to substantial improvement in asthma management. Introducing specialist asthma teams across our polyclinics will most certainly help diagnose asthma at an early stage and provide effective treatment for our patients."Starting in March this year, specialist asthma teams will be accessible in numbers of polyclinics across the emirate, a figure that will grow throughout the year.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2010.
