Forum focuses on pulmonary health

Egyptian Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar on Monday chaired a forum on pulmonary health.

The minister told the forum, which was held in co-operation with AstraZeneca, about the importance of prevention and early detection of chest complaints.

Pulmonary health is a top priority for his ministry and will be the focus of a soon to be launched presidential initiative, the minister said.

Abdel Ghaffar called for a survey of chest and lung diseases of which the data will be the basis for decisions to protect the most vulnerable and treat patients suffering from the range of thoracic diseases in accordance with the latest diagnostic methods and treatment protocols.

Abdel Ghaffar called for more intense awareness campaigns on chest diseases and healthy practices with a view to prevention, especially young smokers.

For his part, Secretary General of the Higher Committee for Medical Specialisations Houssam Hosni reviewed plans to expand services related to chest diseases with regard to specialist training for doctors.

AstraZeneca Egypt chairman Hatem Al-Wardani spoke of the firm’s readiness to working with all state agencies to provide for patients’ needs and medications through current initiatives, as well as taking part in awareness campaigns.

Earlier in the day, Minister Abdel Ghaffar discussed with representatives of the US Company Bristol Myers Squibb co-operation in improving the services presented to thalassemia (Mediterranean anemia) patients.

The meeting tackled co-operation opportunities to benefit from the strategic partnership between Bristol Myers Squibb and Thalassaemia International Federation (TIF), Spokesman for the Health Ministry Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said.

The minister listed to a detailed explanation from the representatives on the proposed work plan to support the health system in Egypt, especially the services presented to thalassemia patients, the spokesman said.

The minister asserted that the Ministry of Health is keen on presenting full support to upgrading the services presented to those patients, highlighting the necessity to intensify health awareness on thalassemia disease.

Thalassemia is an inherited (passed from parents to children through genes) blood disorder caused when the body doesn’t make enough of a protein called hemoglobin, an important part of red blood cells.