Arab Health rheumatology Conference Program 2009

What will the conference feature?

We aim to bring cutting edge information
about rheumatic diseases to the region
once more. Rheumatoid arthritis and other
connective tissue diseases are a leading
cause of disability around the world.
Through better management of these
conditions by Rheumatologists, Orthopedic
Doctors, Family Doctors and Internists the
burden of these diseases will be reduced
for patients and their families.

Chairperson
Dr. Humeira Badsha, Consultant
Rheumatologist, Dubai Bone and Joint
Center, Dubai Healthcare City, UAE


Invited Speakers

Prof. Paul Peter Tak, Professor of Medicine,
Director, Division of Clinical Immunology
and Rheumatology, EULAR & FOCIS Center
of Excellence, Academic Medical Center,
University of Amsterdam

Dr. Christopher Edwards, Consultant
Rheumatologist and Honorary Senior Lecturer,
Southampton University Hospitals, UK

Prof. Mohd Asim Khan, Professor of Medicine
at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU)
Cleveland, Ohio, Master American College of
Rheumatology

Dr. William Murell, US Sports Medicine
Specialist, Dubai Bone and Joint Center,
Dubai Healthcare City, UAE

Dr. Mohammed Al Shaker, Consultant
Orthopedics Surgeon, Medical Director
Osteoporosis Clinic, King Faisal Specilaist
Hospital and Research Center,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Prof. Eugene McCloskey, Senior Clinical
Lecturer in Metabolic Bone Disease Division
of Clinical Sciences, University of Sheffield, UK

Dr. Gary S. Hoffman, Professor of Rheumatic
and Immunologic Diseases, Lerner College of
Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, USA

Dr. Claire Bombardier, Professor of Medicine,
Rheumatology Division, Director, University
of Toronto, Canadian Arthritis Network Co-
Scientific Director

Dr. Kaleb Michaud, Assistant Professor of
Medicine, Rheumatology and Immunology
Section, Department of Internal Medicine,
University of Nebraska

Dr. Rajesh Shah, Consultant Radiologist,
Dubai Bone and Joint Center, Dubai
Healthcare City, UAE

Dr. Imad Uthman, Professor, Department
of Internal Medicine, American University
of Beirut
Dr. David Kane, Consultant Rheumatologist,
Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

17 March 2009In conjunction with the producers of Arab
Health, the Emirates Arthritis Foundation is
pleased to announce their 1st Conference:
Focus for Insurance Companies,
Third Party Payers and Healthcare
Policymakers
A message from the Patron of the Emirates
Arthritis Foundation: Her Royal Highness
Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of
UAE Vice President & Prime Minister
& Ruler of Dubai“When treated in the early stages, deformity
and disability of arthritis can be prevented.
The Emirates Arthritis Foundation continues
to support an increasing number of needy
patients who cannot afford treatments.”
The purpose of this conference is to highlight
the importance of early diagnosis and
aggressive treatment for patients suffering
from one of the hundred forms of arthritis.
Today, with the advent of biologic medication,
arthritis patients should not become disabled,
and thus can become contributing members
of society and fulfill their choice to work,
support families and most importantly have a
feeling of self-worth as they learn to live with
this chronic disease. With medications costing
up to AED80 000, together let’s find an
answer to help these patients.
13.00 Lunch and Networking
14.00 Welcome Address
14.15 Opening Remarks and Patient
Testimonials
15.00 Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Burden
of Disease and the Cost Effectiveness
of Treatments
15.20 Preventing Disability and
Improving Quality of Life in
Patients with Arthritis
16.00 Questions with Panel of Speakers
16.30 Closing Remarks


18 March 2009Session 1
09.00 Welcome and Opening
09.15 Rheumatoid Arthritis – Review of
Management in 2009 and Beyond
09.45 SLE – New Options Beyond
Cyclophosphamide and Steroids
10.15 Break and Networking
+971-4-3365161 +971-4-3364021 rheumat@iirme.com www.rheumatology09.com
10.45 Making a Difference – A Report
from the Emirates Arthritis Foundation
11.00 Ankylosing Spondylitis Early
Diagnosis and Management
11.30 Oral Abstract Presentation
12.00 Lunch
Session 2
13.30 Osteoporosis in the Middle East
14.00 Osteoporosis – Advances in
Pathogenesis and Risk Assessment
14.30 Review of Treatments
Available for Osteoporosis
15.00 Break
Session 3
15.15 Arthritis in the Islamic World
15.30 Vasculitis Update
16.00 Managing Inflammation –
The Great Debate: For and
Against Cox2 Inhibitors
17.00 Oral Abstract Presentations
17.30 Close
18.30 Wyeth Symposium and Social
Event

19 March 2009Session 1
08.00 Young Investigator Abstract
Presentations
08.30 Break
09.15 Rheumatoid Arthritis in the
Middle East: The Challenges
Session 2
09.45 Safety and Efficacy Update After
9 Years of Anti-TNF Experience
10.30 Quality of Life and Worker
Disability with Anti-TNF
Therapy
11.15 Experience with Anti-TNF
Drugs in the Region
11.30 Are the Genetics of
Inflammatory Arthritis in the
Middle East Entirely Different?
11.45 Break
Session 3
12.00 Temporal Arthritis: Ultrasound
to Diagnose
12.30 Ultrasound for Rheumatoid Arthritis:
An Overview
13.00 Workshop on Reading MRI in
Rheumatic Conditions
13.30 Lunch
14.30 Oral Abstract Presentations
Session 4
15.00 Vasculitis: From Bench to Bedside
– Why Patterns of Disease are
so Diverse
15.30 Scleroderma – Update on Management
16.00 Reactive Arthritis – The Regional
Experience
16.15 Periodic Fever Syndromes
16.30 Update on Behcet’s Disease
16.30 Announcement of Oral Abstract
Winners
17.00 Close
18.30 Schering Plough Symposium
and Dinner

20 March 2009Workshop 2
09.00 - 12.00
Research Seminar
* How to Set-up a Database -
An Introduction Lesson from the National
Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases
* Clinical Trials – What you Need to Know
* Medical Biostatistics for the Clinician
and Introduction to SPSS
Workshop 3
09.00 - 12.00
Pediatric Rheumatology
Workshop 4
09.00 - 12.00
Musculoskeletal Ultrasound