Abu Dhabi will host the 13th Congress of the Middle East Society for Organ Transplantation (MESOT) from the 12th to 15th of December 2012 at the Jumeirah Etihad Towers. This is the first time in the history of the congress that the medical symposium and Transplant Games will be held in the United Arab Emirates. This high profile event is expected to attract hundreds of experts in the field of Organ Transplantation from the region and the rest of the world and is under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairperson of General Women’s Union, Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation, and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.

The 13th MESOT Congress will feature a three-day scientific medical congress and two days of the Middle East Transplant Games. Organ donors and recipients will take part in the games with both men and women competing for Transplant Game medals.

HE Saif Bader Al Qubaisi, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Health Services Co. (SEHA) says: ‘SEHA is delighted to be the lead supporting organization for the congress. This leadership role highlights SEHA’s commitment to providing advanced quality health care to residents of the UAE. “SEHA is committed to delivering the highest standard of health services, protecting the population and providing advanced care and treatment, as well as educating the public on healthy living”. We continue to build links with regional health institutions and institutes that use globally recognized superior applications for healthcare delivery as per the directives of HH President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan.’

MESOT will kick off with an opening ceremony on the night of the 12th December and will be followed by three days of an intensive and exciting scientific program showcasing the latest knowledge and technical know-how on a large number of topics including Transplantation in MESOT Countries. Experts will share their knowledge on the challenges they are currently facing and will in the future. Some topics of discussion include initiatives to prevent organ failure, methods to improve organ transplant outcomes and success, the creation of systems of organ allocation and procurement, and the latest advancement in the transplantation of different organs such as kidney, liver, heart, lung, intestines and bone marrow. The congress will also feature sessions on stem cell research and its application in the treatment of organ failure, such as failure of the pancreas leading to diabetes. Additionally, pre-congress courses and workshops will provide hands on experience and improve the knowledge and skills of attendees in essential areas of transplantation, including Transplant Histopathology and Histocompatibility, Transplant Immunology and the preparation of patients for transplantation.

Mr. Carl Stanifer, CEO of SEHA, reinforced SEHA’s commitment to the medical congress as an opportunity for the clinical community to take advantage of the experience and skills that will help in the improvement and development of health services provided by SEHA for members of our society.

HE Noura Al Suwaidi, Director General Women’s Union spoke on the issue: “Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Mother of the Emirates, is giving this conference her utmost attention and has kindly sponsored and embraced the principles and objectives it emphasizes. Treatment of organ failure by safe and ethical transplant has a high rate for successful outcomes. Recipients and donors can have a full recovery through rehabilitation and become active contributors in their communities. Families also have an opportunity to experience restoration of hope, as organ failure does not only affect the patient, but those who share in the personal struggles and triumphs of the journey to improved health.”

One of the key supporters of the event is H.E. Lt (r) General Mohammed Hilal Al Kaabi, Chairman of the Armed Forces Officer’s Club. The Armed Forces Officers Club will provide full support to the symposium and host the sporting event at the Officers’ Club in Abu Dhabi. He comments, “This event supports the importance of sports and fitness in daily life and its role in the prevention of hospitalization and subsequent treatment of disease. A healthy lifestyle is the vision and mission of every sports institution.”

H.E. Mohamed Fadel Al Hamli, Secretary General of the Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs (ZHO) welcomed the news of the conference. “ZHO supports the theme of the congress and its principle message, which centers on finding optimal treatment for patients with organ failure, along with rehabilitation that enables recipients and donors to reintegrate into their communities with an opportunity to lead a completely normal life”.

Dr. Ali Abdulkareem Al Obaidli, Consultant Transplant Nephrologist, Chair of the National Organ Transplant Committee, Group Chief Clinical Affairs Officer at SEHA, as well as President of the Conference, announced that the conference will offer the opportunity to exchange experiences among participants and encourage the building of integrated medical services in the field of organ transplants between countries in the region, as is the case in Europe and North America. “This conference will provide an unparalleled opportunity for the exchange of information on scientific discoveries, present and future, and provide grounds for concerted efforts to develop ways to prevent organ failure and improve the results of organ donors and recipients alike. In addition, this conference is an opportunity for participants from countries around the region to be exposed to the UAE’s achievements and outstanding efforts in the field of health care”.

Dr. Mohammad Hassan, Consultant Nephrologist at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, is also the Chairman of the Sports Committee of the Middle East Transplant Games. He is overseeing the 4th session of the Middle East Transplant Games (METG), which will be held in parallel with the conference. Participants in these games are both organ recipients and donors. They will compete in four different sports - running, swimming, table tennis and bowling. The Games will be held on 14th and 15th December and will be open to the public. For the first time in the history of these games in the Middle East, women have been invited to participate in the competition. The goal of the METG is to celebrate the physical fitness of those patients who have undergone organ transplants and their ability to participate and compete in these sports. It is hoped that the example of these people living healthy active lives will encourage the culture of donation and thereby increase donation rates, as well as promoting the full rehabilitation of the patients. These games are designed to prepare the participants to compete in the World Federation of Transplant Patients Games, which adopts the same principles.

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