Merck, Dubai Medical University announce diabetes awareness program

Merck has partnered with Dubai Medical University to increase diabetes awareness and improve treatment in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Merck Capacity Advance Program (CAP) provides diabetes education to medical students and health care providers. All medical students have been invited to apply for the Merck Diabetes Award. The 2016 theme is "Every Day Is a Diabetes Day." The winner of the award will be offered a postgraduate diabetes diploma at the University of South Wales.

“We are happy to partner with Merck to implement their Capacity Advancement Program in UAE,” Clinical Dean of Dubai Medical Colleges Dima Abd Elmannan said. “This diabetes education program will contribute towards providing guidelines and clinical practice for prevention, diagnosis and management of diabetes and its complications. It is estimated that there are almost 804,000 people over the age of 20 years with diabetes in the UAE; another 500,000 people are at the stage of prediabetes. The objective of this initiative is to increase the level of knowledge around diabetes for medical students who will work in the near future with patients to help them prevent, understand and control their disease.”

The UAE has seen a dramatic rise in Type II diabetes across all age groups. The country is ranked 16th in the world for diabetes, with approximately 19 percent of the population affected by the disease. Obesity and physical inactivity are among the risk factors for Type II diabetes.