Increase in Urological Disorders in UAE due to chronic diseases

Emirates Urological Society to discuss regional Urology disorders at Arab Health 2014

Dubai, UAE: The most frequent urological disorders in the UAE are stone diseases, urinary tract infections (UTIs) as well as chronic inflammation of the prostate. There are also significant numbers of urinary incontinence in females and andrology disturbances in males. Most worrying is the marked increase in urological disorders in the UAE which the Emirates Urological Society (EUS) believe is related to high-fat diets, increase incidence of diabetes and hypertension, and decreased fluid intake.

Experts from the Emirates Urological Society will highlight the importance of raising awareness around the factors that lead to urological disorders at the 7th Middle East Update in Urology Conference to be held during the Arab Health Exhibition & Congress from 27-30 January 2014 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre.

According to Dr Yasser Farahat, Assistant Professor of Urology, Dubai Hospital, Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and General Secretary of EUS, “The main challenge nowadays in the UAE is bacterial resistance, which often reduces the chance of complete recovery from a UTI. Many UTIs will now develop into chronic or recurrent disorders due to an increase in the incidence of severe infections which leads to prescribing more potent and expensive antibiotics. This in turn can affect the economy on both an individual and national level.”

A UTI is an infection in any part of the urinary system; kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Most infections involve the lower urinary tract; the bladder and the urethra.

“Some of the other concerns in the Middle East are misdiagnosis, inaccurate dosage, as well as interrupted course of medicine intake.  Guidelines from abroad may not be suitable to treat Middle Eastern patients. There is also an evident lack of statistics related to UTIs here in the UAE, especially from the private sector. Most available statistics related to hospital acquired UTIs are missing any data on community acquired infections,” says Dr Farahat.

The role of EUS is to raise awareness of UTI prevention and management in the UAE. “Healthcare professionals should encourage patients to stop misusing antibiotics and to create awareness amongst the general population to avoid sources of infection by focusing on personal hygiene,” says Dr Farahat.

According to Dr Fairiborz Bagheri, Head and Consultant Urologist at Dubai Hospital, and Head of Scientific Section of EUS, “The Emirates Urological Society welcomes any scientific activity in the country that may benefit its members and the UAE public. The Arab Health Congress, as a well-established scientific program in UAE and Middle East, has a great impact on keeping our members up-to-date with the most recent scientific research and modern technologies in urology.”