With digital transformation sweeping across the healthcare sector, specifically in the field of diagnostics, factors such as improving efficiency and turnaround time for test results in laboratories, and challenges of screening infectious diseases prove crucial topics that were addressed at the Roche Days conference in Dubai on 15th and 16th April. Hosted by Roche Diagnostics Middle East FZCO, the scientific conference is CME-accredited platform for key opinion leaders, bringing together more than 45 speakers and 900 healthcare professionals from over 15 countries in the region to discuss the latest trends and challenges in diagnostics. The conference was inaugurated by His Excellency Dr. Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Policy and Licensing at the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), this year.
A major highlight of the conference was unveiling the latest integrated diagnostic solutions by Roche in the Middle East for the first time; specialized in clinical chemistry and immunochemistry designed to increase efficiency across laboratories.
“Laboratories today face an increasing workload and the necessity to deliver results faster amidst constraints of time, space, budget, and qualified staff, while still ensuring quality and maintaining profitability. The integrated solutions showcased at the conference are aimed at addressing these challenges and simplifying laboratory processes by automating tasks and reducing intervention time by operators. Our focus is on helping physicians deliver better patient care by optimizing laboratory efficiency and bringing high medical value tests to the market” said Harald Wolf, General Manager of Roche Diagnostics Middle East.
The conference also addressed the rise in cancer incidence across the Eastern Mediterranean region including the UAE, with the number of cases expected to double by 2030 according to the World Health Organization. According to the last figures published by the National Cancer Registry of the Ministry of Health and Prevention, in the UAE alone, there were 3,816 new cases of cancer diagnosed in 2014, with breast, colorectal and thyroid cancers being the most common cancers among both sexes. Furthermore, nearly 1 in 20 adults with cancer are misdiagnosed each year. The cost of misdiagnosis is high for doctors, hospitals, and most importantly, for patients. By combining best-in-class advanced staining assays with high-quality digital pathology solutions, precision diagnostics can deliver more accurate results and potentially save patients’ lives.
Another priority in the UAE National Agenda 2021 is the importance of prevention and of improving the healthcare system’s readiness to address health risks; this section of the conference serves a step towards establishing a foundation on cancer care for ongoing and future collaborations at country and regional levels.
“Diagnostics plays an important role in the healthcare decision-making process, and we are proud of our legacy of raising the bar of efficient lab testing and effective diagnostics through cutting-edge solutions. Our platforms such as Roche Days inspire innovation and growth within the healthcare sector and have always been dedicated towards discussing groundbreaking trends and solutions that pave the way for the future of diagnostics. In this fast-paced world of digital and technological transformation, our aim remains to deliver real medical value to patients across the region,” said Wolf.
“We are grateful to the Ministry of Health and Prevention and the UAE, for their continuous support to growing the industry and injecting innovation into our future”, he added.