DUBAI // Sleep apnoea and diabetes were two issues tackled at a Dubai Health Authority event in Burj Park to mark UAE Innovation Week.
Innovation Week, which was launched last year by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, this year aims to make innovation a part of communities.
One of the main issues addressed at the event was sleep apnoea, which, according to Israa Mohammed, a respiratory nurse at Rashid Hospital, affects three to five per cent of the UAE population.
“Sleep apnoea is a serious condition that means the person stops breathing during their sleep,” she said.
“At Rashid Hospital, we use CPAP to keep the airways open and also have a device that a patient can strap to their body and use at home while sleeping.”
Another condition addressed at the event was diabetes, for which the DHA and an Irish digital health company, Elemental, have developed a programme to help diabetics lead healthier lives.
Jennifer Neff, co-founder and director of Elemental, said that the programme, D!risk, is an online community that is continually growing, with more than 50 physical activity providers, diet and nutrition specialists, motivational support companies, health app providers, clinicians, employers, private clinics and government health authorities involved.
“Instead of getting a leaflet [on how to make lifestyle changes], this programme allows the person to be engaged,” she said, adding that the launch of the pilot is scheduled for next Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Dr Khalifa Mohammed, a cardiologist at Rashid Hospital, shed light on innovative ways to monitor a person’s heart.
“A small device that can be implanted in a person to monitor their heart is already in use but what’s new is that there will be the establishment of a transmit centre [in the UAE], which will allow us to receive the information,” he said. The device is implanted with minimal hassle and can remain in the body for a maximum of three years.
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