Prevalent diseases such as diabetes and obesity related illnesses will be discussed tomorrow at the first annual Qatar Metabolic Institute Conference in Doha. 
International speakers from the US and the UK as well as locally based experts will address upwards of 500 medical professionals on the collaborative efforts required to combat and prevent the proliferation of these metabolic diseases. 
The conference, co-hosted by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and the Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) will target strategies and approaches towards prevention and disease management. 
Chairman of the Department of Medicine at HMC, and conference organiser, Professor Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra said the event will also provide an opportunity to highlight the metabolic diseases related activity undertaken by HMC and Academic Health System (AHS) partners including the QBRI, to develop a better understanding of the spread of such diseases in the region. 
“Diabetes is a major health problem globally and its prevalence in Qatar is higher than other nations. Through our AHS partnerships, we have been collecting and analysing data to help us better understand why this is occurring, and how this prevalence can be reduced,” said Professor Abou-Samra. 
“We anticipate welcoming a large attendance of physicians, allied healthcare professionals and scientists across Qatar from healthcare, research and academic organisations and making the QMI conference an annual event,” he added.
Professor Abou-Samra will speak about Qatar’s National Diabetes Strategy, while overseas guest speakers including Dr David Nathan, Professor David Leslie, and Professor Ralph DeFronzo, will provide an international perspective with their talks on diabetes, obesity and metabolism research. 
Obesity related illnesses such as stroke and cardiovascular disease will also be addressed during the conference, with experts from HMC to present research data on both diseases. 
The conference, being held at the Sheraton Doha, is a Category 1 Accredited Group Learning Activity as defined by the Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners - Accreditation Department.