The 3rd BE Conference invited representatives from health authorities in charge of BE studies in the region to [...]]]>

Jordanian Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Medical Appliances (JAPM) in collaboration with Jordan Food and Drugs Association (JFDA) and with the support of USAID Jordan Economic Development Program (SABEQ) held this month the “3rd Middle East Bioequivalence Conference”.

The 3rd BE Conference invited representatives from health authorities in charge of BE studies in the region to address these issues and constraints, aiming for better harmony amongst different regulations, and improving acceptance rate of BE studies in these countries, in line with international regulations and in a bid to simplify the procedures.

“This conference is a discussion platform on BE studies, and aims to bridge gaps between industry, CROs and regulators in the Middle East. The Conference further harmonizes different national regulations and raises them to international standards, minimize debates, increase acceptance level and avoid potential losses due to rejections of bio studies. It also saves efforts and resources of all stakeholders,” said Ms Hanan Sboul, Secretary General, JAPM.

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Speaking on the sidelines of the recent Saudi Conference on Urological Tumors in Sharm Al-Sheikh in Egypt, Abu Samra [...]]]>

The Kingdom registers 200 cases of kidney cancer per year, most of them in the regions of Makkah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, according to Ashraf Abu Samra of the Saudi Urological Society.

Speaking on the sidelines of the recent Saudi Conference on Urological Tumors in Sharm Al-Sheikh in Egypt, Abu Samra said that studies showed a growth in kidney cancer worldwide, but particularly in the Arab World.

“It’s important that persons with a family history of kidney cancer inform their doctors so that they undergo the necessary periodical tests,” he said.

Abu Samra, who was chairing the conference, described the causes of kidney cancer as depending on “lifestyle and profession”.

“Smoking, for example, increases the chances of developing cancerous kidney cells by approximately 40 percent,” he said. “Giving up smoking can reduce those chances, but anyone who’s ever smoked will always be at more risk.” “Obesity is a second factor, and represents a factor in 20 percent of cases,” he said.

Family medical history is a third factor, while Abu Samra also noted that males were more vulnerable than females.

“That may be explained by the fact that men smoke more than women and are more exposed to chemicals in the workplace,” he said.

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Opening a conference on children recovering from cancer, organized by King Abdul Aziz Hospital in Jeddah, she said more than [...]]]>

Princess Adilah bint Abdullah, chairperson of the National Home Health Care Foundation, has called for the establishment of a specialized unit for the treatment and care of children suffering from cancer.

Opening a conference on children recovering from cancer, organized by King Abdul Aziz Hospital in Jeddah, she said more than 10,000 children in the Kingdom have recovered from cancer.

“The unit will be a distinguished addition to facilities for the care of cancer patients,” the princess said. She called for joint efforts by health institutions and social organizations to improve the care of children.

Muhammad Bakhsh, supervisor of the hospital, said the conference was organized to shed light on Saudi Arabia’s successes in treating cancer among children and providing necessary care to those who have recovered from the disease.

He said the children’s cancer treatment program was aimed not only at helping patients beat the disease, but also to follow up on the quality of aftercare.

Dr. Hassna Al-Ghamdi, director of the tumor center at the hospital, said the conference would focus on the experiences of young patients who have recovered from the disease in order to give hope to parents of children suffering from cancer.

Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Mirghalani said 40 percent of cancer cases could be cured provided they are detected and treated early. Quoting WHO reports, he said the absence of timely intervention is expected to lead to 84 million cancer-related deaths worldwide between 2005 and 2015.

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In a joint press conference with the ministers of finance and state for media affairs and communications yesterday, Fayez said over 700,000 non-Jordanians live in the country and enjoy [...]]]>

Health Minister Nayef Fayez on Wednesday defended a decision imposing fees on blood units, saying that the measure aims to cut ministry funds spent on foreign patients.

In a joint press conference with the ministers of finance and state for media affairs and communications yesterday, Fayez said over 700,000 non-Jordanians live in the country and enjoy several health benefits that should be restricted to Jordanians.

“We are only concerned with providing healthcare at subsidised prices for Jordanians. Foreigners who live in the Kingdom should pay for these services,” the minister said, stressing that each unit of blood that is tested and screened costs the ministry JD60.

He pointed out that 87% of Jordanians have medical insurance either from the public or the private sector, adding that citizens without insurance can obtain medical exemptions from the Royal makruma.

The minister underlined that blood tests cost the ministry around JD6 million annually, adding that 50 per cent of all donated blood is unused and destroyed after expiring.

The Cabinet last week endorsed a decision imposing a JD15 fee on each blood unit for Jordanians not covered by health insurance and receiving treatment in public hospitals, and JD30 for those treated in private hospitals. Non-Jordanians will have to pay JD40 instead of JD20 for each unit of blood.

Earlier this week, the private medical sector and activists called on the government to reconsider its decision, saying that it might affect the competitiveness of the medical tourism sector in the Kingdom.

Some experts warned that the number of people who voluntarily donate blood might drop, as some people may not like the idea of their blood being sold.

According to a copy of a document made available to The Jordan Times, the price of a plasma unit will be JD4 for Jordanians in public hospitals and JD8 in private hospitals, while it will cost foreign patients JD10. Blood filtering will cost Jordanians JD20 in public hospitals and JD40 in private hospitals, while foreigners must pay JD50.

The document also stated that the fees cover one-third of the related costs in public hospitals and 50 per cent of those in private health facilities.

It added that increasing fees on blood units in private hospitals aims to regulate the use of blood units in private hospitals as a large number of these units are tainted before being used.

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