Medlab Middle East puts laboratories under the microscope for a greener healthcare system
Speakers at the conference today discussed how climate change is leading to a range of health conditions including allergic diseases, autoimmune diseases and cancers
Elsewhere today at Medlab Middle East, experts discussed AI in clinical chemistry and provided updates on the Emirates Genome Programme.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 2025: As the healthcare industry intensifies its focus on environmental responsibility, the Lab Sustainability Conference was held today at Medlab Middle East, addressing the crucial role of clinical laboratories in building a more sustainable healthcare system.
With rising global temperatures and increasing environmental challenges, the impact on healthcare and laboratory professionals is expected to grow significantly. The conference explored how laboratories can adopt eco-friendly practices, optimise resource use, and balance ecological, social, and economic considerations while maintaining high-quality patient care.
One of the key discussions delved into the Doughnut Economy model and its relevance to laboratory sustainability. The economic framework created by economist Kate Raworth, aims to achieve sustainable growth without exceeding ecological limits. The model is shaped like a doughnut, where the inner ring represents essential needs such as food, healthcare, and education, and the outer ring symbolises ecological factors such as climate stability and biodiversity. The goal is to operate within this safe zone, ensuring economic and social progress without exceeding ecological limits.
Opening the Lab Sustainability conference Dr. Rana Nabulsi, Chair, Lab Quality and Safety Committee, DLMP, Dubai Health, said: 'Medical laboratories and pathology departments around the world consume five to ten times more energy and five times more water than standard office spaces. Additionally, these departments are responsible for discarding 5.5 million tonnes of plastic into the oceans, leading to significant public health impacts due to microplastics. There are also considerable financial costs associated with energy consumption and waste output. Today, our esteemed speakers will explore various aspects of climate change, its effects on public health, and the solutions that laboratories can implement to help mitigate these risks.'
Following the opening address from Dr. Nabulsi, Dr. Ali Al-Hemoud, a member of the Technical Advisory Group on Global Air Pollution for the World Health Organization (WHO) and a health research scientist at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, led a fascinating session titled 'Immune-Mediated Diseases Associated with the Effects of Air Pollution.' The session focused on the exposome, which refers to the total collection of environmental exposures a person encounters throughout their life.
Al-Hemoud said: 'Climate change is causing environmental hazards such as thunder storms, sand and dust storms and air pollution. Our research examines how these environmental hazards are affecting the exposome. These exposome factors, specifically air pollution, greenhouse gases, pollen and biodiversity will all detrimentally affect humans over their lifetimes. These factors can cause immune degradation, leading to immune-mediated diseases including allergic diseases, autoimmune diseases and cancers.'
Elsewhere today at the Medlab Middle East Congress, the Clinical Chemistry track explored the role of artificial intelligence, automation and digital transformation in shaping value-based laboratory diagnostics, while the Molecular Diagnostics conference focused on cancer genomics and the genomics of rare diseases in the Middle East region.
During the Molecular Diagnostics conference today, Dr. Mohamed Alameri, Head of Studies and Special Projects, Department of Health, Abu Dhabi provided the latest updates on the Emirates genome programme including its achievements, implications and future directions.
The Medlab Middle East Congress, the world's only multi-disciplinary congress, concludes tomorrow with the Lab Quality, Blood Transfusion and Cellular Therapy and Immunology tracks. Offering 12 live, in-person tracks, the congress provides exceptional education as well as management solutions to assist medical lab professionals advance their skills and improve overall service.
Medlab Middle East is the region's largest medical laboratory exhibition and conference, The previous edition of Medlab Middle East generated an estimated business value of USD670 million (AED2.46 billion), fueling medical laboratory growth across the Middle East and beyond. The 24th edition of the event concludes tomorrow at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
About Medlab Middle East:
As the MENA region's most prominent medical laboratory exhibition and congress, Medlab Middle East plays a crucial role in advancing the value of laboratory medicine worldwide, shaping the future of diagnostics by providing an international platform for laboratory industry leaders, including manufacturers, dealers and distributors to share best practice, showcase innovations, collaborate and network.
Medlab Middle East stems from 15 years of growth alongside the MENA region's largest healthcare event, Arab Health. Now in its 24th year, this annual medical laboratory meeting brings together exhibitors and attendees from over 180 countries.
Medlab Middle East will take place from 3 – 6 February 2025 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE. A digital event will occur from 4 December – 20 February 2025.
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