We must eliminate Vitamin D deficiencies: H.E. Nahyan bin Mubarak al Nahyan

ABU DHABI, UAE - March 20, 2015 - PRLog -- Abu Dhabi, March 19, 2015: His ExcellencySheikh Nahayan Bin Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, Govt. of UAE, inaugurated the two-day “4th International Conference on Vitamin D Deficiency and Its Clinical Implications” today in Abu Dhabi. Speaking on the occasion His Excellency pointed out: " I am very pleased to join you this morning for the Fourth International Conference on Vitamin D Deficiency and Its Clinical Implications. The number of medical professional participants from the UAE, the Gulf region, and the world confirms the importance of this topic. I welcome all of you to Abu Dhabi and trust that you will find the sessions both stimulating and professionally satisfying."

Quoting Nicolas Copernicus, His Excellency said: "Your work, like our planet, revolves around that great source of vitamin D, the sun. You proceed in the spirit of the astronomer Nicholas Copernicus who declared in the year 1543 that [and I quote]: Finally we shall place the Sun himself at the center of the Universe. All this is suggested by the systematic procession of events and the harmony of the whole Universe, if only we face the facts, as they say, “with both eyes open.”

"Because Abu Dhabi is among the world’s sunniest cities, we should be ablaze with vitamin D. But our Emirati population, as well as the global population that we host, routinely shades itself from the sun. Our place in the sun has not eliminated those problems associated with vitamin D deficiency, the very problems on which this conference concentrates. Your agenda belies our sunniness. We must, as Copernicus said, face the facts with both eyes open," His Excellency said.

Hoping for better health, His Excellency said: " Nonetheless, we have not eliminated all deficiencies in vitamin D. The consequences are dire. Your agenda itself proclaims concerns about multiple sclerosis, diabetes, pediatric rickets, VKH disease, cardiovascular disease, trauma, cancer, bone density, pregnancy, reproduction, and asthma. We must face those facts with both eyes open. As this conference inspires and connects leaders, decision-makers, doctors, scientists, technologists, public servants, and academics, we must all open our eyes and our imaginations to the challenge of eliminating the deficiencies. What policies and practices in government and the private sector might be desirable and effective?  It may be that we need a new version of the Copernican Revolution. You know, it was the compelling work of the Muslim polymath Ibn Rushd that pushed Copernicus to develop a detailed helio-centric model and explain accurately our planet’s relationship with the sun. I certainly don’t know what you experts might create, but I do conclude from your agenda that you must want to establish a new and invincible model for filling us all with the right amount of vitamin D."

Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, President of the conference and Managing Director of VPS Healthcare, said, "With this conference we wanted to bring forth the seriousness of the topic. Vitamin D deficiency is not just restricted to Arab countries but is a global phenomenon. Exact reasons for this deficiency in sunny regions is not yet fully known but such deliberations are necessary to spread the researches being done in this field. I hope that two-days at the conference will address all the questions of the participants here and other who will get the message through media."

"The prevalence of hypovitaminosis is significantly high among population of UAE, Saudi Arabia and many middle eastern countries, especially among women, despite abundant sunshine. In fact, deficiency of Vitamin D is a major health concern around the world with teenagers from across the world were found with lowest levels of D in our study including 61039 patients samples from 136 countries in a span of two years," said Dr Afrozul Haq, Principal Scientist, R & D Division, VPS Healthcare, and the Chairman of the conference.

The conference saw participation of experts from USA, Europe and Asian countries, who provided cutting-edge information on how to deal with widespread vitamin D deficiency. The topic was of utmost importance especially in UAE where some of the expats face the problem within the years of coming to the Emirates.