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The Education City Tram will start a third line –Green - by the second quarter of 2023, expanding the network’s capacity and routes and connecting several important locations, Gulf Times has learnt.The Education City Tram has so far transported more than one million passengers safely and efficiently to various locations within Qatar Foundation ( QF) since its launch some two and half years ago.The proposed Green line, will include stops such as Sidra Medicine and Qatar National Conventional Centre (QNCC), QF has said in a statement.The Education City Tram is a pioneering transport system that has brought a new form of sustainable travel to Qatar and elevated the nation’s profile as a nerve centre of innovation.“It's a tremendous accomplishment for the tram system to have transported over one million passengers,” said Hamad al-Kuwari, executive director of City Operations at Qatar Foundation (QF).“The fact that the tram network has safely and efficiently transported more than one million passengers demonstrates its effectiveness as a convenient and reliable mode of transportation for many people, while also contributing to the reduction of traffic congestion and air pollution in Education City specifically and in Qatar in general.”“To accommodate the increasing number of passengers now and in the future, the Education City Tram must have efficient scheduling, sufficient infrastructure, effective passenger flow management, regular maintenance, and continuous investment, all of which are essential from an operational standpoint to ensure the system is safe and dependable for its users,” continued al-Kuwari.Aligning with QF’s sustainability goals, the tram network currently has 24 stops across two lines, yellow and blue, connecting various academic campuses and research centres, as well as public spaces like the Green Spine and sporting facilities including the Education City Stadium.The 19 state-of-the-art Avenio trams have an onboard energy-storing system that removes the need for overhead power cables, allowing them to travel from one stop to the next without charging, providing an environmentally friendly alternative for commuters within QF and helping to reduce Education City’s carbon footprint. On average, it carries 3,000 passengers daily.During the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the tram also played a key role in facilitating the fans’ journey to the Education City Stadium, with ridership increasing to an average of 9,000 passengers on match days – with trams arriving at two-minute intervals.Al-Kuwari noted that operating a tram network isn’t free of challenges and called on visitors’ cooperation to keep accidents at bay. “The challenges of operating the tram are handled daily by qualified engineers, yet it requires Education City visitors to join hands with QF’s City Operations to avoid traffic violations in the tram crossing areas on the streets,” he added.Supporting Qatar’s overarching sustainability goals, the tram makes QF a more environmentally friendly, interconnected, and accessible environment, as well as provides a travel option that aims to reduce vehicle use and emissions within and around QF. It gives users new opportunities for social interaction while educating them about the importance of sustainable transport, and the health benefits that result from using alternative modes of travel.

The Indian Cultural Centre (ICC), under the aegis of the Indian embassy in Qatar, is planning to launch several new initiatives, such as setting up a job portal and organising a job fair. Shedding light on these initiatives, ICC president Manikantan A P said at a press conference Saturday: “We will be launching new ICC clubs in various fields, annual competitions for different segments of the community, as well as a job portal and a job fair. We are also planning to launch a mobile application for ICC in addition to a privilege card for ICC members and the members of affiliated organisations."“There are a lot of people looking for jobs and there are employers who are looking for qualified hands to fill in the vacancies in their companies. ICC, through the job portal and job fair, aims to connect the employers and employees, which will benefit each other. Details of the job fair and job portal will be announced after receiving the necessary approvals from various departments,” he explained.The ICC president said the organisation is planning to revamp clubs, such as the Literature, Science and Mathematics, Photography, Students and Environment clubs, to promote quality and artistic renewal. The teams shall work "towards preserving our cultural heritage and showcasing the same towards others", ICC said in a statement.The Literature Clubs will encourage students to study and familiarise themselves with their language, and cultivate interest in them to know more about literature, poetry, and other linguistic applications for specific languages. The Science and Mathematics Club will enable students to know more about innovation, new applications, technological enhancements and scientific research, which will enhance their scientific acumen beyond curricular boundaries.The ICC Photography Club is based on the idea of photographers getting together to share tips, techniques and camaraderie. The main motive of the ICC Film Club is to create a platform for people with the common interest for quality classic films.According to Manikantan, one major initiative will be to conduct competitions and events to reach out to more members of the community in Qatar. “The competitions shall be classified into inter-school competitions for students, inter-affiliated organisations of ICC, and inter-camp competitions for blue collar workers,” he noted.ICC will also be launching a mobile application soon so that the community can get all the updates instantly. “Through the ICC mobile app, we are planning to reach out to the Indian community members to provide all the updates at ICC. Members who download the mobile app will be aware of the consular services and get the updated details of ICC programmes and events,” he concluded.

The Indian Cultural Centre (ICC), an apex body under the aegis of the embassy of India, will be organising various events as part of the celebration of 50 years of diplomatic relations between Qatar and India.The initiatives include the Wednesday Fiesta and Bharat Utsav 2023.The ICC Wednesday Fiesta will be inaugurated on May 3 by the chargé d'affaires of the Indian embassy, T Angeline Premalatha.“ICC is all set with greater preparations and planning for yet another continuous event to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations between India and Qatar every Wednesday. Many events are being planned and the first such programme will be held on May 3,” said Manikantan A P, president of ICC, Saturday.Manikantan was speaking at a press conference to announce the details of the upcoming events to mark the occasion. He said ICC is resuming the Wednesday Fiesta, which could not be held for a few years due to Covid-19 restrictions.“As part of the celebrations, we will be organising Bharat Utsav 2023 (India Festival) on May 19 at Al Mayassa Theatre, Qatar National Convention Centre. More details of the programme will be disclosed in the coming days,” said Manikantan.Wednesday Fiesta used to be a highly popular event among the Indian community before the pandemic. “We are giving a platform for the community members to perform and everyone is welcome to the event. This is a great occasion for Indian artistes to present their talents and for the community members to enjoy a great cultural fiesta,” explained Manikantan.Pre-event screening of the programmes prepared for the fiesta will be conducted by the relevant authorities at ICC, before the final set is presented to the public.ICC has planned to reach out to the community in a big way, with flyers published in the digital media, press updates and radio announcements. These and social media postings will be used for communicating with and reaching out to Indian families and community members, as well as other communities, to attend and participate in the events.“We are hopeful that the Wednesday Fiesta will set the tone for the 50th anniversary celebrations of diplomatic relations between Qatar and India. It will also provide a great platform to showcase some of the traditional and indigenous art forms of India to the community here in Qatar,” added Manikantan.ICC vice-president Subramanya Hebbagelu, general secretary Mohan Kumar Duraisamy, treasurer Arshad Ali, head of Premises & Social Activities Jaffarkhan M, head of Cultural Activities Sumaa Mahesh Gowda and head of External Events & Activity co-ordinator Gargy Vaidya.

A project that highlights the way forward in providing skills needed for early childhood development, especially in conflict zones, has been shortlisted as one of the finalists of the 2023 World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) Awards.The Ahlan Simsim project that was launched in 2018, with funding from MacArthur and LEGO foundations, Sesame Workshop (SW) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC), aims at improving all domains of early childhood development including social-emotional and academic skills.About 1.2mn children and caregivers are beneficiaries of the programme with a geographical reach across Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Headquartered in New York, IRC’s Mena regional office is located in Amman, Jordan.WISE recently announced the 12 finalists for the WISE Awards 2023 and the final six projects will be announced sometime in September.The WISE Awards winners will be celebrated at the global summit to be held in November this year.The project looks at several places across the Mena region that have been affected by conflict and crisis. Millions of children across the region have been forced to live the most formative years of their lives with displacement, chaos and violence, negatively impacting their intellectual and social-emotional development and threatening long-term economic prosperity, health and well-being.In the context, it is to be noted that early childhood development interventions are crucial in helping children and their families thrive and overcome traumatic experiences.Ahlan Simsim integrates SW’s educational resources, including a TV show, with sustainable and locally owned programme models delivered by IRC and local partners, while strengthening existing national systems.Programmes and services support children and adults around them - from caregivers to service providers; they can be delivered in informal and formal settings, remote and in-person modalities, by IRC, local civil society, and governments.Through a robust learning and advocacy agenda, the project seeks to understand and inform others about the impact of holistic early childhood development programming on children.Ahlan Simsim teams employ various learning methods to measure impact, including evaluations, research and prototyping, content review and cost analysis. It is also collaborating with New York University to evaluate the impact of mass media and programming, and positive outcomes for children will be shared publicly to contribute to understanding what works in early childhood development.The programme is investing in visibility, advocacy, growth and fundraising and designing future programme ideas in current and new geographies. It is focusing on getting the word out about what the initiative is doing with the aim of raising the profile of early childhood development in the humanitarian response and ramping up efforts to influence donors and humanitarian actors to prioritise early childhood development and how it should be done to achieve the best outcomes.Each year, the WISE Awards recognise and promote six successful and innovative projects that are addressing global educational challenges.Since 2009, WISE has received more than 5,300 applications from over 151 countries. So far, 90 projects have been awarded, from a wide variety of sectors and locations for their innovation, positive contribution and ability to adapt and scale. These projects represent a growing resource of expertise and sound educational practice.

Indomitable faith in God as well as the grit to fight against adversities has made 63-year-old Indian Abdulla Kattukandi, a quadriplegic for the last 30 years due to an accident, a living example of hope and positivity.“I consider the accident as a gift of God and that has made me what I am today. I was not even a good reader during my earlier life, but started reading after the accident and wrote five books. I am travelling a lot despite my handicap. I thank God for all the blessings in my life,” a joyful Abdulla told Gulf Times.On a private visit to Qatar, Abdulla recollected the accident. “After a short stint in Bahrain for two years, I was doing a small scale business of dried coconut in Kozhikode, Kerala. On May 21, 1993, I was returning home after a business-related visit when a giant tree fell on my vehicle. When I came back to my senses, I did not feel any sensation below my neck and doctors had no hope of me pulling through as my spinal cord was severed.”Abdulla along with his wife Ruqya — the pillar of strength behind his present cheerful life and who accompanies him just like his shadow — is in Qatar to visit his sons who are residents of the country. An alumnus of Farook College, Kozhikode, Abdulla was recently honoured by the old students association of the college in Qatar.His elder son Shaeer Abdulla is an engineer with beIN Sports while his second son Shajir Abdulla, is a dentist. His daughter Ameena Najmal is settled in Kerala.Abdulla remembered that it was a tight rope walk between life and death in the very early days after the accident. “A long struggle and battle followed the accident where I trod a thin line between life and death. For several days, nobody believed that I would survive and even if I did, I would be in a vegetative state. But God’s grace and the strong support from my wife and some intimate friends made me pull through and get back to life.”After the treatment, through regular physiotherapy, things started looking better for Abdulla and he embarked on his second stint of life.“I started reading books and thought of writing something. It took me days to practise writing and even for writing a single letter, it took me minutes. But slowly, I got used to the situation and started penning my first book, Athijivinathinte Pusthakam (The book of survival),” he recalled.Abdulla’s doctors and physiotherapists were surprised to see him writing and encouraged with motivational words.“Later by using mobile phone for typing, it became easier for me and so far I have published five books. My book Prathyashayude Gopuram (The tower of hope) was released at the Sharjah Book Fair and translated to English and Arabic.” Abdulla, who also shares motivational thoughts through his social media platforms, has extensively travelled across India and visited several Gulf countries. The wheelchair-bound individual even hiked the highest peak of a Kerala hill station named Vagamon, which is 1,100m above sea level.“Abdullakka has been a great source of inspiration for me. Whenever, I faced difficulties in my business and life, I recollect the struggle and the challenges he had undergone all these years and immediately I get charged up to start anew,” said Doha-based entrepreneur Shumaiz.Abdulla says his life has been a motivation for several people as they found his books encouraging and his life, a model to be emulated.“A school teacher who got into a bike accident near my place, had to amputate her leg and decided to discontinue her work. After reading my book, she came to meet me and decided to continue her job and presently she is leading a happy life. A couple whose two children were suffering from mental health issues were motivated to face the challenges as they came to know my life example. I am really happy that I am able to motivate many people and lead a happy life,” added Abdulla.

Qatar Foundation (QF) is expanding its autism services to all the regions of the country with several initiatives as QF’s Pre-University Education (PUE) organised a family awareness day to mark the World Autism Awareness Day Sunday at Oxygen Park.Renad Academy is one of the main providers of autism services in the country. World Autism Day, marked on April 2, was designated by the UN on the proposal of QF Chairperson Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser.“Now we are launching a programme called Satellite, to support people living in various places such Wakra or Shamal or any other part of the country with a chance to enrol their children for the services of Renad Academy, if needed,” said Khaled Kassab, public relations officer, PUE, QF.“So far the autism services were available only at QF schools. Now we are expanding the programme to the government schools and working with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to help students who are autistic,” he explained.About 23 entities participated in the event, including Renad Academy, Awsaj Academy, The Learning Center, and the Ability Friendly Programme. US Ambassador Timmy T Davis and QF’s SEN Schools executive director Mark David Hughes were among the dignitaries who joined the event to promote autism awareness among the community.“World Autism Day is so important as it is an occasion of making sure that we are supporting young people and helping them with the tools that they need to be successful. There is a lot of research about autism spectrum these days and I think it is to be noted how we need to help these people not just with their needs but also their special talents,” said ambassador Davis.Kassab noted that the event is a community awareness programme about autism. “It will be an annual celebration on the occasion of the World Autism Day. Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, has instructed everyone to help spread awareness about the day and how the autism people can be supported.“There is great demand on autistic services and so we founded the Renad Academy. Now we have a joint venture by Renad Academy, Awsaj Academy, Ability Friendly programme and The Learning Centre to provide special needs services. These four centres are supporting each other and Renad Academy provides special needs services on autism,” stated Kassab.The activities of the day were be divided into three main areas. The entertainment section screened episodes of Siraj – the edutainment TV series that helps children learn the Arabic language in a fun and engaging way – as well as a virtual reality station. The cultural section featured a Majlis area, a workshop space, and an inflatable maze. And the food and beverage area offered multiple refreshment stations, as well as inflatable football games.The World Autism Awareness Day event at Oxygen Park is one of many taking place in April. Other initiatives include QF’s 2015 building being lit in blue until Tuesday and PUE hosting an autism information booth in the 2015 building for three days from Tuesday.

It is highly important for every country and individual to keep enhancing resilience and preparedness in the healthcare sector against any future disasters as the world is entering the Covid-19 post-pandemic era, a senior official of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has stressed.“Disasters such as pandemics are unpredictable and we don’t know if we will have a pandemic in a year or two. So, it is very important that all countries, including Qatar, continue investing in prevention and keep enhancing resilience and preparedness. Otherwise, we will find ourselves in the same square again,” cautioned Dr Abdullatif al-Khal, deputy chief medical officer, HMC.Dr al-Khal was addressing the media on the sidelines of the Middle East Forum on Patient Safety 2023 that took place recently. Resilience in healthcare was the focus of the forum this year and Qatar’s response and resilient approach to the Covid-19 pandemic was a major point of discussion at the forum.Highlighting the need to be vigilant and alert against any outbreak of a pandemic, Dr al-Khal - who is the chairman of the National Pandemic Preparedness Committee - as well as senior consultant, Infectious Diseases and head of Adult Infectious Diseases Division, HMC, noted that humans tend to forget the past events soon.“As human beings, it is easy for us to forget quickly the disasters that we went through and this should not happen. The world should learn and remember what all the countries across the globe went through in terms of suffering and pain because of Covid-19. This must be a learning lesson for the international community and everyone must work and be focused on avoiding such disasters again,” explained Dr al-Khal.The official also highlighted that "we should always keep up the response and preparedness against any future eventuality". “There should never be any lack of preparedness. Whatever strength, whatever resilience and whatever capacity that is in place is always needed to face such disasters. We should all be more focused and we should bear in mind the lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic. Every country should make sure that the response to the pandemic should actually continue,” added Dr al-Khal.

A Qatar study has found that administering Covid-19 mRNA vaccine in the inpatient population in a rehabilitation facility is advantageous for gaining full immunity for them.The study featured on Qscience.com highlights that delaying the vaccine until patients complete their rehabilitation is unjustifiable and recommends to initiate vaccination campaigns in inpatient facilities, while the patients are completing their rehabilitation programme.Research by Zahra Noureddine, Lama Madi, Sami Ullah and Haneen Alrawashdeh from Qatar Rehabilation Institiute (QRI) of Hamad medical Corporation and Lina Naseralallah from the School of Pharmacy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK explored the adverse drug reaction (ADR) profile in this population and monitored the progression of these ADRs in a hospital setting.According to the study, the initiation of vaccination campaigns in inpatient rehabilitation would offer the advantage of gaining full immunity and reducing the risk of contracting Covid-19 infection and complications once discharged.It was a prospective observational study, which included adult patients admitted to the rehabilitation facility of QRI who were deemed eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccine during their hospital stay. Data was collected by the investigators from June 2021 to May 2022 at 24 hours, 48 hours, and seven days post-vaccination and a piloted data collection tool utilised for this.The aim of this observational study was to explore and quantify the incidence of ADRs following the administration of the mRNA vaccine in the inpatient population at QRI. The rehabilitation facility offers support and rehabilitation to general trauma patients, stroke patients, as well as those suffering from spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. Due to their prolonged hospital stay, these inpatients were candidates to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, which would enable clinicians to closely monitor any potential reactions to the vaccine.A total of 35 patients, who met the inclusion criteria and agreed to participate in the studywere administered the vaccine. The researchers took up the unique opportunity to closely observe patients to ensure no side effects go undiagnosed. This study explored and quantified the incidence and severity of ADRs in patients who have received the Covid-19 vaccine during their stay in the rehabilitation facility.iediediediedPain at the injection site was the most commonly reported local ADR, while headache was the most frequent systemic ADR. The majority of the reported ADRs were mild to moderate in nature, with only one severe reaction detected. Although no statistical significance was noted among the variables, common patterns were identified, such as a higher occurrence of fever at 24 hours after the second dose as opposed to the first dose. Close monitoring of the included study subjects did not reveal any unanticipated ADRs or an increase in ADRs susceptibility and severity compared to the general population.The majority of patients were male (85.7%), with their age ranging between 30 and 60 years old (91.4%). Around half of the patients had a history of diabetes, hypertension, or stroke. Out of the 35 included patients, the use of blood thinning medication was confirmed in 29 (82.9%) patients. All patients received the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine.The results of this study did not show an increased risk of ADRs following vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine in the inpatient population. The findings from this study closely aligned with the published literature on outpatients, providing support for inpatient vaccination campaigns.

The nationwide STEPwise Survey taking place in Qatar later this year will help in developing several specific plans in the National Diabetes Strategy, a senior official of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) said.“We are keen on the statistics from this survey as every other estimate of diabetes prevalence is biased or inaccurate," explained Prof Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra, deputy chief medical officer and director of Qatar Metabolic Institute, HMC."So this will provide us with inputs and statistics to calculate the true incidents. It will help us to develop a number of specific plans in the National Diabetes Strategy of which I am the co-chair,” he stated while speaking on the sidelines of the recent Middle East Forum on Patient safety 2023.“The STEPwise survey is very important for us. We had the last STEPwise survey in 2012 and if we have one in 2023, it is happening after 11 years. The new survey will be epidemiologically representative of the Qatar population and provide the latest figures about the prevalence of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. It will provide very important insights about the degree of prevalence of diabetes in the country,” said, Prof Abou Samra.The official noted that the survey will be launched by the Ministry of Public Health this year in collaboration with the Planning and Statistics Authority.“Measures taken to reverse diabetes among people will be reflected in the survey. We have taken several measures to combat diabetes in the country and we hope they help reduce the rise of diabetes incidents in the country,” added, Prof Abou Samra.The new STEPwise survey aims to cover 8,000 Qatari and non-Qatari families. It is the second cycle of STEPwise surveys and a follow up of the 2012 survey, conducted in collaboration with the World Health organisation. It aims to provide a database on chronic non-communicable diseases and risk factors of non-communicable diseases in Qatar.

In a unique feat, half a million of Qatar’s adult population has volunteered to donate their organs with Qatar Organ Donation Centre, making it a quarter of the adult population of the country, disclosed a top official recently.“In 2022, we reached the half million mark of organ donors with over 500,000, to be exact 500,105 which is very unique. Achieving half a million donors is very unique because this is about 25% of the adult population in Qatar. No country in the world has achieved such a feat of a quarter of the adult population registering as organ donors,” said Dr Riadh Fadhil, director of the Qatar Organ Donation Centre under Hamad Medical Corporation. Dr Fadhil was speaking to the media recently on the sidelines of the Middle East Forum on patient healthcare and safety. He also disclosed that the first heart transplant in the country will take place this year.Dr Fadhil noted that those who register for donating their organs are fully briefed on the whole process. “This is a legally abiding registration and it is not done online but face to face. We go to the people in the shopping malls or other places and talk to them, teach them what is organ donation and they register if they wish,” he continued. According to the official, the mission of the Organ Donation Centre- started in 2012- as well as the Organ Donation Programme is to have a healthy number of deceased as well as living donors among the Qatari community. “And every year the number of the deceased donors and living donors is increasing as a result of the new programmes and campaigns that we launch. The number of transplants is also increasing. We are now transplanting kidneys – which represents the major part of the transplant- liver and the lungs. The number of donations this year exceeded all the previous years, since the start of the programme,” he explained. The director of the centre stated that every year, the deceased and living donors are honoured. “This year we have recognised 83 living donors and 35 deceased donors with the medal of honour. This is the highest number from the start of the programme,” he highlighted. Dr Fadhil said the number of donors dropped down during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. “After that there was a difference. So this is the best recognition event we had so far this year and at the same time, we are working on developing our donor registry with those people who register as potential organ donors after death. We will be launching our next campaign for organ donation during Ramadan,” he pointed out. Dr Fadhil commented that as a result of the increase in the deceased donor and living donor numbers, the centre was able to achieve the best year in organ transplantation. “We have had 65 organ transplants, mainly over 50 kidney transplants, the rest liver and lungs. This year we will introduce the heart transplant. We are working actively to have all the logistics in place with all the staff and training. We are getting set to do it and it will happen very soon,” added, the official.

A Qatar-based research shows that the number of patients requiring dialysis might go up at an average of 5.67% between 2022 and 2030.“The number of dialysis patients in Qatar is anticipated to increase from 1,037 in 2022, to1,245 in 2025 and to 1,611 in 2030,” noted the study, ‘Time-Series Forecasting of Haemodialysis Population in the State of Qatar by 2030’ published in Qatar Medical Journal and featured on Qscience.com.The researchers part of the study are physicians from Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and the Department of Quality and Patient Safety. They are Dr Abdullah Hamad, Dr Anas Mefleh al-Halabi, Dr Hafedh Ghazouani, Dr Elmukhtar M Habas, Dr Abdelsalam Mohamed Borham, Dr Sahar Mohamed Ismail, Dr Hassan Ali al-Malki and Dr Mohamad M Alkadi.The study was taken up as there are only few statistics on dialysis-dependent individuals with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in the country. It aims to provide information that can aid in better understanding the dialysis development model, helping in higher-level services in future planning and provide data for creating preventive efforts. Therefore, the study proposes a time-series with a definitive endogenous model to predict ESKD patients requiring dialysis.The researchers used four mathematical equations namely, linear, exponential, logarithmic decimal, and polynomial regression, to make predictions using historical data from 2012 to 2021. These equations were evaluated based on time-series analysis, and their prediction performance was assessed using the mean absolute percentage error, coefficient of determination, and mean absolute deviation. Because it remained largely steady for the population at risk of ESKD in this investigation, the researchers did not consider the population growth factor to be changeable.“Our research offers straightforward and precise mathematical models for predicting the number of patients in Qatar who will require dialysis in the future. We discovered that the polynomial technique outperformed other methods. Future planning for the need for dialysis services can benefit from this forecasting,” the researchers have suggested.The polynomial method has provided the best match for the prevalence dialysis data, according to numerical findings with good accuracy and variability. The polynomial algorithm is the simplest and best-calculated projection model, according to the results. Thus the researchers have reached the conclusion that the number of dialysis patients in Qatar is anticipated to increase from 1037 in 2022 to 1245 in 2025, and 1611 in 2030, with a 5.67% average yearly percentage change between 2022 and 2030.The number of patients in Qatar with ESKD requiring haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis has gone up over the last two decades by more than four and eight times, respectively. This growth coincides in part with a roughly four-fold increase in Qatar's population in the period.Other variables include decreased mortality in the ESKD population and increased occurrence of risk factors for ESKD. In Qatar, only several government healthcare facilities run by the HMC have ever offered dialysis services. There were 250 peritoneal dialysis patients (22%) and 900 haemodialysis patients (78%), using more than 80% of the available haemodialysis stations across the country as of January 1, 2022.

Praising the resilience of the country’s healthcare system, HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari highlighted yesterday the need to continue working to achieve the goal of universal health coverage.HE Dr al-Kuwari was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Middle East Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare 2023 at Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel. Jointly organised by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), more than 3,000 healthcare professionals are taking part in this year’s forum in person and virtually. It is the biggest event of its kind in the region dedicated to healthcare quality and safety. HE Dr al-Kuwari said: “To continue facing the challenges, both known and unexpected, we must be more resilient. I look forward to an engaging discussion that will consolidate our understanding and help us progress on our previous successes and achieve our collective goal of universal health coverage.” “As with many aspects of life, we had to change the way we do things throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, and that meant delivering this important forum virtually. But Covid-19 did not stop us; we just had to adapt and do things differently. This is a wonderful example of Healthcare Resilience in Extraordinary Times; the perfect theme for this year’s forum,” she added. HE the Minister continued, “In Qatar, we are fortunate to be guided by the wise leadership of His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, who has emphasised resilience in all our country’s plans and policies. This has meant that as a country we were well positioned to successfully face challenges such as Covid-19. And our National Vision 2030 has driven us to seek to excel in the delivery of healthcare to all those living in Qatar so that we can have a healthy thriving population.”She commended the healthcare sector’s response to Covid-19, explaining that by working together across the healthcare system, in collaboration with the community, healthcare teams have been central to Qatar having one of the lowest Covid-19 mortality rates and one of the highest Covid-19 vaccination rates in the world. She also acknowledged and appreciated the courageous efforts and leadership of the healthcare professionals during the pandemic.“Yet, despite these incredible achievements, we are committed to constantly moving forward,” she said. “Throughout 2023, we will focus our efforts on implementing the new National Insurance Programme; providing fast access to care for patients; and ensuring Qatar’s healthcare system continues to be a regional leader for quality and safety in healthcare, delivering services on a par with the world’s best health systems.” HE Dr al-Kuwari also highlighted the healthcare sector’s contribution to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: “After 12 years of planning and preparation under the vision and direction of Qatar’s leaders, the nation hosted a truly incredible tournament that was widely acclaimed as the greatest ever FIFA World Cup. Many sectors from across Qatar played an important role in the tournament’s success and as a healthcare system we have been at the forefront of these efforts,” she noted. “The planning, preparation and delivery of our comprehensive FIFA World Cup strategy required a truly incredible effort from healthcare teams across the sector and I am deeply grateful to everyone who played their part in this remarkable accomplishment,” she added.HE the Minister also highlighted several of the health sector’s key achievements since 2020, which include the opening of Aisha Bint Hamad Al Attiyah Hospital; opening of six new state-of-the-art health and wellness centres; achieving the World Health Organisation ‘Healthy City’ status for all eight municipalities; designation for HMC’s Department of Geriatrics and Long-Term Care as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Ageing and Dementia; implementing a range of telemedicine and virtual services across the public health sector; gaining Planetree International Certification for Excellence in Person-Centred Care at five HMC facilities; having four HMC hospitals and Sidra Medicine ranked among the world’s top 250 academic medical centres among others.Held under the theme ‘Healthcare Resilience in Extraordinary Times’ the opening session of the forum also heard from Dr Abdullatif al-Khal, deputy chief medical officer and director of the Department of Medical Education at HMC, and Dr Kedar Mate, president and CEO, IHI. There was also a session by Dr Don Berwick, president emeritus and senior fellow, IHI.

Recollecting the numerous examples of Qatar’ successful mediation efforts over several years, HE the Assistant Foreign Minister for Regional Affairs Dr Mohamed bin Abdulaziz bin Salih al-Khulaifi, reiterated on Tuesday that Qatar is a reliable, impartial and successful international mediator.“My country has been recognised globally for its role as an international mediator in a varieties of disputes between states, with high cooperation from regional and international partners. Qatar itself has benefited from the mediation it has participated in,” he explained at the Global Security Forum 2023 held under the theme 'Reshaping the Global Order: Conflicts, Crises and Cooperation.'Qatar’s foreign policy relies on strong bilateral and multilateral alliances and finding solutions to complex issues through dialogue and mediation, Dr al-Khulaifi noted.“Qatar respects and honours all international treaties and conventions in which it is a party. Nowadays mediation is explicitly referred as a means of dispute resolution leading to bilateral and multilateral treaties. Mediation is the second most used diplomatic way of peaceful means of dispute resolution with the first one being the direct negotiations between the parties,” he explained.Dr al- Khulaifi pointed out that Qatar's long experience in the field of mediation helped the country gain the confidence and recognition from the international community after its successes in resolving many conflicts.He highlighted Qatar's contribution to the conclusion of a truce in Yemen 2008-2010, in addition to the country's hosting of the Lebanese national dialogue, and its assistance to the governments of Djibouti and Eritrea to conclude a peace agreement to settle the border dispute between them and secure the release of prisoners.“Qatar has been successful in the Darfur file through the signing of the Doha Document for peace in the region. Our mediation contributed to facilitating the peace agreement between the transitional government in Sudan and the armed movements signed in South Sudan. Another major mediation effort was the hosting of the talks between the United States and the Taliban that concluded with the signing of the peace agreement by the two parties,” continued, the minister.The minister went on to highlight other mediation efforts of the country such as the negotiations between the Chadian parties, which culminated in the signing of the Doha Peace Agreement by the Chadian parties. He pointed out that the foreign policy of Qatar relies on strong bilateral and multilateral alliances, and finding solutions to disputes through dialogue and mediation while respecting the sovereign rights of all countries.The minister called upon the international community to strengthen strong regulatory frameworks that favour mediation in international relations and work to address regional conflicts and disputes with wisdom and patience, with the aim of advancing the sustainability of international peace and security.“A trusted and neutral mediator can play a very important role by bringing the parties together, by listening to them carefully and proposing peaceful settlement to the conflicts. Sustainability of the agreement is also important. One of the crucial lessons that Qatar has learned during these times is the importance of sustaining the agreement,” added Dr al-Khulaifi.

Qatar is a spectacular country with great opportunities and stability, the US ambassador Timmy Davis said yesterday at the Global Security Forum 2023 in a fireside chat.“Qatar is a remarkable spot in the world with great stability, modernity and culture. It aims to be the destination for tourism and sports and it is an Arabic speaking country where everyone also speaks English,” the envoy told Canadian television journalist Ali Velshi, host of 'Velshi' and a chief correspondent at MSNBC.The Global Security Forum 2023, under the slogan "Reshaping the features of the global system: conflicts, crises and co-operation," focuses on the international approach to managing conflicts, crises and co-operation.“I would suggest the American people that this (Qatar) is a place where all of them can come and enjoy themselves for tourism. American businesses need to understand this is a place that you can come, create relationships, co-operation and opportunities,” added the ambassador.“I can think of 20 countries in the world that Americans might want to visit. They could visit Qatar instead and get what they were getting in those 20 countries," he highlighted.Praising the advanced level of relations between the two friendly countries, Davis said: “Qatar has become a force for good, not only at the regional level, but at the international level, and we have a strategic partnership with it and well-established economic and security relations."Davis said that the US highly appreciates what Qatar is doing at the regional and international levels, and the humanitarian aid it provides around the world. He also cited the example of Qatar’s humanitarian aid of $100mn to the US for the Katrina hurricane victims.“This is what we seek to confirm over and over again in the United States, so that everyone realises the importance of this relationship for us," he said.The US envoy also praised the remarkable development witnessed in Qatar at various levels and its stability, security and openness to the world. He highlighted the stable and distinctive environment it provides for companies, businesses and other areas as well.Davis also had words of praise for Qatar’s superb organisation of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, highlighting that it was the best tournament so far. He also acknowledged the reforms that Qatar had initiated to regulate the labour market and protect the rights of workers.The Global Security Forum 2023 that includes discussions on topics such as the global energy crisis, approaches to promoting sustainable economies, and competition of powers, will conclude today.

A panel discussion at the Global Security Forum( GSF) 2023 that got underway at Sheraton Doha yesterday explored the implications arising out of the Ukrain War.Titled ‘War in Ukraine: Impacts & Implications’ the discussion provided insights into what is currently happening at the warfront. The session reflected on the current state and future prospects of the ongoing war in Ukraine. In addition to the traditional military dimensions of the conflict, participants also discussed the role and impact of various state and non-state actors and the implications for global security.The participants at the session were: Ambassador Nathan Sales, senior fellow, the Soufan Centre; Dr Bilyana Lilly, chair of the Resilience Track, Warsaw Security Forum and Dr Kacper Rekawek, postdoctoral fellow, University of Oslo Centre for Research on Extremism. The session was moderated by Jason Blazakis, senior research fellow at the Soufan Centre.Ambassador Sales pointed that it is critical to defend Ukraine otherwise it could lead to many other areas. He said: “What happens in Ukraine will not stop there. But it is also critical to remind people why and how this war is critical to defending their own values and interests.”“ It is a war waged on the cyber world so fiercely. Russia has been targeting the supporters of Ukraine with cyber-attacks and phishing. Russia has increased its social media presence over the last one year through several social media handles in a number of languages,” explained, Dr Lilly."Phishing campaigns against NATO members supporting Ukraine have increased by 300%, which shows the vast activity that has been happening in cyberspace,” she added.According to Rekawek, there’s a huge community of humanitarians who provide all sorts of staff for Ukrainian frontline. He noted that the war if prolonged, could be far more problematic.“The longer the war goes on in Ukraine, the greater the risk of certain movements within Russia, where far-right groups dissatisfied with progress on the frontlines are likely to foment more violence and instability,” he added.

Several tests have been conducted as part of a study at Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Education City to continue making the place more sustainable and reduce carbon reduction, which later can be applied at the national level, revealed a top official."The advantage of Education City is that it is large place where we can conduct many experiments and the results can be applied in Qatar as a whole," Dr Gonzalo Castro de la Mata, executive director of Earthna Centre, a QF initiative, told the media recently."We have measured the carbon footprint in Education City. Now we know where the carbon is emitted and how to develop a strategy to lower the carbon emissions. We have the methodology and then we have the strategies to reduce the carbon emission.“We have identified the sources of carbon emission and what can be done about it. One of the areas of focus is efficiency of the buildings. So the buildings have to be well insulated. Another important area is lights that automatically go off. So installing those types of sensors is important and many of the buildings have that and we have to install them at places where such facility is not done already.“Another area is water. When you desalinate water, a lot of carbon dioxide is emitted because of the use of energy. Therefore, you need to conserve water to reduce emissions. Some people don’t think about water as a source of emissions. But in a country where water comes from desalination primarily, then of course you should consider it as source of emission,” continued the official."We have a strategy to continue making Education City more sustainable including the livability of the city, allowing people to walk with shade and introducing solar panels to provide shade and to generate electricity. Landscaping is one of the areas we are going to move forward and of course some green rooftops too. Then we are planning to have some pilots and after that we can apply it to Doha as a whole,” added Dr Castro de la Mata.

A Qatar-based study has advocated a family-centred care approach to support hospitalised children, their families, and the healthcare provision team in the delivery of paediatric psychosocial care.The study published on qscience.com suggests for improvements to be made in four main arenas concerning Qatar’s paediatric psychosocial care provision using a family-centred perspective.The article by Heba al-Fara from the Doha International Family Institute notes the four main areas as: education and training; healthcare environment; financial support and advocacy and future research and audits.“If improvements are made to these four main areas, Qatar’s paediatric psychosocial care programme would more effectively cater to evidence-based child and family-friendly approaches,” says the study.Considering the lack of data available on paediatric psychosocial care in Qatar as the main limitation, the author claims the study as a stepping stone toward future research on the topic.According to the study, life-threatening child sicknesses and related admission to hospitals are serious family dilemmas that may have undesired consequences for all family members. It points that the basic objective of paediatric psychosocial welfare is to advocate for the well-being of families and their members, to strengthen their adaptive skills in difficult medical situations, and to better their general quality of life.“Familial partings, shifting daily schedules, necessary frightening medical operations, alarming concerns about a minor’s future well-being, and overall familial welfare are possible sources of tension. As such, paediatric psychosocial care approaches are used more and more to advocate for family and child strength and durability during health scenarios and to improve the overall well-being of children impacted by fatal medical situations,” the article noted.As per the article, if better education and training services are provided to families, child patients, and their families’ experiences in the hospital would be improved, bettering child patients’ recovery and their families’ resilience which would better align the practitioner–patient–family connections.Next if the physical characteristics of the hospital setting were more visibly catered to children using colours and ease of access, as well as providing the necessary resources to provide effective care, the recovery of child patients and their family comfort levels would be improved.Furthermore, the study argues that if sufficient financial resources were included in hospital budgets for paediatric psychosocial care services to fill the gaps in healthcare services, such as translation services, child patients and their families would have ease of communication with hospital staff and better access to information.Lastly, if further research is provided on the experiences of child patients, their families, and hospital staff, miscommunication and ineffective service delivery would be mitigated which would offer an opportunity to build their connections within the highly stressful environment of paediatric psychosocial care.The article has also outlined the need for a family-focused care lens on pediatric psychosocial support in Qatar. Using secondary sources, this article advocates a family-centered care approach to support hospitalised children, their families, and the healthcare provision team in the delivery of paediatric psychosocial care.The article suggests that if the policy recommendations are applied properly, these would help Qatar’s paediatric psychosocial care programme to more effectively cater to evidence-based child and family-friendly approaches.

Qatar Foundation (QF) Chairperson Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser attended on Wednesday the opening of the inaugural Earthna Summit 2023 which focuses on hot and arid environments and blending today’s expertise with indigenous knowledge to identify climate solutions.Speakers at the summit, hosted by QF’s Earthna Centre for a Sustainable Future, included world renowned primatologist and anthropologist Dr Jane Goodall, QF Vice Chairperson and CEO HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani, HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Sheikh Dr Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali al-Thani, Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema, Sierra Leone President Dr Julius Maada, and Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland.Dr Goodall closed the first day of the summit with a discussion about biodiversity, ecosystems and values. The two-day summit is taking place at Msheireb Downtown Doha.Addressing the opening ceremony, HE Sheikha Hind, said: “At this inaugural Earthna Summit, we have deliberately placed a significant emphasis on exploring indigenous practices, in search of the fountains of accumulated wisdom tucked away in ordinary places. The purpose of seeking out indigenous wisdom is for us to discern and choose wisely that which resonates in our local environment, so that we may adopt simple whole solutions instead of complicating things. And so that, when we adopt new policies, we can attack the root causes of our modern issues, instead of getting lost in the branches.”HE Sheikh Dr Faleh noted that the Earthna Summit 2023 will provide an opportunity to build a community of environmental stakeholders that will contribute to shaping the future of sustainability in hot and dry regions.“The Summit provides us with a platform to highlight hot and dry countries that are often absent from global discussions related to climate change. It will also focus on the unique challenges faced by these countries with difficult weather conditions. And these are the challenges that Qatar is committed to addressing, and sharing the best solutions and practices on how to overcome them with neighbouring countries and other countries of the world,” explained the minister.The theme of the summit, 'Building New Sustainability Pathways for Hot and Arid Environments', brings together sustainability experts and policymakers including indigenous peoples to learn from each other and exchange knowledge. The event aims to renew focus on examining ancestral solutions to climate challenges and how these may support current plans for advancing sustainability.The Earthna Summit aims to make hot and arid environments – such as Qatar’s – more prominent in the global conversation by highlighting the critical adaptation needs of countries with such climates, and exploring options as the world moves towards energy transition.Earthna is hosting a variety of sessions, workshops and panel discussions based on themes of food and security adaptation; climate change and energy transition; resilient cities; and biodiversity.Throughout the summit, members of the public can visit the ‘Earthna Village’ at Barahat Msheireb, a sustainability-focused exhibition showcasing indigenous and sustainable practices. The agora section of the Earthna Village is hosting practitioners for short, interactive discussions with the audience about their exhibits.