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The 5th Observance of the UN International Day to Protect Education from Attack will be held Monday with high level panel discussions and keynote addresses by various dignitaries at Qatar National Convention Centre.The International Day to Protect Education from Attack was established through a resolution spearheaded by Qatar and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser at the United Nations General Assembly which declared September 9 as the UN International Day to Protect Education from Attack.Meanwhile, Qatar Foundation (QF) is gearing up its efforts to contribute to providing education to millions of children who are not in schools around the world. Based on its belief that education remains the beacon of hope for future generations, a number of volunteers are joining efforts to provide education to Palestinian children evacuated from Gaza to Qatar to receive medical treatment.Hadeel al-Sayed, a teacher at Qatar Academy Sidra, part of QF’s Pre-University Education didn’t think twice when given the opportunity to volunteer and extend a helping hand.She says: “Education is a strong tool for empowerment and recovery. It gives evacuees a sense of normalcy, structure, and hope for the future. Access to education opens doors to opportunities, helping them rebuild their lives, and pursue their aspirations despite the challenges they have faced.”Al-Sayed teaches beginner-level English skills to the evacuated Palestinian children, ensuring to create a welcoming and inclusive environment that caters to their individual levels, encourages them to support one another, and addresses their emotional and psychological needs.For Muna al-Musalamani, a recent graduate of Northwestern University in Qatar, volunteering to teach Palestinian evacuees was a way to convey her humanitarian message.She says: “This community is beautiful because it combines people that come from different ages and experiences; but they all share one thing – hope. Hope is what drives them; it pushes them to limits I have never seen before. When you mix hope with access to education, you create such a powerful scenario.”Mona uses writing as a means to help learners address their psychological needs. "I ask each individual to write a story about themselves in a few sentences and share it with others. This enhances their communication with each other because they share similar stories."Ibrahim Abdelhadi, a Palestinian high school student, attended the classes provided by the volunteers and sees education as a source of hope and drive to move forward. For Abdelhadi, it is the means to build societies and a tool that enables individuals to face challenges, no matter how difficult.Offering further support to Palestinian evacuee students in Qatar, Qatar Career Development Centre (QCDC) is giving them access to its programmes and resources, ensuring they have the tools to build a brighter future.During QCDC’s “My Career My Future” 2024 programme, 20 Gaza evacuee students participated in tailored hands-on experiences and job shadowing opportunities in various companies in Qatar.QCDC’s director, Abdulla Ahmed al-Mansoori noted: "At QCDC, we are committed to empowering Gaza evacuee students, as well as all students in Qatar who are looking for better opportunities for their educational pursuits. We provide them with the tools and career guidance needed to build their future and pursue their dreams despite the adversities they have faced.”Education in Palestine is not just a basic right but a lifeline and the foundation of resilience in the face of growing challenges. Palestine is among the countries with the lowest illiteracy rates globally with an illiteracy rate of only 2.3% among individuals aged 15 and above according to figures from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

Sidra Medicine has regionally been recognised as an expert in the next generation of healthcare, which is precision medicine, stated the CEO of the hospital in an interview with Gulf Times.“We have progressed over the last five years and become a regional expert in precision medicine. Precision medicine is essentially targeting specific therapies to specific people based on unique information of that individual,” said, Dr Iyabo Tinubu-Karch on the sidelines of a media event.Dr Tinubu Karch said the outcomes that are happening with precision medicine and the hospital's research, have been brought to the bedside.“ We are now at the point where we have been able to leverage our research to actually deliver diagnostic care. So I would say that because of our tripartite mission of research, education, and clinical care, we are now able to take care of those diseases that we couldn't take care of five or ten years ago. As we continue this trajectory, soon Qatar and Sidra Medicine will be perfectly positioned to begin therapeutic solutions for rare diseases, ” explained Dr Tinubu Karch.The official said that many countries are keen on collaborating with Sidra Medicine for gene therapy .“ The Libyan Ministry of Health has close to 100 patients that they would like to send to us for gene therapy. The Iraqi government also has expressed their interest. And so we are now being recognised regionally as an expert in the provision of genetic testing and genetic care,” she continued.Meanwhile, the CEO noted that Sidra Medicine continues to take care of children from Gaza who were wounded in the ongoing Palestinian crisis. She stated: “Since, December 9, 2023, we have taken care of over 170 Gaza children wounded in the ongoing conflict. Palestinian children from Gaza have had significant injuries, trauma that required not just surgery but rehabilitative therapy with occupational health, physical therapy and mental health.”Dr Tinubu Karch described that many of them required significant interventions and several of them have been discharged after proper care. “We are still taking care of the discharged children on an outpatient basis and continued care. We are open to receive any more children if any such situations arise. We have got the ward ready and we have got all our physicians, surgeons, nurses ready," she highlighted.The official highlighted that many of the children when admitted at Sidra Medicine suffered from severe injuries such as head injuries, shrapnel in their bodies, trauma, lots of loss of limbs, blindness, burns, fractures and internal injuries among others.“Most of them had very deviating state of mental health while brought over to the hospital. A lot of them were shell-shocked from repeated trauma. We have a robust mental health team with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, care workers who took care of them,” added, Dr Tinubu Karch.

The Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (Gord) based at Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) is planning for large-scale production of carbonate-based plaster from various waste materials. The pilot plant at QSTP is now under commissioning and the aim is to start production soon.“At Gord, we have established this pilot plant for producing eco-friendly plasterboard of superior performance from carbon capture and mineralisation processes. The process uses sustainable methods that avoid the negative environmental impacts associated with traditional production,” Dr Yousef Alhorr, founding chairman of Gord told Gulf Times in an exclusive interview.Gord is using the waste streams from different industries in Qatar for the project. “We have several desalination units in Qatar. We take their rejected brine, as well as the gas flue from different power and chemical industries. We utilise this flue gas, and we extract and sequester the CO2 emissions from it.”“Then all these are combined with the rejected brine. Thereafter we make use of magnesium, again from the rejected brine, to produce eco-friendly carbonate-based plaster, which is also safe for human health.”According to Dr Alhorr, the eco-friendly product has three times the compressive strength of normal plasterboard cement with 50% less density or weight. “So, it is lighter, higher in compressive strength, as well as eco-friendly because the raw material is derived from waste. We have filed for a patent for this process and technology,” he noted.The founding chairman said that Gord is planning to make the pilot plant as a demonstration facility for investors. He also pointed out that it is a Qatari-patented technology taking the country’s efforts in research and innovation to higher levels.“By demonstrating the production process on a smaller scale, we can show the technology’s viability, allowing investors to see the material first hand and understand its potential. Soon, we hope to commence full operations of the facility where we can produce larger quantity of this material,” he highlighted.“The plant at QSTP will help to educate the investors about the feasibility and viability of the product as well as its positive environmental impact. If all goes well, we will go for large-scale production to scale up it on industrial scale. As we produce more of this material, it will reach the market as a high quality Qatar product,” added Dr Alhorr.

The Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (Gord) based at Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) is planning for large-scale production of carbonate-based plaster from various waste materials. The pilot plant at QSTP is now under commissioning and the aim is to start production soon.“At Gord, we have established this pilot plant for producing eco-friendly plasterboard of superior performance from carbon capture and mineralisation processes. The process uses sustainable methods that avoid the negative environmental impacts associated with traditional production,” Dr Yousef Alhorr, founding chairman of Gord told Gulf Times in an exclusive interview. Gord is using the waste streams from different industries in Qatar for the project. “We have several desalination units in Qatar. We take their rejected brine, as well as the gas flue from different power and chemical industries. We utilise this flue gas, and we extract and sequester the CO2 emissions from it.”“Then all these are combined with the rejected brine. Thereafter we make use of magnesium, again from the rejected brine, to produce eco-friendly carbonate-based plaster, which is also safe for human health.”According to Dr Alhorr, the eco-friendly product has three times the compressive strength of normal plasterboard cement with 50% less density or weight. “So, it is lighter, higher in compressive strength, as well as eco-friendly because the raw material is derived from waste. We have filed for a patent for this process and technology,” he noted.The founding chairman said that Gord is planning to make the pilot plant as a demonstration facility for investors. He also pointed out that it is a Qatari-patented technology taking the country’s efforts in research and innovation to higher levels.“By demonstrating the production process on a smaller scale, we can show the technology’s viability, allowing investors to see the material first hand and understand its potential. Soon, we hope to commence full operations of the facility where we can produce larger quantity of this material,” he highlighted.“The plant at QSTP will help to educate the investors about the feasibility and viability of the product as well as its positive environmental impact. If all goes well, we will go for large-scale production to scale up it on industrial scale. As we produce more of this material, it will reach the market as a high quality Qatar product,” added Dr Alhorr.

Making a tremendous impact on the research and innovation ecosystem of Qatar and emphasising the premier role of Sidra Medicine globally, at least 20 global pharmaceutical companies have contacted the hospital for clinical trials for new drugs, Gulf Times has learnt.“Such a feat is very much unheard of and speaks volumes about the hospital and its healthcare advancements,” Dr Iyabo Tinubu-Karch, CEO of Sidra Medicine said in an exclusive interview. Some of the clinical trials are already at advanced stages and the outcomes can be expected very soon.She explained : “We are doing Phase III clinical trials for congenital hyperinsulinemia with one of the pharmaceutical companies. Hyperinsulinemia results in too much insulin, resulting in decreasing the sugar level. It is a life-threatening situation and babies born with the disease can even die.”“As we are doing these trials, it will allow us to release the drug much earlier, even before the drug is released globally. So we are the first one in Phase III trials. And when you get to Phase III trials in clinical research, it means that the drug is going to be launched. We will be the first one who is doing this,” continued the official.Dr Iyabo Tinubu-Karch said that it is a huge achievement for Qatar. “It is not happening in the US, not Europe, but Qatar is doing it,” she stressed.The official noted that Sidra Medicine, over the last five years, has become a regional expert in precision medicine, the next generation of healthcare. “Precision medicine is essentially targeting specific therapies to specific people, based on unique information of that individual. We went with the research and now we are at the point to actually deliver diagnostic care. Because of our tripartite mission of research, education, and clinical care, we are now able to take care of those diseases,” she remarked.The CEO pointed out that Qatar and Sidra Medicine will be perfectly positioned to begin therapeutic solutions for the rare diseases. “And so it is an incredible trajectory. And the great thing is that it is not just Sidra Medicine. It is an ecosystem that has been fuelled by the Qatar Foundation and the incredible investment in research,” she highlighted.The official said that Sidra Medicine is expanding genetic services to do more genetic and diagnostic testing. "We can open up the testing to those who are now coming into Qatar for treatment. We are expanding our rehabilitative services and embracing artificial intelligence to drive our precision health research.”“10 years from now, Sidra Medicine will be a pioneer in the treatment of paediatric rare diseases and manufacturing groundbreaking gene therapy drugs,” added Dr Iyabo Tinubu-Karch.

Qatar Research Development and Innovation (QRDI) Council is acting as a facilitator to make the country a test bed for international organisations to set up their initiatives, an official told Gulf Times.“There are many initiatives that we are promoting to invite startups and companies from abroad to come and set up in Qatar to see Qatar as a test bed for their innovative solutions and to develop their technology in Qatar,” Malik Habayeb, international partnerships programme expert at QRDI explained.Speaking on the sidelines of an event in collaboration with Thailand embassy in Doha, the official stated that the main goal at QRDI is to help these institutions find the right partner in Qatar."QRDI is a funding agency and our mandate is certainly to build the partnerships and foster these partnerships. This is our goal for our partners from any country around the world. This is why Qatar is investing heavily in the technology space.”Habayeb said that there are unique opportunities where corporates and startups can come to Qatar, check out the ecosystem and get acquainted with the cutting-edge infrastructure that the country offers.The unique part of QRDI research portfolio is that it allows 20% of the grants to be spent outside the country.“However, the lead investigator in a research project has to be based in Qatar and they can collaborate with the research entities abroad. What we are trying to explain to our partners in Thailand as well as elsewhere in the world is that they are very much eligible to apply to engage with a local lead principal investigator in Qatar, if they have a project that is of mutual interest,” continued, Habayeb.“The lead investigator can be any university or research institutes with a registered research office in Qatar . As long as there is a registered research office, the institute has all of the required approvals. This includes Qatar University, University of Doha for Science and Technology HBK or any such universities in Qatar and they can collaborate with an international partner. This can also be any research institutes operating in Qatar,” he pointed out.Habayeb noted that the role of QRDI is to connect the academic community in Qatar with the academic and research community in other countries. As for the current collaboration with the Thai Embassy in Qatar he said that there are plans on further engagements with the Thai Embassy with their support to host further delegations and also to potentially build research partnerships with Thai universities.Thai Embassy had presented three innovative ideas to transform waste materials to value added products at a special event attended by QRDI officials and academics from various institutes in Qatar.“Qatar has its own national priorities, ranging from sustainability, water, agriculture, food security and climate change. Qatar National Research Fund, the research arm of QRDI, has a programme around the national priorities and there are calls that are regularly published to address specific challenges. These are all different specific areas that have been co-designed with the local ministries in Qatar to address specific problems,” added, Habayeb.

Emphasising the need for greater efforts to provide better healthcare for women and children, Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation, has launched a new campaign “Innovating Care. Transforming Lives” to raise awareness about its efforts to advancing women’s and children’s health in Qatar and the region.At an event yesterday at the Sidra Medicine, the top administrators of the hospital highlighted the journey of the organisation so far and the achievements that have touched the lives of several people for better in the country and beyond.The campaign also showcases how Sidra Medicine is making significant strides in personalised, research-driven care, contributing to Qatar’s National Vision 2030.Dr Iyabo Tinubu-Karch, CEO of Sidra Medicine said: “This campaign highlights our innovative approach to healthcare and clinical research which has allowed us to be firmly entrenched into the hearts and minds of our patients, their families, the community and other stakeholders as a trusted healthcare partner and leader.”“We are proud today to share with you the exciting launch of our new awareness campaign, which highlights Sidra’s commitment to transformative and innovative care to women and specialty care and rare disease care in children.“This is all done under the umbrella of personalised, research-driven medicine. We want our campaign to echo our commitment to our patients and to remind families in Qatar that we are their trusted health partner,” explained the CEO.Dr Ahmed al-Hammadi, acting chief medical officer at Sidra Medicine said: “This campaign is a testament to Sidra Medicine’s dedication to not only transforming the lives of women and children through exceptional healthcare, but also to propelling Qatar’s Vision 2030 forward. By pioneering research-driven care and nurturing a new generation of medical experts, we are building a healthier future for Qatar and establishing ourselves as a global leader in healthcare innovation.”The CEO and the CMO also shared updates on Sidra Medicine’s international patient programme and how it has become a trusted healthcare partner for families. Since 2018, the hospital has cared for over 1,000 patients from around the world. Sam Lock, the executive director, Commercial Development at Sidra Medicine, added:“We are thrilled to launch our new awareness campaign ‘Innovating Care. Transforming Lives’, which embodies our core mission to push the boundaries of medical innovation for cutting-edge, personalised care.Through this campaign, we are reinforcing Sidra Medicine’s unwavering commitment to achieving optimal patient outcomes and solidifying Qatar’s position as a hub for medical excellence.”

The embassy of Thailand in collaboration with Qatar Research Development and Innovation (QRDI) Council presented several innovative ideas that can turn waste materials into value-added products, at a special event Wednesday at the latter's headquarters.The seminar and mini-exhibition titled 'Labs, Farms, and Bottles: Turning Waste into Treasures' highlighted methods, knowledge and expertise in upcycling and waste-to-value addition by some Thai researchers.The event also gave insights about Thailand’s research in transforming waste into valuable products, showcasing items crafted from upcycled materials, such as plastic bottles and medical waste, and sustainable textiles derived from agricultural by-products such as water hyacinths and banana trees.Welcoming the gathering, Dr Hisham M Sabir, executive director, Scientific Research Programmes Office, QRDI Council, said it was a special gathering under a common goal of changing the future through research and innovation.“Preserving the natural and built environment of Qatar is, of course, a top priority that cuts across all our timely activities. This is particularly so given Qatar's sensitivity to a number of environmental issues. Research aiming at improving the environment is at the top of our agenda,” he explained.“As we progress towards our national goals, we strive to maintain a benign environmental impact of our research. As a result, innovative measures will improve all elements of our environment.”Ambassador Sira Swangsilpa noted that Thailand’s research expertise in several fields can address some of the environmental challenges that Qatar is facing.“We have the know-how and the expertise and the four decades of our cordial diplomatic relations with Qatar can help both countries in further collaborating for the betterment of both the countries. This seminar is an effort in this direction and we look forward to enhancing our relations further.”The keynote speakers were associate professor Dr Singh Intrachooto, chief advisor, Research and Innovation for Sustainability Center and professor of building innovation at Kasetsart University, associate professor Dr Prakit Sukyai, deputy head of the Department of Biotechnology of Kasetsart University, and associate professor Dr Chanakarn Ruangnarong, vice dean, Faculty of Home Economics, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi.The speakers highlighted Thailand's pioneering research in transforming waste into valuable products. Three of them presented several ideas and products and pointed out how these innovations can help fight environmental issue and provide sustainability in several areas.They highlighted how home-grown approaches and innovation developed by Thai universities respond to societal and environmental needs. They showcased how the universities' research addresses challenges in Thailand, especially on the issue of construction, industrial and food and agricultural waste by transforming them into usable materials and products for various fields namely product design and cosmetics. These models of sustainability can be replicated in other parts of the world, they added.

Thailand is willing to offer its expertise and know-how to Qatar in recycling waste materials to value added products and is eying better collaboration in several areas of research and innovation, Thai ambassador Sira Swangsilpa told Gulf Times.“We have over four decades of cordial bilateral relations with Qatar. If Qatar is interested in joint projects, we can share our know-how and expertise and this will lead to further boosting the relations between both the nations,” he stated.The Thai envoy was interacting with Gulf Times on the sidelines of a seminar and mini-exhibition titled 'Labs, Farms, and Bottles: Turning Waste into Treasures' organised by Thai Embassy in collaboration with Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council (QRDI), Wednesday.Ambassador Swangsilpa noted that environmental challenges do not pertain to one particular country as it is a global issue and collective efforts and collaborations are needed to overcome them.“Sustainable development and environmental issues are some of the common issues for both the countries as well as for the whole mankind. We have researchers and scientists from eminent universities of Thailand. We have the know-how, the professors and scientists and Qatar has the right ambience and vision in sustainable development. So this can be turned into a great partnership and such collaboration can benefit both the countries,” he explained.The envoy noted that Qatar has the cutting edge research infrastructure and the vision to develop further innovations for the country, the region and beyond. “The Qatar National Vision 2030 for sustainable development is a great example of that strong vison and it is compatible with our project,” he continued.Swangsilpa stated that the research ideas presented at the event demonstrate the innovation of his country and highlight how Thailand and Qatar can cooperate more and take it to a higher level.He also noted that many of the value added products made from waste materials have already been commercialised and many are exported to countries such as the US, Japan, Sweden among others.“So our next step will be to exchange more ideas and more collaboration. Maybe we will invite experts and researchers from QRDI or Qatar Foundation to visit Thailand and universities to make it more tangible, and we can have some agreements in the near future,” he highlighted.The ambassador also added that Thailand is cooperating with Qatar in the areas of food safety, food security, medical research and many more.

Qatar has more than 2,400 projects registered with the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS), making it one of the highest performing countries in the Middle East in GSAS certification, Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (Gord) founding chairman Dr Yousef Alhorr told Gulf Times.GSAS is the Middle East’s first performance-based green buildings certification system. “We have more than 200mn sft of GSAS certified buildings in Qatar," Dr Alhorr explained while pointing out that all the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stadiums are 100% GSAS-certified."Qatar’s iconic projects within Lusail City, Qatar Foundation’s Education City and Lekhwiya City are all GSAS-certified,” he stated. GSAS is the first integrated and performance-based system in the Middle East and North Africa region (Mena) for assessing and rating buildings and infrastructure for their sustainability impacts.The unique green building framework has been developed by Gord in collaboration with TC Chan Centre at the University of Pennsylvania, and School of Architecture at the Georgia Institute of Technology, US, and other reputable houses of expertise.“On the master plan level, we have almost 1bn sft of GSAS-certified master plans. With its widespread adoption in Kuwait, GSAS is now the fastest growing green building rating system for new projects in the Gulf region,” said, Dr Alhorr.The official noted that GSAS is aimed at improving the design, construction and operations of buildings while also identifying sustainability challenges specific to Mena’s built environment.“Representing green building regulations within Qatar construction specifications, GSAS is mandatory for all government projects within Qatar and all private and government projects in Lusail City. All the museums under Qatar Museums are going through GSAS certifications."Similarly, in Qatar Foundation’s Education City, all the buildings are going through GSAS certifications along with many more entities like Qatar Energy projects,” explained the founding chairman of Gord.The core philosophy behind GSAS is to create a sustainable built environment that minimises ecological impact while addressing the specific social and cultural needs and environment of the Mena region.GSAS’ key objective is to create and promote sustainable built environment through a three-pronged approach that focuses on protecting the environment, conserving earthly resources and improving human wellbeing, all the while addressing the needs and concerns unique to the Mena region.GSAS framework draws best practices adopted from 40 different rating systems known regionally and internationally. Over the years, GSAS has made a visible difference in the way buildings are designed, constructed and operated in the region.Dr Alhorr also stated that over the years, there has been tremendous interest in the private sector to implement GSAS certification in their projects.“ We see that the private developers are very keen towards implementing sustainability as they frequently approach us to implement green building practices,” he added.

Emphasising Qatar’s rising clout as a hub of research and innovation, the United Nations has selected the Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (Gord), a Qatar-based research entity, to provide an innovation lab, which is accredited and endorsed by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC).“The Gord Labs at Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) will act as a platform to host young researchers by facilitating them in conducting technical testing, experimental work, as well as exchanging knowledge and forward-looking ideas with Gord’s senior researchers,” disclosed, Dr Yousef Alhorr, founding chairman of Gord in an exclusive interview with Gulf Times.This new initiative was unveiled recently at a well-attended virtual event, bringing together more than 200 delegates from UN agencies, Member States, and stakeholders from both public and private sectors across various countries, he said.The Gord-UNOSSC Lab aims to accelerate the development and implementation of innovative solutions through South-South and triangular cooperation. Integrated within the broader UNOSSC Strategic Framework 2022–2025, the Lab is designed to foster knowledge exchange, capacity building, and technology transfer to address complex development challenges.Dr Alhorr said that Gord is focused on several activities targeting different sectors at local, regional as well as global level. “We hope that the Gord Labs will help young researchers develop their innovations and get them ready for implementation and commercialisation. This collaboration with the UNOSSC is a significant milestone to have Gord as a United Nations-endorsed entity. The project also positions Qatar as a hub for knowledge exchange and innovation,” explained the founding chairman of Gord.“Gord's location within QSTP, which is part of Qatar Foundation, positions it as the ideal site for establishing cutting-edge laboratories. Our portfolio of services includes research and development, standards setting, green buildings certification, accreditation services, voluntary carbon markets, performance testing, knowledge dissemination, 3D prototyping and advisory services on sustainability and climate change,” continued, Dr Alhorr.The project focuses on increasing the capability of developing countries to make informed, evidence-based decisions, incubating and scaling both existing and new solutions. Additionally, it aims to devise and implement strategic policies tailored to meet emerging global challenges.By fostering a systematic approach to innovation, collaboration, and strategic partnership among countries in the Global South and their triangular cooperation partners, the Lab aspires to drive significant advancements in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and fulfilling the 2030 Agenda. This involves not only promoting innovative ideas and experiments but also enhancing the visibility and adoption of effective solutions through dynamic communication and robust advocacy strategies.“With respect to research and development, exciting developments are underway and we look forward to greater growth in the near future,” added, Dr Alhorr.

Alfardan Medical with Northwestern Medicine (AMNM) has launched several innovative treatments with next-generation therapies for men's health, particularly focused on prostrate health.Speaking to Gulf Times, Dr Mehmet Salih Boga, a urologist at AMNM, prostate enlargement, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), can lead to a variety of urinary problems.He explained: “As the prostate grows, it can obstruct the urethra and restrict the flow of urine. This can cause symptoms such as frequent urination, difficulty starting urination, a weak urine stream, the feeling that the bladder is not completely empty, and an increased need to urinate at night. In more severe cases, BPH can lead to urinary retention, where the bladder is unable to empty completely, increasing the risk of urinary tract infections, bladder Stones and renal failure.”Dr Boga said that the novel treatments offer more targeted and effective solutions with fewer side effects. He stated: “The prostate is a gland found only in males. The prostate is located just below the bladder and surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body.”Dr Boga remarked that treatment options for BPH vary depending on the severity of the symptoms and may include medication, minimally invasive procedures or surgery.The physician noted: “Alpha blockers, and 5-alpha reductase inhibitors medications relax the muscles of the prostate and bladder neck and also sometimes shrink the prostate by blocking the hormone that causes prostate growth helping to improve urine flow. The side effects of the medication include dizziness, fatigue, among others,” stated the physician.He has also recommended some surgical options for the prostrate treatment such as Rezum, Transurethral resection of the prostate, holmium laser enucleation of the prostate, transurethral needle ablation, Prostatic urethral lift, Prostatic Artery Embolisation and Open or Robot-assisted prostatectomy.Among these treatments, Rezum is one of the most popular next-generation prostate therapy, noted the doctor.“Rezum prostate surgery is a minimally invasive treatment for BPH that uses water vapour (steam) to reduce the volume of the prostate. The procedure is designed to alleviate symptoms such as frequent urination, weak stream, and difficulty starting urination, without the need for more invasive surgery,” highlighted Dr Boga.He continued that the procedure involves inserting a small device into the urethra, through which water vapour is delivered directly into the prostate tissue. The steam causes the targeted prostate cells to die, which are then absorbed by the body, resulting in a reduction of prostate volume and relief of symptoms.

Assisted Home Haemodialysis (AHHD), a national programme in Qatar is a pathbreaker in many ways, according to an article in Qatar Medical Journal and featured on QScience.com recently.“The programme stands as a testament to Hamad Medical Corporation’s unwavering commitment to excellence," says the article ‘Qatar’s assisted home haemodialysis programme: A beacon of hope for the vulnerable patient.”"This innovative care model is tailored to address the distinct challenges of haemodialysis patients, particularly the elderly, who require ambulance transport.”AHHD initiative, sponsored by the Ministry of Public Health and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), is specifically designed to address the quality-of-life needs and pressing concerns of the elderly dialysis population in Qatar, who rely primarily on ambulance transportation. This approach aims to reduce hospitalisations, medical costs, strain on ambulance services and dialysis capacity, and improve overall care.According to the authors of the article, AHHD provides the haemodialysis patients, especially the elderly with the convenience of at-home dialysis with the full support of dedicated nursing care. AHHD included 76 patients from July 2021 to December 2022. It has significantly improved patients’ quality of life, achieving an exceptional 99% satisfaction rate with an extremely low complication rate.Home haemodialysis is usually done as self-care by the patients themselves through a portable haemodialysis machine under training and monitoring by a dialysis team. It offers greater patient autonomy, cost benefits, and treatment-related flexibility, and its outcomes showed improved quality of life and patient survival compared to traditional in-centre haemodialysis.End-stage kidney disease prevalence has increased significantly in the last few decades and its prevalence is increasing in Qatar and is expected to go up by 30% by the end of 2030, say the writers of the article.Dialysis services in Qatar are solely provided by HMC and there are seven haemodialysis centres across Qatar. However, the long-distance travel and the three-weekly dialysis regimen may lead to burnout and missed treatment sessions.The frequent transportation of elderly dialysis patients with restricted mobility with constant movement between beds and stretchers or wheelchairs increase the risk of falls and fractures due to their mineral and bone disease related to age, risk factors.Moreover, strict regulations limit family members’ presence, further isolating them especially during Covid-19 times.The changes from in-centre dialysis to home haemodialysis met with some resistance and fear from patients and family members initially. This resistance was overcome by providing awareness, along with proof from evidence-based practices across the globe, illuminating the safety and efficacy of HHD.AHHD has also delivered tangible improvements in health outcomes, marked by a reduction in hospitalisations, decreased transmission of Covid-19, cost-effectiveness, alleviating strain on ambulance services, and reducing demand for dialysis slots and manpower.The article suggests that initiating an AHHD programme emerges as a potential solution to enhance the overall well-being and care quality of the vulnerable elderly population. Addressing specialised transportation, cost-efficiency, personnel training, reduced wait times, improved patient comfort, and alternative care options can significantly improve the care experience by providing dialysis treatment in the comfort of their homes, vastly enhancing the care experience for elderly dialysis patients.The article concludes that the clinical and financial success of the AHHD programme positions it as a superior alternative to traditional in-centre dialysis, particularly in its capacity to cater to the needs of the most complex and challenging patient populations.

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) in collaboration with Hamad Medical Corporation ( HMC) and Primary Health Care Corporation, has launched a social media campaign to raise awareness about breastfeeding.While dispelling some of the common breastfeeding myths, the campaign aims to raise awareness about the benefits of breastfeeding and its lasting impact on the newborns. The World Breastfeeding Week is marked annually from August 1 to 7.Duaa Alafaghany, IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) and breastfeeding specialist at Women’s Wellness and research Centre, HMC, in a video on social media notes that there are several misconceptions about breastfeeding which have no scientific basis and explains them in detail.Several posts on the social media channels of MoPH and the partners highlight these myths regarding breastfeeding and the facts behind the same. One of the common myths is that breastfeeding is too difficult and painful. “ Many mothers experience discomfort in the first few days after giving birth as they learn how to breastfeed. However with the right support and positioning, this can be avoided,” highlights the campaign.Another myth is that not all mothers produce enough milk to breastfeed which is quite wrong as all mothers naturally produce enough milk to breastfeed their babies and frequent breastfeeding will induce and increase milk production.There is another prevalent misconception that babies should be disciplined from early age as breastfeeding and holding them when they cry, will spoil them and make them weak. However the fact is that babies cannot be spoiled at the early moments of life as they need love and responsive care. There is also a common belief that mothers cannot breastfeed after a C-section which is quite wrong as breastfeeding after a C-section is quite possible.The campaign is also raising awareness about a few more myths about breastfeeding. One of them is that an exclusively breastfed baby needs to have water occasionally. “Breastmilk is 80% water, especially the first milk that comes with each feed. Babies do need water before they are six months old even in a hot climate,” explains the campaign.Finally, another common misconception is that a baby cannot be breastfed if he or she is sick. However, the truth is that babies can be breastfed even if they are sick as breastfeeding boosts the immune system of the babies and the mothers’ antibodies are passed to the babies through breast milk helping the babies fight the illness or infections.

Precision medicine is set to change the landscape of healthcare in the coming days, a Qatar Foundation (QF) expert has said.Dr Said Ismail, acting president of QF’s Qatar Precision Health Institute, notes that precision medicine will change the future landscape of healthcare by reducing costs through focusing on preventing diseases rather than treating them, and allow patients to take greater responsibility for their care and the prevention of illness, leading to more accurate care and fewer side effects.Dr Ismail explained: “Many of our visits to the doctor in the future will focus on diseases that we may be at risk of contracting, rather than those that we have already contracted, as attention will focus on predicting and preventing future diseases and not just the individual’s medical history.”According to Dr Ismail, this change is very important, as the patient will co-operate with the doctor to develop a preventive pathway aimed at avoiding diseases, rather than simply treating them after they occur. This will cut the cost of care and also provide more information to the patient about his health, with artificial intelligence technologies supporting the handling of vital healthcare data.“Given the different response of individuals to medications, the first application in the clinical field will be to customise treatment for everyone based on his personal response,” he says. “This means that we will move from the concept of ‘one treatment fits all’ to personalised and effective treatments, which will be adapted to the needs and responses of everyone.“Genetic screening programmes at birth will also be expanded, which means more diseases can be screened for from the moment of birth, and any potential health risks can be detected early.”Dr Ismail emphasises the importance of ensuring that everyone benefits from precision health care, saying: “To avoid exacerbating existing health gaps, precision health care must be built on a detailed understanding of the genetic makeup of the individual.“This requires an initial investment in genetic research for each ethnic group. With the support of other countries, developed countries with less capabilities can produce the necessary genetic data, which will also contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the human genetic map.”To maximise the effectiveness and benefit of precision healthcare, Dr Ismail says, healthcare workers must keep up with rapid developments in the field and have a basic level of knowledge about how genetic testing works and how to interpret such data in general.As an example of moving this strand of healthcare from the laboratory into direct clinical use, Dr Ismail points to a pioneering model for Qatar, where a genetic sequencing study conducted for a group of participants, revealed that some women carry a mutation in the two genes responsible for the familial pattern of breast cancer. They were contacted and early interventions were conducted, which helped detect tumours in their early stages and remove them.“The success of this experiment means that it can be generalised to other types of familial cancers,” he added. “It means we will be able to identify everyone who carries a genetic mutation that may threaten their life, and, within the healthcare system, provide them with preventive measures that reduce the possibility of this disease occurring.“This will enhance the translation of precision healthcare from research into preventive medical care in Qatar.”

An academic from Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) says that the rapid evolution in Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities makes it imperative to integrate media literacy into the educational frameworks.In an article in Al-Fanar Media, George Mikros, co-ordinator of the MA in Digital Humanities and Societies programme at College of Humanities and Social Sciences, HBKU, says the necessity for media literacy in education is not a new concept, but the urgency with which it must be integrated into curricula is unprecedented.“Today’s youth are growing up in a world where the lines between real and artificial are increasingly blurred. The content they consume—from educational materials to entertainment—is likely to be influenced or even generated by AI. This shift necessitates a new kind of literacy,” says Mikros.He says that the new wave of multimodal generative AI tools require an expansion of competencies.“Future generations need to distinguish between human-generated and AI-generated content in all modalities. They must understand the potential biases embedded within AI systems and the ethical implications of AI in media content creation. These skills are critical not only for making informed decisions about the content but also for participating responsibly in digital spaces,” he explains.The academic cautions that the implications of failing to equip the youth with the new AI skills are serious. “Without a proper understanding of digital media’s nature, young people are at risk of misinformation and manipulation. The ability of generative AI to produce convincing yet entirely fabricated audio and video content could lead to increases in ‘deepfakes’, sophisticated scams, and more subtle forms of influence that could sway public opinion or personal beliefs without critical scrutiny,” he points out.Mikros also argues the linguistic content that the generative AI models produce is restricted and exhibits reduced diversity in concepts and semantic dimensions compared to humans. He suggests: “As generative AI models will start being trained with more and more artificially generated data, we should expect the quality of the produced outputs to be diminished and the biases already existing in the human training data to be amplified and become prominent.”To address these challenges, the writer points to a multifaceted approach. He notes: “Educators need specialised support and training to navigate this new reality. Many teachers may feel ill-equipped to teach about technologies that they struggle to understand. Investment in professional development and resources that can help demystify AI for educators, is crucial to helping them feel empowered to teach these essential skills effectively.”The digital expert also suggests collaboration between educational institutions, technology companies, and policymakers to ensure that curriculum developments keep pace with technological advancements. He also points to the role of parents who play a critical role in fostering media literacy.The author feels that media literacy should not be seen as a static set of skills but a continuously evolving framework that adapts to new media landscapes. “The integration of robust media literacy into education is not just about protecting young minds—it is about preparing them to navigate and shape the digital world responsibly. By fostering a deep understanding of digital media’s workings, we empower future generations to not only consume content critically but also to influence the creation and use of technology in a way that benefits society,” Mikros added.

Qatar University (QU) has launched a research project aimed at introducing hydrogel agriculture for greenhouse farming in Qatar for the fi rst time. According to an article ‘Hydrogel Agriculture to Support Food Security in Qatar’ written by Prof Alaa AlHawari, department head of Civil and Architectural Engineering, College of Engineering, QU, one of the successful methods in promoting agricultural sustainability is the employment of hydrogels that are capable of absorbing water manifold their weight, retaining nutrients, and preventing soil erosion. Prof AlHawari notes: “Compost soil used in greenhouses has low retention of water.If compost soil is to be used for agriculture in an arid climate such as Qatar, the water retention of such soils should be enhanced to maintain a low food cost.” “Laboratory and fi eld experiments have demonstrated that hydrogel is a smart technique that could provide a water reservoir in soil that can be tapped into by plants in hot climate areas. Hydrogel helps to grow more food while using less water by mixing with the soil to capture the irrigation water near the plant; this will help the plants to grow more steadily over time,” he explained.The QU project suggests a novel hydrogel material, made of up to 99% weight of water and environmentally biodegradable, nontoxic and inexpensive materials. The hydrogel material was pilot tested at actual greenhouses in Agrico farm, a renowned farming facility in Qatar. The implementation of hydrogel agriculture is based on sandwiching a thin hydrogel layer inside the compost bags used in Agrico farm. The presence of this layer assists in reducing water losses by increasing the water retention capacity of the grow bag. The growth of plants, water and nutrients retention, and crop production for hydrogel-containing samples and control samples were closely monitored throughout the plantation process for comparison process.

A research project, being conducted at Central Laboratories Unit at Qatar University in co-operation with the Omar bin Abdul Aziz Secondary School for Boys of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, aims to study the possibility of removing pollution from solutions of heavy and rare elements using humic acid and natural clay. An article in the latest edition of QU Research Magazine by Dr Noora al-Qahtani, acting head of CLU, highlights that one of the most pressing environmental challenges in industrial and university sectors is the treatment and disposal of wastewater resulting from analytical activities, such as those in atomic spectroscopy laboratories. Large quantities of liquid waste that contain heavy and rare elements and other environmental pollutants are generated during various analysis processes depending on the nature of the analysed samples.This study looks into the possibility of the treatment of such wastewater. The use of natural, cheap and sustainable absorbents in the treatment of heavy metals is one of the most important methods that help in the safe disposal of these wastes. One of these absorbents is humic substances or what is known as organic materials that naturally exist in agricultural soil and riverbeds. They are natural polymeric materials that include different types of functional groups.The research plan for this study includes separation, purification and classification of humic acid extracted from agricultural manure and preparing humic acid complexes with metals for many heavy metal ions from wastewater in the Atomic Spectrometry Laboratory in the Central Laboratories Unit, which were found to contain many chemical pollutants of the environment upon analysis. It aims to study humic acid-mineral compounds using accurate laboratory wastewater solution and the compounds of elements with natural clay materials through accurate laboratory wastewater solutions. It will also look make a comparative study between the absorption of humic acid and natural clay for heavy and rare metals. And attempt to reach a preliminary design for a filter that contains humic acid and natural clay materials that would be applicable in the various development phases. The research looks at the possibility of using humic and clay materials to treat heavy and rare metal contamination since these materials have compound properties with heavy metals, which many other studies have referred to. The objectives of this study were to use natural organic polymers such as humic acid and natural clay to study the feasibility of these materials for removing heavy metals from wastewater in chemical laboratories.Through a carefully designed research programme, the team from CLU, along with a large group of students from the Chemistry and Earth Sciences major in the College of Arts and Sciences and Chemical Engineering major in the College of Engineering at QU collected samples of wastewater from various atomic spectroscopy analysis laboratories and measured its physical and chemical properties using the techniques and methods of equipment available. The research team is studying the effect of changing the weights of natural absorbents, the impact of increasing the time for pollutants to be exposed to absorbents, the effect of temperature change, the impact of change in the power of hydrogen and other factors. The elements that are studied to search for the best conditions for their removal include arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, manganese, nickel, lead, zinc, molybdenum, silver, barium and beryllium, which exist in the contents of the atomic spectrometer wastewater.