|
Dear Colleagues:
On behalf of the Organizing Committee, it gives me a great pleasure to invite you to our Workshop on "Neonatal Screening in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Now & Future,"
which will be held on 16-17 March, 2004 (25-26 Muharram 1425). The workshop is hosted by the Department of Medical Genetics at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre - Riyadh.
Newborn screening to detect treatable metabolic and other disorders is now part of routine neonatal health care worldwide. Early medical intervention for those babies who are found affected can prevent
disabilities. Neonatal screening program should be comprehensive and well-organized to cover diagnosis, counselling, treatment and follow-up of affected babies. As it clearly implies, the success of such
important public health measure will never materialize without the harmonious and efficacious work of all pertinent health care providers in a setting of well-informed public.
The Scientific Program of the Workshop will cover different aspects of neonatal screening: the importance, strategies, difficulties, current global situation, relevant ethical issues, and professional and public
education. The program includes updated overviews on screening for inherited metabolic diseases, endocrine disorders, hemoglobinopathies, and hearing loss, with special focus on the challenges of implementing
such program in the Kingdom. The last session will discuss the implications of Genomics and DNA technology on screening, and the recent advances in prenatal and preimplantation diagnosis as preventive measures for
genetic disorders.
This workshop gets further importance as it coincides with the launching of phase I of the Saudi Newborn Screening Program. Your invaluable comments and discussions will impact the workshop recommendations to this
national program.
I warmly and proudly welcome you to the workshop and look forward to your active participation.
Sincerely Yours,
Zuhair Al-Hassnan, MD, FACMG
Chairman, Organizing Committee
|
