The workshop on "Prevention, Diagnosis & Treatment of Osteoporosis for ECO Member States" was held at the Headquarters of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, organized by Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute (EMRI) in collaboration with the ECO Secretariat, on 17-19 October 2010.
Delegates from seven (7) ECO Member States namely, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic of Iran (Host), Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, participated in the Workshop. The WHO representative of Iran and the head of the Iranian Osteoporosis Society (IOS) also presented a lecture in the opening ceremony.
The objectives of this workshop were to:
- Acknowledge osteoporosis as a chronic disease and establish effective measures to reduce the number of the sufferers in the future;
- Provide the participants the most updated knowledge in the field of osteoporosis in order to help physicians improve the quality of care in osteoporotic patients;
- Highlight, through deliberations of the workshop, the strong or vulnerable points of Member States, which might lead to formulate a more practical joint work plan to overcome the increasing problem of osteoporosis.
- Emphasize on the importance to take preventive measures to reduce osteoporosis and its complications by: Public education, Life Style Modification, Screening and Treatment.
- The workshop also served as an initial step in improving the research and educational collaboration in the region, conducting multicentric studies and providing a regional guideline.
The workshop was conducted in an interactive manner and the programme consisted of presentations, discussions and visits to Bone Mineral Densitometry (BMD) Centre and EMRI Laboratories. The presentations covered most of the aspects of Prevention, Diagnosis & Treatment of Osteoporosis. During the presentations, the participants were invited to share their experiences and achievements made by their respective countries relating to the areas covered in the presentations. Questions raised by the participants were addressed by the presenters and the facilitators.
Dr. Alireza Mesdaghinia, Deputy Iranian Health Minister, inaugurated the Workshop. Dr. Aghaei Meybodi, Scientific Secretary of the course, Dr. Mohammad Pajouhi, Vice President of EMRI, Amb. Hassan Taherian, the ECO Deputy Secretary General and Dr. M. H. Nicknam, Acting Health Minister for International Affairs, also made statements during the Opening Ceremony.
During the workshop, scientific presentations on the following subjects were delivered by the Iranian eminent experts and scientists: Overview of Osteoporosis, Pathophsiology of Osteoporosis, Clinical Aspects & Complications, Screening for Osteoporosis, Certain Deficiencies & Osteoporosis, Secondary Osteoporosis, Overview of Osteoporosis in Women and men, Bone Evaluation (Imaging Methods), Osteoporotic Fracture Risk assessment, Overview of Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry, Prevention and Treatment, Prevention and treatment of Glucocorticoid-induced Osteoporosis (GIOP), Monitoring & Follow up.
On the first and second days of the Workshop the participants were divided into two groups to visit the BMD Center and EMRI Laboratory. In the EMRI Laboratory the participants witnessed the process of separation of vitamin-D from milk and in the BMD Center They were briefed about the establishment and its functions. They witnessed the process of bone mineral densitometry examination and assessment of a patient, too. During the visits the participants asked question and were answered by the relevant officials.
At the last leg of the Workshops, the participants were taken to see Milad Tower Complex. The participants thanked the host Authorities, particularly the Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute, and the ECO Secretariat for making excellent arrangements for the Workshop.
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