UAE launches campaign to tackle diabetes pandemic

Dubai: The UAE on Wednesday launched a multi-million-dirham campaign against diabetes, specifically targeting mothers, in a bid to halt the pandemic which the minister of health said will take years to contain.

GulfNews.com

Dr Hanif Hassan, Minister of Health, said the ministry is working with Johnson & Johnson, which he said is a "wonderful example of public and private sector cooperation to serve the community".

He said 24 per cent of the UAE population (1.4 million people) suffers from diabetes. "There are so many patients in hospitals suffering from other complications from the disease," he said, adding that the government spends a "huge amount of money" on treatment of diabetics.

The Cabinet has approved the ministry's suggestion that 2009 be the year to fight diabetes, the minister said. "We need to educate and make people aware of the disease," he said. The slogan of the campaign is ‘Learn, Prevent, Control'.

The minister said researchers are needed and the ministry is looking and learning from international good practices.

Wim Boogaerts, Chairman of Johnson & Johnson Corporate Citizenship Trust - Middle East, said the "Healthy Family" initiative is being funded for three years.

"Walkathons and giving out free T-shirts is good, but it is the day after that counts," he said. "You need something sustainable." He said that it is not the doctors and nurses, but people at home who can make a big impact on lifestyle choices.

He said as early screening is important, it will start at schools and then continue in shopping malls and companies. The executive said as part of the strategy doctors and nurses will be trained on the management of diabetes.

He said the Juvenile Diabetes Education Centre, which was established last year in the Dubai Healthcare City has helped people manage and live with the disease

Ad spendature ROLLERCOASTER

Just last year, Outdoor advertising grew fastest, while print advertising came second and advertisements on television came third, according to Abdul Rehman Falaknaz, president of Falak Holding and international expo consultants.

The UAE Ad world was expanding its growth by 22%!

but thnx to those *Swear word plural* who helped speed up Mr Recession, it's now dropped by 14% according to the Pan Arab Research Center (PARC).

The drop was led by advertising in the property and financial services markets, which declined 60 per cent and 46 per cent respectively compared with last year. Advertising spending in the first quarter dropped 26 per cent in Arabic newspapers and 23 per cent in English newspapers. Magazines recorded a 4 per cent drop.

Another reason why it might have dropped is probably because...oh i dunno ... mayyyyybe its cuz no one's paying up! According to the IAA Advertising and media agencies operating in the UAE are owed about $150 million from the public and private sectors.

But the ADCCI seem to have a positive outlook expecting an 8% Increase...


Roller coaster ride anyone?



http://www.gulfnews.com/BUSINESS/Media/10190816.html

http://mediame.com/news/research/parc_uae_advertising_spend_q1_2009_drops_14_cent_compared_last_year

http://business.maktoob.com/20090000003799/UAE_advertising_agencies_owed_$150_mln/Article.htm

http://www.ameinfo.com/205719.html

Ad Medium Sence?

So Dubai thinks they can cut down their Ad budgets by using cheaper or free-er outlets like the Radio and PR press releases... Well it doesn't always work like that!

Different media vehicles tailor different audiences, different needs and different outcomes!

Fine. The success rates of most companies arent going up, but they aren't dropping either. I think people should give advertising more credit!

On another note... did you know that PR is 7 times more trusted than Advertising and that it's 4x more effective? *Insert swear word hear*