A leading expert on blood transfusion services has lauded Dubai for being a backbone in the field and setting up services to improve blood transfusion safety globally.

Speaking at the MEDLAB Exhibition and Congress in Dubai today, Dr Jean-Claude Faber, President of Luxembourg Haemophilia Association, said the UAE could be considered the "capital" of haemovigilance globally, which is the procedure of reporting undesirable effects of transfusion to ensure safety, efficiency and efficacy of blood transfusion.

Faber explained to attending delegates that the UAE has been home to many "important events" related to haemovigilance, and the key outcome from the WHO Global Consultation on Haemovigilance, held in Dubai in 2012, resulted in a global agreement to establish national haemovigilance systems.

The four-day event that will continue till 9th February, offers 11 CME-accredited multi-disciplinary conferences featuring topics such as laboratory management, molecular diagnostics and clinical chemistry.

Spread over six exhibition halls at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, the event accommodates more than 700 local and international exhibitors, over 400 ground-breaking medical laboratory products and services, and is expected to welcome 30,000-plus laboratory and trade professionals. MEDLAB aims to further collaboration between laboratories and clinicians to bridge the gap and lead towards better holistic patient care in the region.

Led by Dr May Yassin Raouf, Head and Medical Director of Dubai Blood Donation Centre, the Blood Transfusion Medicine Conference under the congress, being held for the first time in the region, saw a number of leading international experts discuss a host of pertinent topics in the field of blood transfusion.

During the session held this morning, Faber stressed the importance of blood donation, saying, "globally there are still challenges and risks when it comes to blood transfusion practices" and the "real risk for patients is a lack of blood."

Faber said haemovigilance is "a must" to ensure high-quality patient care, and lauded the UAE’s efforts in establishing an effective system to reduce risks and ensure top safety standards in blood transfusion services.

The past two days of the congress saw the introduction of cutting edge products to the UAE market, including a protein system that can process complex protein assays (a test that measures the amount of protein in a solution) 40 percent faster than other systems of its kind and a new line of products designed for experimentation with different cells when they are grown in an artificial environment.

During the congress, the focus has also been on a number of topical issues such as the use of cardiac markers - biomarkers measured to evaluate heart function - in acute coronary syndromes, chronic heart failure and non-cardiac conditions. With three in 10 deaths in the UAE attributed to heart conditions, having access to the latest research in the field of cardiac care will help assist the authorities in creating future strategies and plan effective initiatives for non-communicable health issues like heart conditions.