Kuwait hosts 'Precision Pediatrics' conference
Conference chair Dr. Hind Al-Sharhan announces the event will be held under the patronage of the Deputy Minister of Health
Translated by Qiyas from النهار — Original source
Dr. Hind Al-Sharhan, president of the “Precision Pediatrics: From Genomes to Care” conference, announced that the event will be held on October 9 and 10 at the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre, under the patronage and attendance of Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, Sheikh Dr. Salman Al-Khalifa Al-Sabah, and organized by the Kuwait Pediatric Society in collaboration with the Kuwait Academy for Rare Diseases and Philadelphia Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Al-Sharhan stated that the conference highlights the role of precision medicine in leveraging genetic information to improve disease diagnosis, guide the selection of the most appropriate treatment, and deliver care tailored to each patient’s needs. She added, “Patients and their families may face a long journey to reach a diagnosis, particularly in rare, genetic, and metabolic diseases. Genomics helps in understanding the causes of these conditions and guiding treatment and follow-up decisions. This is the core message of the conference: translating genetic knowledge into tangible benefits for patients and their families.”
She explained that the role of genetic testing extends to supporting informed decision-making in premarital and preconception screening, as well as prenatal diagnosis, thereby enhancing prevention, early care, and genetic counseling for families.
The conference brings together a distinguished group of experts and specialists from Kuwait, the Gulf region, and beyond to discuss the latest advances in genetic diagnosis and targeted therapies, and to exchange experiences on applying precision medicine in clinical practice.
The scientific program covers experiences with genomic and premarital screening programs in the region, genetic sequencing in infants, metabolic and mitochondrial diseases, precision medicine in diabetes and obesity, and molecular diagnosis of pediatric tumors. It also addresses prenatal diagnosis, emerging techniques for in utero treatment and gene editing, data privacy and security of genetic information, medical liability, and the economics of rare diseases.
