• The Women’s Health Leadership Forum at Medlab Middle East will be centred on ‘Advancing Women’s Health Through Laboratory Diagnostics’
• The new forum will underscore the importance of early detection and prevention for breast cancer, cervical cancer, PCOS, and reproductive health disorders
• The forum will be chaired by Dr Kadria Sayed, Consultant in Anatomical and Clinical Pathology at American Hospital Dubai and will feature renowned global experts in women’s health

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 28 November 2024: The upcoming edition of Medlab Middle East, the region’s largest medical laboratory exhibition and conference, will spotlight women’s health through a dedicated forum featuring regional leaders in the healthcare and laboratory fields.

Taking place on the opening day of Medlab Middle East on 3 February, the Women’s Health Leadership Forum will unite female leaders from laboratories, healthcare, and the pharmaceutical industry to discuss the pivotal role that laboratory diagnostics play in advancing women’s health. 

Themed, ‘Advancing Women’s Health Through Laboratory Diagnostics’, the forum aims to showcase cutting-edge innovations, address key challenges, and uncover collaboration opportunities that will enhance diagnostic capabilities for women-specific health needs. In addition, the event will highlight the ongoing contributions made by attending experts in advancing women’s health in laboratory diagnostics. 

With sessions focused on ‘The Impact of Diagnostic Innovation on Women’s Health’ and ‘Tailored Diagnostics for Women’, the forum will highlight how emerging diagnostic tools contribute to early detection, prevention, and the treatment of health conditions, including breast cancer, PCOS, and reproductive health disorders. In addition, participants will examine how personalised diagnostics can revolutionise hormonal and chronic disease management, offering new paths for individualised care.

The conference chair for the Women’s Health Leadership Forum at Medlab Middle East is Dr Kadria Sayed, Consultant in Anatomical and Clinical Pathology and Chief of the Pathology and Laboratory Department at the American Hospital in Dubai. Prior to her current position, Dr Sayed worked as an Assistant Professor at the University of Arkansas and the Arkansas Children’s Hospital in the United States. 

Dr Sayed commented: “The new Women’s Health Leadership Forum at Medlab Middle East represents an invaluable opportunity to harness the power of laboratory diagnostics, to address women-specific health needs more effectively. Through collaboration and innovation, we aim to enhance diagnostic capabilities and be part of the drive to deliver more personalised, effective care for women in the region and worldwide.”

The forum will feature insights from highly regarded global leaders in women’s health, with Dr. Rita Nayar serving as the keynote speaker. Dr Nayar is Vice Chair of Education and Faculty Development and Director of Cytopathology in the Department of Pathology and a Professor of Pathology (Cytopathology) in Medical Education at Northwestern University, where she leads laboratory efforts to ensure the quality implementation of primary HPV screening. 

During the forum, Dr Nayar will address the importance of primary HPV screening, focusing on the self-sampling method. The human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the primary cause of cervical cancer, and research conducted by The Lancet Global Health in 2018, found that cervical cancer was the fourth most common cancer in women. The disease is also the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women in eastern, western, middle, and southern Africa. 

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the United States reports that the distribution of self-sampling kits for HPV has the potential to significantly increase screening rates, with the kits used in an NCI clinical trial shown to maintain high diagnostic accuracy. In addition, a systematic review commissioned by WHO examined the effectiveness and acceptance of HPV self-sampling among women. The review found that self-sampling significantly increased screening uptake, especially in low- and middle-income countries where access to healthcare is limited.

Medlab Middle East, the region’s largest medical laboratory exhibition and conference, will return to the Dubai World Trade Centre from 3-6 February 2025. A global hub for leaders in laboratory medicine, Medlab Middle East 2025 is expected to draw over 20,000 attendees and will feature 800 exhibitors from more than 40 countries. 

The sponsors for the Women’s Health Leadership Forum are DNK-Technologies, as the headline sponsor, and QuidelOrtho, as an associate sponsor. The forum will be held in Hall 1, Room 6 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.