Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, U.A.E. Minister of Finance and President of Dubai Health Authority, and with the participation of the World Health Organisation, the 1st Non-Communicable Diseases Congress (NCD) in the U.A.E., is to be held in Dubai from 9th to 11th of January. The conference, whose scientific programme is accredited from the U.A.E. Ministry of Health with 15 CME hours, deals with cardiac diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancers and kidney disease. Prof. Najib Al Khaja, Secretary-General of the Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences and the President of the Conference, said, "For the first time in the Middle East, the Hamdan Medical Award organises the conference in collaboration with the U.A.E. Ministry of Health, Dubai Health Authority, the Oncology Services, Mafraq Hospital, in addition to four U.A.E. medical associations: Emirates Diabetes Society, Emirates Cardiac Society, Emirates Society of Nephrology and Emirates Respiratory Society. Al Khaja referred to the importance of the conference and praised the support from H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum for the health sectors locally and regionally, and his keenness on supporting methods of communication between local health institutions and international scientific institutes to benefit from their experience in this field. "In collaboration with Hamdan Medical Award, the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the WHO will organise the pre-Congress Symposium on January 9th. The symposium is scheduled to review the agenda for NCD prevention and control in the Eastern Mediterranean, the experience of some countries in NCD prevention and control, the U.A.E. National Programme for Tobacco Control, the U.A.E. National Programme for NCD control and ways to be activated on the ground," Al Khaja said. "One of the main objectives of the conference is raising public awareness towards the importance of preventing non-communicable diseases. In this context, the Majid Al Futtaim Charity Foundation is hosting an event to honour the winners in the competition held for the best advertising posters by school students, grades six to nine, on the theme of life-style modification to prevent non-communicable diseases.