UAE to host International MPS Network Conference in 2028
The UAE Rare Disease Society has won the bid to bring the International MPS Network Conference to the country in 2028, a first for the Middle East and North Africa and a boost for national rare-disease strategy.
UAE secures IMPSN 2028 as part of national push on rare diseases
The UAE Rare Disease Society has won the bid to host the International MPS Network (IMPSN) Conference in 2028, becoming the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to stage the event. The announcement was made during the opening of the 4th International UAE Rare Disease Society Congress in Dubai.
Dr Noha Al Zaabi, President of the 4th International UAE Rare Disease Society Congress, Consultant in Genetic and Metabolic Disorders and Board Member of the UAE Rare Disease Society, described the win as a historic milestone that underlines the UAE’s growing role in rare disease care, research and international collaboration. The congress, she said, functions as both a scientific forum and a family-centred platform to translate knowledge into earlier diagnosis, better treatments and stronger support systems.
Speakers noted the scale and breadth of the congress programme: more than 70 speakers and session chairs, including 15 international speakers, approximately 43 lectures, nine scientific and family workshops, and six specialised symposia. The agenda spans premarital genetic screening, newborn screening with advanced sequencing technologies, laboratory diagnostics, innovative therapies and gene therapy, as well as ethical issues and the interpretation of genetic test results.
Dr Hussein Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector at the Ministry of Health and Prevention, emphasised the federal leadership’s focus on prevention, early diagnosis, precision medicine and modern genomic technologies. He said the Ministry remains committed to strengthening premarital genetic screening, newborn screening programmes and diagnostic capabilities to reflect rapid advances in genomic and personalised medicine.
Delegates underlined that scientific progress alone is not sufficient: translating discoveries into real-world benefit depends on earlier diagnosis, clear referral pathways, empowered clinicians and closer collaboration across health, academic, research and social sectors. The congress therefore dedicates considerable space to family-led initiatives, psychological and social support, inclusion of people of determination and measures to improve quality of life.
The family track of the congress, aligned with the UAE’s Year of the Family, highlights government services, premarital genetic screening and the launch of new support and advocacy groups. Sessions also examined the transition from paediatric to adult metabolic care, long-term follow-up, late-presenting symptoms and multisystem complications in inherited metabolic diseases.
Organisers said hosting IMPSN in 2028 will further raise the UAE’s profile as a hub for international collaboration on mucopolysaccharide and related disorders, and provide a platform to share expertise with clinicians, researchers, patient advocates and families from the region and beyond.
Source: WAM