Bioethics and the thorny question of diversity: The example of Qatar-based institutions hosting the World Congress of Bioethics 2024.

In 2022, the Research Center for Islamic Legislation & Ethics (CILE) and the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) submitted a proposal to host the 17th edition of the World Congress of Bioethics. After announcing that the CILE-WISH proposal was the winning bid, concerns were raised by bioethicists based in Europe and the USA. To address these concerns, the International Association of Bioethics (IAB) developed a dedicated FAQ section, in coordination with the host institutions, for the first time in IAB history. One-to-one communication ensued and individual responses were shared with these colleagues. As a continuation of this conversation, we (CILE Acting Director, WISH Research Fellow and Head of Content, and WISH CEO) address the concerns raised in the Letter-to-the-Editor of Bioethics by Graaf et al. As we support the call to revisit some contentious issues within the global community of bioethicists, we maintain that this should be based on meticulously discussed, informed, consistent and equitable criteria. We also argue that mutual learning from diverse cultures and moral traditions is the optimal way for our scholarly community to be truly global and to eschew the flaws ensuing from ethnocentric discourses.

Meeting the needs of autistic adults in Qatar: Stakeholder perspectives on gaps in services and priorities for future programming.

LAY ABSTRACT: Qatar is expanding the services that it offers for autistic people, but these services focus mainly on diagnosing and treating young children. Because there are not enough autism providers in Qatar and few opportunities for autistic youth to participate in the community, more and more autistic teens and young adults have unmet needs during their transition to adulthood. The goal of this study was to conduct a needs assessment of transition-age autistic youth in Qatar and their families in order to inform the development of an adult respite care and support center. Respite care is a service that provides families with stress relief and time to participate in activities that are more difficult to do when their loved one with a disability is with them. The objective of this study was to use family and stakeholder input to identify the needs and preferences for respite care for autistic youth in Qatar. The project was conducted with a local research team in Qatar and a team of clinical researchers in the United States specializing in autism. Stakeholders, including parents of autistic people and providers working with individuals with autism, completed surveys and participated in focus groups. Families and providers in Qatar were very interested increasing services for young adults with autism to improve quality of life, although wanted to make sure the service providers would be reliable and trustworthy. Implications from this study may substantially improve the lives of autistic adults in Qatar.

Ramadan daily intermittent fasting reduces objectively assessed habitual physical activity among adults.

BACKGROUND: Muslims around the world practice intermittent fasting during the month of Ramadan each year. We hypothesized that daily physical activity could be reduced among Muslims due to the inability to refuel and rehydrate in the fasting state. METHODS: A cohort study design among adults registered with national physical activity community program. Data from a pedometer-based community program was used to extract 3 months of daily step counts before, during, and after Ramadan for the past years (2013-2019). A survey was conducted among participants to determine fasting practice and other health and environmental factors. RESULTS: A total of 209 participants completed the survey and provided valid data on physical activity. During Ramadan, the average steps per day decreased significantly (- 385 ± SE 158) among participants who fasted (n = 151) p = 0.046 and increased (+ 731 ± SE 247) for the non- fasting participants (n = 58) p = 0.010. Fasting participants preferred before sunset (33.8%) or evening (39.7%) for physical activity. Whereas, non-fasting participants preferred early morning (34.5%). CONCLUSION: Fasting during Ramadan impacts the daily physical activity behavior among Muslims. Interventions should focus on creating awareness of the importance of maintenance of adequate physical activity for adults fasting during Ramadan.

Reimagining Innovation Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights From the WISH Innovation Programme.

The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) hosts two innovation competitions as part of its biennial healthcare conference. During the COVID-19 pandemic, WISH received more than 350 applications for both competitions, of which 31 were shortlisted to showcase at the WISH 2020 virtual summit. Of the 31 showcasing innovations, 11 (35.5%) had suggested an alternative use to their innovation as a contribution to the global fight against COVID-19. As such, this article explores the apparent and urgent need for the repurposing of healthcare innovations to reduce the costs and time associated with the conventional approach, in order to best respond to the demands of the global pandemic.

Effects of consanguinity in a cohort of subjects with certain genetic disorders in Qatar.

BACKGROUND: Consanguineous marriages are common in the Middle East including the Gulf countries. The rate of consanguinity in Qatar is approximately 54%, which are mainly first cousins' marriages. Previous studies showed that consanguinity increases the prevalence of birth defects and other genetic disorders. Thus, we studied the effects of consanguinity in a cohort of subjects with certain genetic disorders in Qatar. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at two centers in Qatar (Hamad Medical Corporation "HMC" and Shafallah "SC") including 599 Qatari families with certain types of genetic and nongenetic anomalies. RESULTS: Consanguineous marriages were seen in 397 of 599 (66.2%) Qatari families and first cousin group counts for 65% in Qatari population. In the total cohort and at HMC, all consanguineous marriages had a significantly higher risk of Autosomal Recessive disorders than nonconsanguineous marriages (total cohort: odds ratio (OR) = 1.72; 95% CI: 1.10, 2.71; p = .02; HMC: OR = 2.98; 95% CI: 1.37, 6.09; p = .005). On the other hand, at HMC, nonconsanguinity was significantly related to chromosomal abnormality (OR = 6.36; 95% CI: 1.13, 35.85; p = .036). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest a significant role of parental consanguinity in increasing the prevalence of genetic disorders; mainly Autosomal Recessive disorders. Chromosomal abnormality disorders were significantly higher among nonconsanguineous marriages. These results help better inform policy makers on social, educational, and public health initiatives that might mitigate the impact of genetic disease in the Qatari society.