Qatar University College of Health Sciences (QU-CHS) organised on April 5 a community outreach event to mark the 2017 World Health Organisation Day.
Themed “Depression: let us talk”, the event aimed to raise awareness on depression, its causes, consequences such as suicide, and ways of treatment and prevention.
Attendees included CHS Dean and QU Biomedical Research Center (BRC) Director Dr Asma Al Thani along with QU faculty, students and staff.
Lectures were delivered by CHS Associate Professor and Head of Human Nutrition Department Dr Abdelhamid Kerkadi, CHS Associate Professor of Nutrition Dr Vijay Ganji, CHS Biomedical Department Associate Professor of Pathophysiology and Endocrinology Dr Nasser M Rizk, CHS Associate Professor of Health Economics Dr Shafqat Shehzad, CPH Assistant Professor of Pharmacology Dr Shankar Munusamy, HMC Senior Consultant Mental Hospital Dr Abdel Monem Abdel Hakim, HMC FRCPsych Senior Consultant Psychiatrist and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) Dr Suhaila Ghuloum, and Qatar Armed Forces Medical Services Consultant Dr Asma Amin at the event.
They discussed several issues related to depression including “What is Depression?”, “Burnout syndrome and depression”, “Depression in young adults”, “Vitamin D Deficiency and Depression”, “Genetic and Depression”, “Economy and Depression”, “Obesity and depression”, and “Drugs side effects and its relation to depression”.
A poster session was presented by CHS students on “Postpartum Depression”, “Geriatric Depression”, and “Genetic Depression”.
Dr Asma Al Thani noted that depression affects people of all ages and it may occur with other serious medical illnesses. She said: “Depression impacts people’s ability to earn a living and to carry out simplest everyday task.
She added: “This event comes as part of CHS commitment to raise community awareness on health issues that are relevant to the Qatari society. I would like to express my appreciation to all those who participated in this event and I applaud their energetic efforts in supporting the full agenda on depression.”
