INSIGHTS FROM AN EMCH WORKSHOP: LEARNINGS FROM A RECENT CONFERENCE

—– Ifsia Mahin

Type 2 diabetes is a serious health issue that affects millions of people around the world. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Bangladesh will have the 8th highest number of adults with diabetes in 2021. As the number of diabetes cases continues to rise, it is essential to develop interventions that can help reduce the health risks associated with the disease.

Recently, a workshop was held that focused on “Diabetes and Smoking Cessation (DISC).” In this workshop, professionals discussed the need for a randomized control trial (RCT) to assess the long-term effects of a tobacco harm reduction product (ONPs—oral nicotine pouches) on smoking cessation and health outcomes among Type 2 diabetes patients who smoke cigarettes and also discussed the purpose of a workshop that disseminates this clinical prospective RCT design for smokers with Type 2 diabetes who want help to quit smoking. We’ll dive into the details of the workshop in this post, so let’s get started!

The workshop was well attended, with 50 participants in total, 16 of whom were female and the remaining men. The guests of honor included Dr. Anawarul Quader Nazim, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of EMCH; Shams Md. Enam, Director of EMCH; and Dr. Farhana Haseen, Head of Longitudinal Research from CSUR, UK. The workshop was led by Asif Moinur Chowdhury, Head of Research at ACE, with Dr. Farhana Haseen providing the keynote address. The workshop included presentations, discussions, and questions about the long-term health effects of smoking cessation in type 2 diabetic smokers. The workshop was a great success, with a keynote speech from Dr. Farhana Haseen, Head of Longitudinal Research at CSUR, UK. The discussion focused on the high rates of complications from smoking among diabetic patients and how to best implement smoking cessation interventions. Throughout the workshop, we heard from different experts about their own experiences and perspectives on the matter and the potential of clinical research to provide insights and answers about the safety and effectiveness of tobacco harm reduction products.

During an open conversation, some of the participants offered their opinions on the benefits and drawbacks of this clinical trial and inquired about the effects of oral nicotine pouches on health outcomes and smoking cessation. Dr. Nafis Rahman, consultant, and Dr. As-Saba Hossain, health specialist, CSUR, define the participants statistically.

The Director of EMCH, Shams Md. Enam, stressed the significance of smoking cessation in type 2 diabetes smokers and the need for proper plan implementation to guarantee that the benefit can be realized as soon as possible. The Chief Executive Officer of EMCH, Dr. Anawarul Quader Nazim, Ph.D., acknowledged his joy at joining this trial as a clinical partner in his remarks.

Md. Tanver Hossain, Executive Director of ACE, concluded by thanking all the visitors, panelists, and attendees for their knowledge and experience.