Dr. Ansam Sawalha, Director of the Poison Control and Drug Information Center (PCDIC), participated in the first Arab Toxicology Conference held at Abu Dhabi and it was organized by the Poison Center at United Arab Emirates and the Health Authority at Abu Dhabi (HAAD). Participants came from many different countries including toxicologists from USA, UK, Palestine, and KSA.

Several papers were presented at the conference including the toxicity resulting from medications and other chemicals.  The majors aims of the conference were to explain the services provided by the poison centers, explain to participants how evidence-based medicine and other clinical data is being used in the management of poisoning, and explain the importance of having a network of specialists in the Arab region.

Three workshops were organized to discuss antidote stocking, household cleaning products toxicity, and trace elements toxicity in humans.  These workshops aimed at training the participants (doctors and pharmacists) on the management of poisoning cases that might result from various toxicants such as cleaning agents, pesticides, medications, and many others.

Dr. Sawalha indicated that the presentations given at the conference aimed at preventing poisoning and how to manage poisoning cases and the importance of the Poison centers role in this regard in addition to providing updated information on the management of rare cases.  She also mentioned that the participants discussed the importance of having a data base for poisoning cases to share with all poison centers.  Results have shown that more than 83% of poisoning cases are being managed at homes after calling the poison centers and getting the instructions from them, this indicates the importance of having such centers at every country.

Additionally, the poison centers should play a role in alarming decision makers to the proper decisions to be taken in cases of massive toxicological emergencies. Dr. Sawalha added that this conference had among its goals the idea of forming a network of health care providers in order to lift up the status of information providing services.

Dr. Sawalha also attended a meeting to study the possibility of cooperation between the various centers.  Attendees of this conference were representatives from UAE, KSA, and Palestine.  Participants agreed to form a network between them that will have its own mission, goals, and structure.  This network will also exchange data between each others, and conduct joint research.  Dr. Sawalha invited the participants to adopt the Palestinian experience to their countries especially the idea of holding a poison prevention week and to agree on a week in which all the countries will carry such a week all together.