The First PAOS Bone Density Certification Course

PAN ARAB OSTEOPOROSIS SOCIETY (PAOS)

A SHORT HISTORY OF PAOS

In 1994, following the establishment of the Lebanese Osteoporosis Prevention Society (LOPS), Dr. Ghassan Maalouf, General Secretary of the Society, traveled the Middle East making extensive contacts with a view to setting up a Pan Arab Society.

Finally, in April of 1997, during the first Lebanese International Meeting on Osteoporosis, organized by LOPS and held at the Bustan Hotel in Beit Mery, delegates from five countries: Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates came to an agreement to establish the Pan Arab Osteoporosis Society. Dr. Samir Badawi from Egypt was elected to be the president of PAOS and Dr. Ghassan Maalouf was elected to be the General Secretary.

PAOS principal objectives are to establish osteoporosis societies throughout the Arab World, and to promote awareness of osteoporosis among the general public and health professionals in the region. PAOS also aims to encourage research into osteoporosis and its prevention and, in particular, to establish BMD references for the populations of the Arab World.

Over the next few years, PAOS acquired many new members, Syria (1997), Kuwait (1997), Oman (1997), Saudi Arabia (1998), Palestine (1998), Morocco (1999) and Bahrain (2000) joined, often officially establishing societies and membership to the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) at later dates. Qatar and Libya have also recently joined.

In 2002, Dr. Leith Zakraoui (President, Tunisian Osteoporosis Prevention Society) was elected to become president of PAOS while Dr. Basel Masri (President, Jordanian Osteoporosis Prevention Society - JOPS) was elected to become General Secretary.

Osteonews, a quarterly journal published in Beirut by the society, is distributed to over 7,000 doctors and health care professionals in the Arab World and reports on PAOS events.