For two days 3-4 of October the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre hosted a high-level delegation from the France Pasteur Institute in a scientific symposium in the field of infectious diseases. The symposium was led by His Excellency Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, and His Excellency Matar Saeed Al Nuaimi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre. Within the framework of the memorandum of understanding that took place between the two organisations last July 2022, during the visit of the United Arab Emirates President “may God protect him” to the Republic of France.
On this occasion, His Excellency Matar Saeed Al Nuaimi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre said: “Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre plays a pivotal role in supporting one of the main programs in the health field within the UAE-France strategic partnership (2020-2030), where cooperation with the leading global public health authorities in the European Union and the French Republic, such as the French Pasteur Institute, constitutes an important and historic step towards advancing cooperation between the two organisations in the health field to greater and broader horizons. This symposium is considered a continuation of cooperation in the sector among the main achievements of the sector is the French-Emirati Strategic Dialogue Program "UAE -France Strategic dialogue”، which will enhance the country’s position in this field, achieve sustainable development in the country and enhance its position and competitiveness, He added: We aspire to develop human capabilities as well as material capabilities to enhance our capabilities in scientific research and medical education in the field of infectious diseases response and emergency preparedness. The symposium is gathering experts and scientists from UAE and France ( Pasture Institute) to present the research in different topics related to the control of infectious diseases and preparedness to explore further collaborations in this area which is vital for public health and future readiness to deal with emerging infections.
The visiting delegation, headed by Professor Stuart Cole - President of Pasteur, included a group of scientists and experts, representatives from the health and academic sector in UAE namely NYU Abu Dhabi, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, United Arab Emirates University, G42 Healthcare and Union 71 Medical Company, Facility Management LLC Abu Dhabi, Mubadala Healthcare and Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Centre.
Professor Stewart Cole, President of the Pasteur Institute, said: “We are pleased with this visit, which is a continuation of the close cooperation, communication and coordination. It also enhances our capabilities as a public health entity that uses advanced technology to confront, monitor and respond to epidemics. We will also be able to exchange information related to public and preventive health with the United Arab Emirates, one of the countries that ranked best in the world in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic."
It is worth mentioning that this partnership seeks to enhance the joint efforts in a number of the key aspects related to public health research, including communicable diseases, preventative health, education and innovation. In the next stage, the memorandum also will tackle establishing a branch for the Pasteur Institute in Abu Dhabi to boost the integration of medical research to combat pathogens, especially new emerging around the world.
The Pasteur Institute is a private, non-profit foundation that aims to prevent and treat diseases, mainly those of infectious origin, through research, education and public health initiatives. It is also specialized in biology, microbes, diseases and vaccines. For more than a century, it has been at the fore in the fight against infectious diseases. It also achieved many scientific discoveries that enabled modern medicine to confront diseases.
