Every year the World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 but this year it is a little more special than before. Last year, the coronavirus pandemic was at its peak this time and the frontline heroes were credited for all the hard work they have been putting in. This year too, their efforts have been acknowledged but along with the efficiency with which the government has handled the pandemic.

The United Arab Emirates has joined hands with the International community to mark World Health Day amidst the covid-19 pandemic. This year along with the last year marked the importance of health for a person. The United Nations too stressed on its importance and said that it is the greatest challenge since World War II.

On this day, the WHO has invited the international community to join a new campaign, which is aimed at building a more healthy world for people to live in. This is especially even more significant as the pandemic has brought into view that on one side certain people had access to all the amenities while others had to live in a more vulnerable environment.

There were sections of the society where people were unable to make their ends meet, putting their lives at greater risk. There were issues with employment, job opportunities, education, housing certain surveys showed an increase in gender inequality also.

The WHO called out on the world leaders saying that due to these unfair practices, it is important that everyone comes together. The health organization also urged leaders to ensure that people are guaranteed quality health services whenever they need them.

All the top diplomats emphasized that the most affected people during the pandemic were the vulnerable communities. They are the ones who are most exposed to the disease are the ones who do not have quality healthcare services. The world is looking at all the possibilities in every capacity. This is especially disastrous as the number of cases has reached 131.57 million all over 210 countries.

The UAE has been very successful in handling the coronavirus pandemic and addressing the situation that all the sections of society are going through. The readiness of the Emirati nation was highlighted in the meeting. Other than that, the fact that the country ranks second among all the countries that are inoculating its population. The country has already administered 8,596,722, a rate of 86.92 doses for every 100 persons.

It also launched ‘National Sterilisation Programme that aims at spreading the idea of vaccination in the country. The country also became the first country to introduce innovative treatments for the virus. One of such treatments is stem cell therapy. Another factor in the UAE becoming a successful example when it comes to handling the pandemic was starting a free-of-charge vaccination drive.

This year in March, the UAE authorities announced that it was also going ahead with its ‘Hayat Vax’ coronavirus vaccines, which will be the first locally-made vaccine in the region. Followed by the announcement, it also said that a research and development center will also be started, which will be specialized in life and biotechnology.

The UAE has been credited for its handling of the pandemic and it has been immensely successful. The most significant mark of this is that the UAE has been ranked first globally in terms of the number of accredited health establishments, including hospitals. These hospitals have also obtained JCU accreditation.

One of the recent surveys also showed that the health sector is the fastest-growing sector in the UAE. The coming decade shows that the health sector is projected to pass 300 percent of the growth rate. The UAE vision 2021 National Agenda is also with specific consideration for the health system. The vision aims to ensure prevention and reduce rates of cancer and other lifestyle and chronic health diseases. 

WAM