The UAE celebrated the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness on December 27, highlighting the significance of global solidarity and partnerships amid the ongoing efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The United Nations (UN) launched the annual International Day of Epidemic Preparedness with the aim of promoting the importance of preventive action against epidemics.

On the occasion, a WAM report has hailed the UAE's efforts at the frontline of the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The UAE has emerged as one of the key supporters of global efforts aimed at preventing the spread of several viral diseases that poses grave risks to the safety of humanity.

The UAE provided humanitarian and financial initiatives which played a crucial role in supporting various medical and healthcare programmes, UAE's initiatives helped at launching significant vaccination campaigns and rolling out vaccines for a number of viral diseases across the world, most notably against Cholera, Malaria, Guinea Worm (Dracunculus medinensis) and Poliomyelitis.

The COVID-19 pandemic underlined the crucial role played by the UAE and its leadership in addressing viral diseases, as it provided urgent medical and humanitarian aid to more than 100 countries which assisted the efforts of millions of frontline workers to battle the pandemic.

At the local level, the UAE has set some paramount examples by its initiatives against the pandemic since the early onset of the global health crisis. From a high number of daily tests to monitoring and checking the spread of the virus and responding to the needs of the health sector, the UAE ensured all efforts necessary to combat the disease.

The UAE was one of the first countries to launch specialist centres for diseases and epidemics, called "Coronavirus Control Centres." These centres cooperated with relevant authorities to draft proactive response and strategic plans to combat epidemics.

During May 2020, the UAE government held a meeting titled "Preparations for the post-coronavirus, COVID-19, period," during when it was revealed by the authorities that it is drafting a national preparedness and future epidemics management strategy to address future challenges. The authorities also highlighted that the health sector is working on various innovative ways to provide necessary healthcare services to the people in need, such as telemedicine and digital medicine. The government has also increased investment in medicine and vaccine production with the aim of combatting future epidemics.

In April 2020, the Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation in Dubai launched the "Let's Advance Our Nation’s Health" initiative in partnership with Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, with the goal of fighting COVID-19, supporting the efforts to eliminate diseases and epidemics, and boosting health and medical research.

It is been almost three decades that the UAE leadership has been working to support the efforts to prevent diseases that pose severe threats to mankind. Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE's Founding Father, was among the first of many who made efforts to support global initiatives to combat future diseases. Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan's legacy continues to guide the country's initiatives under the leadership of President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

WAM