Day: October 8, 2021

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UAEU celebrates World Space Week

AL AIN, This week, the United Arab Emirates University celebrates World Space Week, the annual event designated by the United Nations in 1999 to mark the contribution of science and technology to improvements in human life.

Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, University Chancellor and Cultural Adviser to the UAE President, used the occasion to praise the UAE leadership for announcing an Emirati mission to explore Venus, the solar system’s asteroid belt and achieve the first Arab vehicle landing.

He said, “This unprecedented initiative will be a historic achievement, adding a jewel to the UAE’s pioneering crown.”

He described this initiative as an expression of the great confidence placed in the UAEU by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

“I am grateful to them for their recognition of the university’s scientific expertise and research capacity and our ability to conduct experiments and tests necessary to this pioneering national project. I thank them for their faith in the nation’s capability to push the boundaries of space science and to use advanced technology to innovate and explore new horizons. They hold a deep belief in the UAE’s potential to enhance its global competitiveness and achieve its aspirations in the space sector,” he stated.

The theme of the 2021 celebration is “Women in Space”. Dr. Reem Fares, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics of the College of Science, said that Emirati women have leading positions in the country, and in the forefront is the Mother of the Nation, H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), Chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF).

Dr. Fares said the UAEU was proud that its alumnus Noura Al Matrooshi is one of the first Emirati astronauts. She said, “This highlights the university’s objective to foster students’ capability in scientific research by providing an innovative educational experience of the highest international standards. This year we have coordinated with the UAE Space Agency to organise our celebrations, which will be run by the College of Science, the National Centre for Space Science and Technology, and student clubs.”

Dr. Reem noted the UAE leadership had chosen the university to participate in the mission to explore Venus and the solar system’s asteroids. “It demonstrates the integrity of the university’s objectives to provide an excellent education in pure and applied science and research and to empower all its students to achieve distinction in their studies. The university aligns its work to the nation’s strategic vision for the next fifty years.”

Source: Emirates News Agency

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Ajman Tourism organises Masfout Mountain Bike Challenge

AJMAN, The Ajman Tourism Development Department (ATDD) today held the Masfout Mountain Bike Challenge, with many amateurs and professionals, led by the UAE National Road Race Team Captain and Asian Champion, Yousif Mirza participating.

This event was held in collaboration with “Endurance Sports Services”, and was part of Ajman’s sporting agenda to promote and support sports and a healthy lifestyle.

The staging of the bike challenge was in line with ATDD’s plan to boost and diversify the programmes it endorses, such as the importance of community sports and its culture, establish sports as an ideal lifestyle among citizens, and improve the diversity of tourism products in Ajman. It also focuses on sports tourism as a stable catalyst to attract visitors to the emirate and its surrounding areas, highlighting its captivating landmarks. It promotes Ajman as a regional and international tourist destination while highlighting the areas and landmarks across the emirate as ideal destinations for local and international tourists.

By organising the bike challenge, Ajman Tourism highlights the emirate as a distinguished sports tourism destination and promotes its position on the local and global tourism map. Masfout is considered Ajman’s hidden gem among locals for its high elevation compared to other surrounding cities, its famous rocky mountains, and its picturesque natural sceneries suitable for picnics and family outings.

The Masfout wilderness is considered a convenient place for mountain bikers and nature lovers. Its geographical location is reachable via several roads such as Dubai-Hatta Road and Sharjah-Kalba Road.

Winners of the 34.5 km, 23 km, and virtual races received gold, silver, and bronze medals.

Saud Aljasmi, Director of Events Department at the Ajman Tourism Development, stated that the department highly values motorcycle sports due to their growing popularity and role in boosting tourism in the emirate. The department also seeks to organise this challenge to diversify its programmes and activities.

The ATDD implemented all COVID-19 preventive measures throughout the challenge, and contestants were required to submit a negative PCR test.

The event was sponsored and supported by Ajman Media City Free Zone, Municipality and Planning Department – Masfout, Happiest Nation Volunteering Team, Pocari Sweat, Sharjah Triathlon Team, UAE Cycling Federation, Ajman Police, with the Saudi German Hospital, Ajman, as the medical sponsor.

Source: Emirates News Agency

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US climate envoy John Kerry congratulates UAE for ‘incredibly important’ Net Zero 2050 initiative

DUBAI, John Kerry, the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, led congratulations from world leaders and prominent environmental policy-makers to the UAE for its Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative, calling it an “incredibly important” step in combating climate change.

John Kerry said: “My heartfelt congratulations and thanks to the UAE for its incredibly important Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative. As the UAE prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary as a nation later this year, this mid-century net-zero goal sets out a very powerful vision for your next exciting decades ahead.

“I know this announcement is the result of serious substantive work by many and it sets an example for other major energy exporters to follow. I look forward to working with the UAE turn this goal into a reality.”

Kerry also thanked the UAE for using Expo 2020 Dubai “to draw attention to the world’s shared responsibility to address the climate crisis”.

He said: “This work that we all have to do must accelerate in this critical decade – a decade that will make or break our ability to realise our 2050 goals.”

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson also welcomed the announcement, on Twitter: “Fantastic news that the UAE has become the first Gulf country to commit to net-zero emissions by 2050. This is a significant step in tackling climate change, and I hope more countries commit to net zero ahead of COP26.”

This UAE is the first country in the Middle East and North Africa region to commit to such an initiative. The pledge was announced at Expo 2020 on Thursday by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who said: “We are committed to seize the opportunity to cement our leadership on climate change within our region and take this key economic opportunity to drive development, growth and new jobs as we pivot our economy and nation to net zero.”

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also tweeted his happiness at the UAE’s pledge: “I welcome the announcement by the United Arab Emirates of its intention to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. I look forward to the UAE submitting a new Climate Action plan in line with this ambitious vision and encourage other Gulf states to follow this example ahead of COP26.”

COP26 President Alok Sharma tweeted: “I am delighted the UAE has announced it will reach net zero carbon by 2050. As the first net zero-carbon commitment in the Gulf, this is an historic announcement.”

Source: Emirates News Agency

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FAO Director-General calls for action for mountains at Expo 2020 Dubai

DUBAI, Urgent action is needed to prioritise mountain ecosystems in order to protect them from the current climate crisis and empower mountain people to build resilient livelihoods, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said today at Expo 2020 Dubai.

The Director-General was speaking in a video message to the event ‘Reaching for the stars: Sustainable and climate resilient mountain development’, taking place as part of Expo 2020’s Climate and Biodiversity Week.

Mountains provide freshwater, regulate the climate and conserve biodiversity, while contributing to sustaining the livelihoods of 1.1 billion people living in mountains as well as many more living in the lowlands.

However, fragile mountain ecosystems and mountain communities are among the most vulnerable to climate change and land degradation, with some 346 million rural mountain people in developing countries at risk of hunger.

“The climate crisis is making mountains and mountain communities ever-more fragile,” Qu said. “They must be at the center of our decision-making processes. We need solutions and innovations that respect values, cultures and traditions.”

Qu called for collective actions to combat land degradation, adapt to climate change, strengthen agri-food value chains and promote economic development, which he said are fundamental to reducing food insecurity, alleviating poverty and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Director-General also pledged that FAO would help to scale up sustainable mountain development through the Mountain Partnership, by advocating for mountains in United Nations processes, promoting sustainable food systems in mountainous regions, and building local economies through the promotion of mountain products and services.

Co-curated by the Government of Italy, the Mountain Partnership Secretariat at FAO, and the Aga Khan Development Network, the daylong event examined ways to enhance the resilience of mountain communities, livelihoods and ecosystems to galvanize action in line with the SDGs.

The Mountain Partnership Products (MPP) Initiative is one of two FAO projects selected for Expo 2021 Dubai’s Global Best Practice Programme out of 1,175 submissions from around the world.

The Global Best Practice Programme showcases projects that have provided tangible solutions to the world’s biggest challenges, highlighting simple but effective initiatives that localize the SDGs and can be adapted, replicated and scaled to achieve an enhanced global impact.

With the backing of FAO and funded by the Italian Development Cooperation, the MPP Initiative is a certification and labelling scheme for traditional mountain products to strengthen the resilience of mountain peoples, their economies and their environments.

Currently, the initiative works across eight countries – Bolivia, India, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Panama, Peru and the Philippines – and involves around 10 000 farmers, 60 percent of whom are women. Twenty products currently carry the MPP Initiative label, including a stingless bee honey from the Bolivian Andes and pink and purple rice cultivated by farmers in India’s Himalayas, as well as tea, coffee, pulses and textiles.

Mountain farmers and producers have seen sales increases of up to 49 percent, production increases of up to 40 percent, and selling prices increase by up to 25 percent as a result of the initiative.

A new phase of the initiative was recently approved by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, securing funding for the project until 2024 and expanding it to Pacific Small Island Developing States.

The MPP Initiative will be on display at Expo from 2 December 2021 to 2 January 2022.

Source: Emirates News Agency

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5th Global Family Medicine Scientific Alliance Meeting addresses crucial healthcare challenges facing family physicians

DUBAI, The 5th Global Family Medicine Scientific Alliance (GFMSA) Meeting was held virtually yesterday.

During the meeting, doctors and specialists representing several healthcare institutions and organisations from the Gulf Cooperation Council and the world discussed several topics, including the role of the GFMSA and its vision, IFM Scientific Programme briefing, The meeting ended with recommendations and suggestions given by the members on the importance and the future of Family Medicine.

The virtual meeting began with a welcome speech by Dr. Abdul Salam Al Madani, Executive Chairman of the IFM and GFMSA, who said, “Although the world was on hold for two years due to the Covid pandemic, gradually, things are returning to normal, and we are going to commence with IFM Conference and Exhibition 2021 at Dubai World Trade Centre.”

Additionally, Dr. Al Madani extended his appreciation and congratulations to the doctors and specialists in Family Medicine, the most crucial healthcare sector.

He added, “We need to focus on the future of Family Medicine and how it would look going forward. Our event focuses on how we can support the community of primary healthcare in the world.”

Dr. Manal Taryam, Executive Chairperson, GFMSA, said, “The coronavirus pandemic has led to marked policy changes across various fronts. When the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced COVID-19 as a pandemic, the priority was to keep everyone safe, especially the most vulnerable in our community, the elderly, and the chronically ill. Physical distancing and lockdown forced health systems into a new way of working. Some policies such as telehealth had been advocated for years and even implemented in some settings, were quickly welcomed. However, the disruption was massive, not limited to policies; it extended to involve the evolution of health services.

“Primary care became the main gamechanger in the control of public health emergencies. We are all familiar with the services delivered – testing, screening, diagnosing, and managing diseases; but what primary care achieved in Dubai was indeed a success story. From managing and implementing travel protocols in the world’s largest airport, primary care managed to provide over seven million PCR tests since the pandemic and obtained world-class recognition through JCI accreditation during the pandemic at the airport medical centres.”

She continued, “Primary care also managed to build the first laboratory in an airport. This laboratory is currently at Terminal 2, where it serves the aviation community. Testing was also part of the primary care at the healthcare centres and dedicated fever clinics, COVID-19 assessment centres (so far has provided medical services to over 63,000 members of the community in Dubai alone). Our dental care staff stepped in to manage the COVID-19 command and control centre, becoming responsible for notification, tracking, tracing, reporting at an operational level. Primary care represented by Family Medicine staff planned, launched, and managed the first and largest COVID-19 field hospital in the region, with a bed capacity of 3,000.

She added, “As the country announces the success of the vaccination campaign by recording 94.8 percent of the population who have received the first dose of the vaccine and 84.4 percent of the people fully vaccinated, we are very proud of the accomplishments made by family physicians and colleagues of primary care.”

In her speech, Dr. Ibtesam Al Bastaki, IFM Executive Scientific Chairperson, discussed the topics to be covered during the International Family Medicine Conference and Exhibition. “This year, we have distinguished topics that focus on the Covid-19 pandemic, its impact on the population, economy, and vaccination. In addition, we will be discussing issues related to Gastro, screening programmes for colorectal and colorectal cancer, diabetes, chronic diseases and mental health management. Moreover, we will be holding discussions related to men’s health for the first time.”

The Global Family Medicine Scientific Alliance – GFMSA was established in 2014 as an initiative issued by the International Family Medicine Conference and Exhibition to promote Family Medicine Education through science, dialogue and networking.

The 8th edition of the IFM will be held from 10th to 12th October, 2021, at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Source: Emirates News Agency