Month: November 2021

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Noor Dubai’s Mobile Eye Camp in Ghana helps over 2,000 people

DUBAI, Noor Dubai Foundation organised its latest Mobile Eye Camp at Tamale, the capital city of the Northern region of Ghana, where over 2,000 people benefitted through the programme’s activities, which included screening and providing diagnosis for eye care, conducting surgeries, and distributing spectacles Around 500 surgeries were conducted to restore the sight of hundreds of people.

Guided by the statistics published by the World Health Organisation and International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, and in consultation with the Ghana National eye care programme and local partners, the Foundation targeted the Northern Region of Ghana for its mobile eye camp.

To ensure the safety of all, the Foundation implemented several precautionary and contingency measures related to COVID-19.

Dr. Manal Taryam, CEO and Board Member of Noor Dubai Foundation, commented, “In 2020, there were an estimated 3.2 million people with vision loss in Ghana out of which 100,000 people were blind. The most prevalent cause of blindness is Cataract, which can easily be treated by surgery. Studies in Ghana showed that only 25 percent of the expected Cataract Surgical Rate has been achieved so far, furthermore, there is an estimated 3 ophthalmologists per 1 million of the population.”

She added, “What we hope to achieve through the Mobile Eye Camp programme is to improve access to eye care services needed by the communities, therefore, contributing to the wellbeing of the individuals, as well as improve the capacity of the human resources for eye health.”

The mobile eye camps aim to empower local healthcare workers to ensure the services are sustainable even after the mobile eye camp is concluded. The Foundation consistently employs local resources in the camps in addition to organising training programmes and supplying them with the necessary tools to treat patients.

“Studies have shown that cataract surgery can contribute to poverty alleviation, particularly among the most vulnerable members of society. Cataract surgery improves the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of the individual and the economy of their households. The findings of this study suggest these benefits are sustained in the long term,” Dr. Taryam added.

To date, Noor Dubai Foundation has organised camps in 33 cities in 18 countries where 289,306 individuals have been screened, 29,974 surgeries have been performed and 67,642 glasses provided.

A UAE based non-profit under the umbrella of the Mohammad bin Rashid Global Initiatives, Noor Dubai has been active in the field of prevention of blindness since 2008. One of Noor Dubai’s main international outreach programmes is the Mobile Eye Camps, targeting remote areas in developing countries, where there is a need for improved access to health services and interventions to prevent treatable blindness.

Source: Emirates News Agency

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Emirates Health Services receives prestigious award in digital healthcare field

DUBAI, The Emirates Health Services (EHS) has been awarded the ZIMAM-Elsevier ‘Screening Package & Healthcare Plans Project of the Year 2020-2021’, an initiative of the GCC Taskforce on Workplace Development in Digital Healthcare Conference.

The accolade is added to several awards bagged by the EHS in global forums, consolidating its innovative model in developing future healthcare systems.

Expressing his pride in the EHS’s winning of such a prestigious award in a regional forum bringing together important national and regional healthcare organisations, Dr. Yousef Mohammed Al Serkal, Director-General, EHS, said: “It’s an extremely well-deserved award thanks to the outstanding performance and cooperation of the EHS teams, pursuant to the directions of the wise government to integrate digital technologies into health services in line with the aspirations of the Fifty-Year Charter.

Upon receiving the award, Dr. Yousef Al Serkal said: “A very well-deserved award for the EHS, after a competition with highly reputable health authorities in the Gulf, based on standards of innovation, excellence, and best practices in areas that receive international recognition.

This award stands as another testament to the competitiveness of the EHS and reflects the UAE’s leading position in the healthcare field by adopting a future agenda based on innovation and sustainability in the strategies and operational plans, he added.

Al Serkal received the award in the presence of an elite group of leaders, decision-makers, entrepreneurs, and interested parties from the GCC.

Dr. Noor Al Muhairi, Director of the Mental Health Department, EHS, said that the EHS’s project has been recognised as the ZIMAM-Elsevier ‘Screening Package & Healthcare Plans Project of the Year 2020-2021’ in the Leading Institution Category in the Excellence in Evidence-Based Clinical Decision Support system.

She pointed out that the jury was impressed by the project as it met the award criteria, which leads to the improvement of adopting digital health transformation systems to raise the efficiency of health care using advanced technology systems.

Al Muhairi added: “The award-winning project is built around an electronic Clinical Decision Support system that ensures patient safety and reduces risks for all clinical specialties and areas, including; Medical-Surgical, Intensive Care, Surgery, Pediatrics, Neonatology and Obstetrics. The project aims to enhance communication and knowledge sharing to cement patient-centered care, with simultaneous improvements in quality and safety.

Source: Emirates News Agency

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Education professionals meet in first in-person event in post pandemic era

DUBAI, Education is an essential pillar to venture into the future, achieve sustainable development, and transition to a knowledge economy, said Dr. Mohamed Ebrahim Al Mualla, Undersecretary for Academic Affairs, UAE Ministry of Education.

Addressing this year’s edition of GESS Dubai 2021, the Middle East’s largest education show, on opening day, Al Mualla said, “Our presence here today constitutes an exceptional opportunity to discuss contemporary and emerging educational issues, and build on educational achievements, following a difficult period the world witnessed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which cast a shadow over several sectors, including education.”

According to Al Mualla, the next fifty years in the UAE’s education sector will focus on fostering a high-quality education system that ensures competitiveness at the early childhood stage; an innovative global educational system that enhances future skills; alignment of higher education outputs with the needs of the future labor market; and an advanced and flexible national qualifications system that copes with the requirements of future economic development. “This is in addition to a sustainable service system for people of determination, starting from early detection to leading the future, and a proactive holistic system for nurturing talent that stimulates production and competitiveness, and finally, well-being and sustainable quality of life in learning environments,” he added.

Meanwhile, Birgit Lao, Ambassador-at-large for education, Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, talked about wellbeing in the time of hybrid learning in addition to how the Estonian education system survived the remote learning crises suddenly brought about by COVID-19.

During her presentation, she shared the findings of a study conducted in Estonia during the Covid-19 pandemic focusing on wellbeing during distance learning. Sharing some of the survey’s highlights, she said, “More than 50 percent of the students liked distance learning, and around 24 per cent of parents noticed study difficulties. More importantly, about 87 per cent of the students solved their individual tasks.”

Dr. Petar Stojanov, Global Partner, Innovation, Talent and Future Strategy at Black, talked about the future of education and how technology and talent are shaping the future of education. He said, “I want to make a very productive statement as I stand here on stage at a technology education conference to tell you that technology is not the answer. But it is the enabler of it.”

He mentioned that the World Economic Forum’s top 10 important skills in the workforce are complex problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, people management, coordinating with others, emotional intelligence, judgment and decision making, service orientation, negotiation, and cognitive flexibility.

But, he said, “I would argue to all of you that these are not the skills that we’re teaching young people at the moment.”

Welcoming education professionals from around the world to this year’s edition of GESS, Matt Thompson, Project Director, Tarsus, organisers of the Middle East’s leading education show said, “Today, we look to the future with optimism as we take inspiration from our speakers and experts who see a great opportunity for education to be a significant tool for transformation for progress and sustainable development.

The three-day event features more than 140 speakers and over 150 CPD accredited sessions. Scheduled on November 14 to 16, 2021 at Zabeel Halls 4, 5 & 6 of the DWTC, GESS Dubai is free to attend for education professionals and will also feature the latest education-focused products and solutions from over 400 local and international companies and brands from over 30 different countries, with dedicated country pavilions such as the UK, Germany, India and Korea.

Source: Emirates News Agency

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Mansoor bin Mohammed congratulates global cricket fraternity on cricket tournaments

DUBAI, H.H. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, has congratulated the international cricket family on the success of the ICC T20 World Cup.

Held in the Middle East for the first time, the 2021 T20 World Cup was a huge organisational success and reinforced the UAE’s position as one of the world’s leading destinations for hosting top international sports competitions, including world championships.

H.H. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed said: “Cricket lovers enjoyed watching the thrilling contests between the world’s elite cricketing nations across state-of-the-art stadiums in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. The country’s exceptional sporting infrastructure and supportive environment were key factors behind the success of the tournament, from the first match until the final between Australia and New Zealand on 14 November at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

“We congratulate the International Cricket Council, which operates from its headquarters in Dubai, for organising the tournament here and for spreading the sport around the world, turning cricket into the world’s second most-popular sport. We also congratulate all the participating teams and their colourful fans, who made this a wonderful event.” He added: “Thanks to the vision and unlimited support of our wise leadership, the UAE has become the world’s premier host of top international sports events, including cricket tournaments. The availability of state-of-the-art sports facilities, organisational expertise, and effective regulations and protocols to deal with different challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, make the UAE a leading destination for major events.

“Our success in the fight against COVID-19 has earned us praise around the world and has led to many of the world’s top sports events choosing to come to the UAE in these challenging times, including the Indian Premier League for two consecutive years and the ICC T20 World Cup.” He further said: “We have many international sports tournaments and events being organised in the country, and we are ready to host any global event and forum in all fields.”

Source: Emirates News Agency

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Jiu-Jitsu in safe hands as young global athletes get 13th Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship to flying start

ABU DHABI, The 13th Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship (ADWPJJC), the largest and most prestigious event on the global calendar, got off to an energetic start on Sunday – and the sport’s future is in safe hands if the opening day of the six-day showcase is anything to go by.

Athletes between the ages of 4 and 17, from the UAE and across the world took to 11 mats in a series of matches across Infant; Juniors; Teens and Juveniles categories, roared out by fans inside a packed Jiu Jitsu Arena.

Running until November 19, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the 13th ADWPJJC has brought together 4,000 athletes to compete for global honours and a winning end to the season. While the elite athletes compete later in the week, day one of the six-day championship belonged to the youth. With family, friends, and the entire jiu-jitsu community watching and screaming their support, the youngsters delivered a thrilling day of action.

The future generation of global jiu-jitsu stars, from the UAE to South Africa, Kazakhstan to Brazil, showed great determination, dedication, patience, and respect – key values of the sport. While the sport was the true winner on the day, the Best Academy Boys title was won with Kazakhstan National Team (1,843 points) ahead of by Dubai

Jitsu Club (1,327 points) and Sharjah Self Defence Club (1320 Points).

In the girls’ championship, the Best Academy crown was won by Palm Sports 777 (1,165 Points), with Al Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club second (1,155 Points) and Al Jazira Club (1,035 points) in third.

“Day one of the ADWPJJC is always a special occasion as we get to see the future champions of our sports right here on the mats at the Jiu Jitsu Arena, the global home of jiu-jitsu. However, today exceeded all our expectations,” said Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice President, UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation.

“The level of participation, from within the UAE and across the world, shows great dedication of the athletes and their families, and underlines the work we are doing as a Federation to raise awareness of this sport that teaches us so much. There were some truly exceptional performances, but the real success was the level of respect and support the athletes had for one another.”

“Thanks to the ongoing support of our country’s wise leadership and the dedication of the parents and coaches, who devote time and effort in helping to shape our young athletes, today has shown us the sport is on the right track,” he added.

One of those athletes who made a long trip to Abu Dhabi just for the opportunity to compete on the ADWPJJC stage was Alanis Dos Santos, who came all the way from Brazil. The 14-year-old’s efforts paid off as she took gold in the Teen Girls -57kg orange belt final.

“Today is something really big for me, really special. It’s a privilege just to come here and compete, so to win a gold makes it even better,” said Dos Santos after her victory. “Abu Dhabi gives so much importance to jiu-jitsu and it’s made me want to come and compete here this year. I have flown in specifically for this competition and I am happy I was able to win. In future I want to come back and win here again.”

Dzhamal Ruzakhunov, 14, also made a successful trip with Kazakhstan delegation for the back-to-back mega events – last week’s Ju-Jitsu World Championship (JJWC) and ADWPJJC.

“This is very important for me. I won bronze at the JJWC so to win gold this week is very special. Our country is looking to us to be successful, so this is a great feeling. I came to Abu Dhabi just for these tournaments,” said Ruzakhunov after his gold medal in the Teen Boys yellow-black belt category.

“My country has been sending teams here to compete in these championships for many years because the organization is very good. I’m hoping to use this as a springboard for more medals.”

The UAE’s athletes are also hoping to use ADWPJJC success as a catapult to future success.

Shoug AlBlooshi, 14, took bronze in the Teen Girls -75kg yellow belt division. She said: “It’s great to get a medal. Moving forward I want to help people off the mat. I want to be a doctor. In jiu-jitsu I want to be a champion.”

Shaikha Mabkhoot AlKatheeri was one of a number of Emirati athletes to top the podium on a thrilling first day of action. The 17-year-old was in fine form to win gold in the Teen Girls blue belt to help Al Jazira Jiu-Jitsu Club take third place in the Girls Academy standings.

“I’ve been practicing really hard for this championship and winning this gold proves that hard work is worth it. It has paid off. This arena is like home for me. I have been competing in this championship for 10 years and I’ve managed to top the podium in the past. However, I must keep working hard and improving. I want to compete internationally for my country, so this will give me confidence,” said AlKatheeri.

ADWPJJC action continues Monday, November 15, when the Masters (Over-30s) take to the mats in blue – purple belts, at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena.

Source: Emirates News Agency

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EDGE launches first UAE-made anti-jam GPS system for resilient navigation

DUBAI, EDGE, an advanced technology company for defence and beyond, today announced the launch of GPS-Protect, an anti-jam system that covers air, land and sea applications.

Developed by SIGN4L, a leading developer of electronic warfare and intelligence solutions (EW&I) and entity within EDGE Group, the UAE-made system provides significant immunity to jamming, thereby protecting mission critical systems that require assured position, navigation and timing information from GPS.

The state-of-the-art system uses a mutli-element controlled reception pattern array (CRPA) antenna and provides resistance against one or multiple jamming signals. Featuring the most advanced technology, GPS-Protect implements multiple mitigation methods and specialised digital signal processing algorithms to ensure continuous operation of systems that rely on satellite navigation when GPS jammers or other mechanisms are used to jam or disrupt satellite signals.

Designed to operate under highly dynamic conditions, GPS-Protect is lightweight and compact, making it ideal for SWaP (size, weight and power)-limited unmanned systems and guided weapons. Offering a single solution for multiple applications, the modular system can also be integrated into larger platforms such as vehicles, ships and aircraft.

Waleid Al Mesmari, Vice President of Programme Management, EW&I – EDGE, said, “Building on the success of our existing product portfolio, we are pleased to be launching GPS-Protect – the first anti-jam system to be developed entirely in the UAE and one of few available in the region.”

He added, “Aligning with the growing trend towards powerful electronic warfare capabilities in smaller compact packages, GPS-Protect extends spectrum superiority to small-scale, unmanned systems, as well as to larger aircraft and ships. It maintains the platform’s GPS signal throughout the presence of unintentional radio-frequency (RF) interference or jamming attacks, and we look forward to working with our partners and clients in deploying this cutting-edge product to market.”

SIGN4L is part of the Electronic Warfare & Intelligence cluster at EDGE, an advanced technology group for defence that ranks among the top 25 military suppliers in the world.

Source: Emirates News Agency