DAHC, AXDEV Global, Pfizer Global Medical Grants partner for chronically ill patients' enhanced care - Dubai Health
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The Dubai Academic Health Corporation (DAHC), AXDEV Global, and Pfizer Global announced a public-private partnership to enhance care for patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses, supported by an independent grant from Pfizer Global Medical Grants.
The goal of the collaboration is to establish an evidence-based model in performance and quality improvement to support the adoption of best practices and boost capacity development for patient care with chronic illnesses at the individual, team, practice, and health systems levels.
Dubai will serve as a test-bed to plan and implement the model, identified as the ideal city for the research given its diverse cultural population and unwavering support of its academic health system from the Dubai Academic Health Corporation.
The findings will then be scaled to enhance chronic illness care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and North Africa.
The Dubai Academic Health Corporation will host the initiative at its medical university, Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), and AXDEV will provide expert implementation research and project management across every step of the program.
All activities are supported by Pfizer’s independent grant including the research, development, and execution of medical education activities, toolkits and implementation science across multiple health centers in Dubai.
Through a research project out of MBRU, the research will take diabetes as a case example to apply and measure the impact of the interventions in four local health centers in Dubai. Today, diabetes is a chronic illness that affects almost one in every five adults in the UAE and is one of the leading causes of kidney failure globally.
The evidence and results gathered in Dubai will then be scaled to LMICs to reorganize chronic illness care and provide critical tools and education for clinicians, allied health professionals, staff and healthcare administrators.
Commenting on the importance of public-private partnerships, Dr. Hanan Alsuwaidi, Chief Business Officer of the Dubai Academic Health Corporation, said, “The healthcare industry has experienced significant changes since the pandemic. World-class healthcare systems are now turning to proficient partnerships to reimagine business models and access new capabilities. Public-private partnerships, like this one between the Dubai Academic Health Corporation, AXDEV and Pfizer, leverage the strength of all its members to accelerate the adoption of best practices in patient care.”
Suzanne Murray, Founder and CEO of AXDEV Group, stated, “This public-private collaboration, that will bring cutting edge education solutions for healthcare professionals and their teams to directly impact clinical practice, is a testimony that three major organizations, as well as the health centers involved, are committed to improving patient health outcomes with evidencebased and quality education and implementation research.”
Yasser El Dershaby, Vice President, MERA Regional Cluster Medical Lead, Pfizer, also commented on the importance of health equity. “Accessible healthcare for patients living with chronic illnesses is critical given that they are tethered to the healthcare system. Especially in LMICs, it has always been Pfizer’s goal to enhance health equity in underserved communities. Our new public-private partnership with The Dubai Academic Health Corporation and AXDEV Global brings us one step closer to bridging these gaps, and I look forward to the results from our initial research in Dubai.”
For the first time in the UAE, the Emirates Society of Haematology (ESH), supported by Dubai Health, joined forces with the George Washington University to present the Emirates Hematology Best Practices Updates. The event was held last month and offered a thorough review course covering a wide range of topics in both benign and malignant hematology.
Distinguished speakers from top institutions delivered a series of engaging lectures and posed review board questions covering a wide spectrum of topics, including platelet and bleeding disorders, hematologic complications during pregnancy, bone marrow transplants and more. Each day, participants engaged in audience response questions and dynamic case discussions across various domains of hematology-oncology, fostering interactive and enriching learning experiences.
Dr. Asma Sultan Alolama, Program Director of the Adult Hematology Fellowship program at Dubai Health, President of ESH and Consultant Hematologist at Dubai Hospital, expressed her pride in achieving the establishment of this Best Practice Update for the UAE within an impressive timeframe of just three months. “Drawing more than 100 participants not only from the UAE but also from other GCC countries, this event stands as a significant milestone for the country and the wider region, representing the first instance of George Washington University convening course outside the USA.”
As Dubai’s first integrated academic health system, Dubai Health aims to contribute towards Dubai's pursuit of a sustainable, knowledge-based economy, supporting the growth and performance of the health sector.
Dubai Health, the first integrated academic health system in Dubai, has partnered with the Angelman Syndrome Foundation to establish the GCC’s first dedicated clinic at Al Jalila Children’s Hospital. This is the first-of-its-kind clinic in the region and aims to improve care for patients with Angelman Syndrome and raise awareness of this rare neurological disorder. The clinic will provide a supportive community hub where patients, families and caregivers can connect with experts and receive the best evidence-based care, bridging a gap in healthcare for those living with this condition.
In line with Dubai Health’s Patient First promise, the partnership with the Angelman Syndrome Foundation represents new hope for individuals and families living with this rare neuro-genetic disorder. Affecting approximately one in 500,000 people worldwide, the early symptoms of Angelman Syndrome include a significant delay in obtaining developmental milestones such as walking within the first 12 months. Other clinical findings include speech delay, movement or balance disorder and often present with an apparent happy demeanor with frequent laughter and excitability.
The clinic will provide families in the UAE access to specialist healthcare professionals and evidence-based care while also enhancing future treatment through the power of Dubai Health’s integrated academic health system. Through harnessing the education and research that takes place within Dubai Health, this partnership aims to significantly improve the lives of patients and their families.
Dr. Abdulla Al Khayat, CEO of Al Jalila Children’s Hospital, said: “We are delighted to partner with The Angelman Syndrome Foundation to bring this specialized clinic to Al Jalila Children’s Hospital, part of Dubai Health care network. This crucial partnership is a beacon of hope for patients and families affected by this rare condition. By ensuring that we deliver the highest standard of care and driven by our Patient First promise, we hope to empower Angelman Syndrome patients and their families to lead fulfilling lives.”
Also commenting on the partnership, Amanda Moore, CEO of the Angelman Syndrome Foundation, said: "We are deeply honored to join forces with Dubai Health and Al Jalila Children's Hospital in this transformative initiative. This clinic will offer families in the UAE access to professionals with deep knowledge of Angelman Syndrome, expertise that has traditionally been challenging to locate. Raising awareness of rare conditions like Angelman Syndrome is crucial for early diagnosis and better patient outcomes. This initiative is part of our LADDER Learning Network, designed to bridge critical gaps in the healthcare landscape for families dealing with this rare disorder. We look forward to working closely with the team at Dubai Health to making a significant difference to the lives of patients and their families.”
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