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.”

Dubai Health, the first integrated academic health system in Dubai, held an industry briefing session on Day 1 of the 49th Arab Health Exhibition and Congress, taking place this week at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

At the session, H.E. Dr. Amer Sharif, CEO of Dubai Health, presented a comprehensive overview of Dubai's first integrated academic health system model to over 150 industry thought leaders and officials from the UAE and abroad. Drawing parallels with globally renowned institutions adopting similar models, Dr. Amer shared exclusive insights on the work being undertaken by Dubai Health. Dubai aligns with leading academic health systems worldwide, enhancing patient outcomes and promoting accessibility and sustainability within its healthcare sector.

During the session, Dr. Amer highlighted Dubai Health’s commitment to enhancing health outcomes by building local talent and fostering research and innovation. He also shed light on working collaboratively by integrating knowledge, people, and capabilities to deliver patient-centric, evidence-based care that sets new benchmarks in healthcare excellence.

Dr. Amer Sharif said: “Through a unified commitment to patient-centered care, we are not just shaping the present healthcare landscape, but also laying the foundation for a transformative future anchored in our primary value of 'Patient First.’ This commitment extends beyond the present, as we strive to create a lasting impact on the lives and wellbeing of our community for generations to come.”

“Central to our goals are partnerships and collaborations that amplify our efforts and catalyze innovation. By cultivating strong alliances with stakeholders across the healthcare spectrum, we harness collective expertise and resources to address the present health challenges and drive meaningful change, ensuring that together we advance health for humanity.” H.E. Amer added.

Dubai Health was established to elevate the standard of care and to advance health for humanity. Dubai Health comprises six hospitals, 26 ambulatory health centers, 20 medical fitness centers, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Al Jalila Foundation through the integration of care, learning, discovery, and giving. Eleven thousand employees collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to put the patient first.