How UAE became a pioneer in healthcare under Sheikh Khalifa’s leadership

How UAE became a pioneer in healthcare under Sheikh Khalifa’s leadership

The Khalifa Foundation, set up by the late president, is a major supporter of cancer research worldwide

By SM Ayaz Zakir Published: Sat 21 May 2022, 4:47 PM Last updated: Sat 21 May 2022, 5:17 PM

The UAE has become a pioneer in the healthcare field, not just regionally but also globally, and it owes it primarily to the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who contributed immensely to the growth of the sector.

Sheikh Khalifa’s contributions to the sector have been recognised across the world, with grants and funding from his Khalifa Foundation making a significant difference worldwide. Since it was founded in 2007, many countries have received help from the foundation.

Professor Humaid Al Shamsi, president of Emirates Oncology Society, said one of the major contributions from the foundation was funding for a study on PCR testing for cancer patients infected with Covid-19.

“Many coronovirus-infected cancer patients did not display symptoms during the early stages of the pandemic. We were unsure of providing chemo treatment for these patients. It was the first such study in the world, thanks to funding by the Khalifa Foundation,” said Dr Al Shamsi.

The study was published in the JAMA Oncology journal, a major medical journal in the