In celebration of the UAE Flag Day, the Ministry of Health organized a ceremony which saw its offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and hospitals, health centers and medical facilities throughout the country simultaneously raising the UAE flag with the national anthem playing in the background.

A high-level national delegation headed by Dr. Mohammed Salim Al Olama, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Health, recently visited Australia as part of the Ministry’s continuing efforts to strengthen ties with foreign nations. The move was in line with the country’s objective of establishing its leadership in healthcare services by providing state-of-the-art medical care and advanced equipment’s in hospitals and health institutions. The visit reinforced cooperation between the UAE and Australia through the exchange of experience in healthcare and mutual support for competitiveness.

Ministry of Health Undersecretary H.E. Dr. Muhammad Salim Al Olama recently received at his office in Dubai a delegation from Finland led by H.E. Lenita Toivakka, Minister of Foreign Trade and Development, and Finnish Ambassador to the UAE Rita Swan. Both parties met to discuss optimal ways to improve their cooperation in several areas of the health sector, including healthcare services, preventive health measures, exchange visits, open exchange of expertise, and development of advanced solutions for more integrated health systems.

The Executive Board of Health Ministers’ Council for GCC States launched during its third session the Health Media Gulf Excellence Award in collaboration with Aldar Almahliya Public Relations. With the value of the award now at USD 50,000, new competitions have been introduced this year to raise the number of categories up to seven from last year’s five and attract higher participation from all GCC states. The Council, which launched the annual contest five years ago, said this year’s slogan is ‘Prevention of Diabetes Complications.’

The Ministry of Health has announced that its Human Resources and Nursing Departments is participating in the Healthcare Recruitment and Training Fair at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre to attract highly qualified UAE medical staff and show support for the profession. Leading institutions from the government and private sectors in the UAE and the rest of the Arab region are taking part in the prestigious regional recruitment and training exhibition organized to offer promising employment opportunities to Emiratis, especially for nursing and midwifery graduates.

The Ministry of Health launches the Measles Control Initiative in collaboration with Health Authority - Abu Dhabi and Dubai Health Authority. The initiative aims to provide free measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination to all citizens and residents aged 1 to 18 from November 1 to November 26, 2015 at all health centers and through mobile teams deployed in schools. The free booster will be administered regardless if an individual has previously been given the MMR vaccine.