Not a single malaria case has been reported in the UAE since 1997 and the country is making every effort to prevent it, a top official has said.

This came as the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), in cooperation with the World Health Organisation (WHO), held a scientific symposium on malaria. The event discussed the latest global developments related to the illness and reviewed the UAE's strategy to prevent and control communicable diseases.

The event was held as the country marked 15 years of being malaria-free.

Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, assistant undersecretary for the Public Health Sector, lauded the UAE for being one of the first nations in the Eastern Mediterranean Region to be declared completely free of the disease.

Al Rand the ministry has a “highly efficient epidemiological surveillance programme for malaria, enabling health authorities to detect and treat incoming cases”.

“The UAE is very proud of its efforts to fight the disease not only locally, but also globally.

“Many international health organisations have expressed their gratitude and appreciation for the UAE’s support. Just recently, Malaria No More, in partnership with the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi (CPC) and the Reaching the Last Mile programme, announced the launch of a new global institute with the mission to combat malaria in the face of climate change and weather volatility,” said Al Rand.

The UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, offered an introductory award of $1.5 million dollars to Malaria No More in 2020 to assess the feasibility of climate-informed strategies.

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