• Ministry of Health and Prevention discusses ways to strengthen partnerships in health research.

Dubai May 27, 2024: The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has organized a workshop to provide an orientation about the UAE Health Research Platform, developed in collaboration with Elsevier and the National Center for Health Research.

The workshop aimed to shed light on the platform’s capabilities and its significance to various stakeholders, including health institutions, hospitals, and academic bodies. The platform is designed to offer valuable information on the current state of health and medical research in the UAE, along with fundamental science research subjects relevant to the country's healthcare sector.

The seminar was attended by a number of leaders in the health and academic fields, including HE Dr. Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for the Health Regulation Sector, HE Dr. Marwan Al Kaabi, Acting CEO of Shakhbout Medical City,  Dr. Khalil Ibrahim Qayed, Director of the National Centre for Health Research at the Ministry, Dr. Ismail Matalqa, President of Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, deans of colleges of medicine and health sciences, deputy deans in the country, as well as directors of the departments of research, statistics, policy and innovation.

The symposium provided a platform to improve communication and collaboration between health institutions and academic entities in the field of health research within the country. It also aimed to speed up the process of updating researchers' data on the platform.

The launch of the Health Research Platform received significant attention at Arab Health 2024. This platform is the first of its kind in the GCC and Arab regions, the platform offers access to a robust database of health research published by academic institutions, healthcare organizations, and the private sector in the UAE. It also provides detailed information about researchers categorized by their respective disciplines in medical, health, and related basic sciences since 2017.

Unique Initiative

HE Dr Mohammed Salim Al Olama, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), emphasized that the Health Research Platform is a unique initiative that reflects the Ministry's commitment to creating an innovative and excellent environment within the health sector. 'This platform is not merely a database but a gateway that offers essential information necessary for data-driven planning critical to the development of knowledge, research, and innovation capabilities in the health fields,' he stated.

Dr. Al Olama further highlighted that the workshop organized by the Ministry was crucial to illustrating the platform's significant role as an effective tool for collecting and documenting health and medical research across the country. Additionally, the platform helps provide data on the performance of published research, which fosters enhanced cooperation between academic bodies and health institutions.

His Excellency further stated that the Ministry will continue to extend full support to the platform and all related efforts to promote health research in the country, aiming to positively impact the health of the community through the outcomes of this research.

Exchanging expertise 

Meanwhile, Dr. Khalil Qayed, Director of the National Center for Health Research at the Ministry, said: 'The workshop was an excellent opportunity to exchange expertise and experiences. It is aimed to reinforce partnerships between health authorities and academics in the field of health research. The workshop also showcased successful models and best practices. Additionally, it provided biometric data related to research published in this field”.

Also, Dr. Qayed emphasized the importance of health institutions, hospitals, and academic bodies utilizing the platform to deepen their understanding of the overall health research landscape in the country. He stated that the National Center for Health Research is committed to the ongoing development of the platform and supporting initiatives that promote a conducive environment for research and innovation in the health sector.

 It is essential to mention that the Health Research Platform currently holds a significant collection of health and medical research. The repository consists of 47,628 studies and includes contributions from 4,088 researchers. Additionally, the platform features listings from 42 academic institutions, healthcare facilities, and private companies