UAE receives award for global medical initiative

ROME: The UAE has received an award from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean for the Waterfalls initiative — launched by the Emirati Ministry of Opportunities — which offers online medical training to professionals worldwide.

The award was given to Saif bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, deputy prime minister and interior minister, during a ceremony in Rome.

“We are here today to affirm our full commitment to the cooperation and assistance of all in need, regardless of nationality, race or religion,” he said.

“It is on these humanistic principles that Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan founded the UAE 50 years ago.”

The assembly is a forum for parliamentary diplomacy in the Euro-Mediterranean region, and is an observer at the UN General Assembly.

Every year it rewards an individual, organization or institution whose actions have contributed to building bridges between people.

Waterfalls is an international online education initiative led by Mohamed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE, and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.

It was launched at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure continuity of training for healthcare professionals through webinars.

The initiative has had a global impact, with the participation of 84 scientific, medical and academic institutions — including Harvard Medical School — and hundreds of renowned speakers.

It has so far enabled the training of more than a million doctors, pharmacists, technicians and specialists in 197 countries.

Waterfalls “provides an effective new system for training doctors, pharmacists, technicians and specialists internationally,” said Ronald Lavater, CEO of the International Hospital Federation, a partner of the initiative.

“It is also the largest platform for webinars led by renowned international speakers. It is an impressive and ambitious medical training model.”