UAE to harness scientific research in combating coronavirus

The National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, NCEMA, held a joint meeting with the Emirates Scientists Council, to discuss ways of employing scientific research to contain the spread of coronavirus, COVID-19.

The meeting was attended by Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences and President of the Emirates Scientists Council, Saif Mohammed Al Shamsi, Deputy Director-General of NCEMA, and members of the council, as well as several scientists, researchers and representatives of the national health sector.

Al Amiri stressed that the UAE is capable of facing the challenges posed by the coronavirus, thanks to the directives of the country’s leadership and the cooperation of relevant authorities.

The UAE’s scientific community is part of NCEMA’s working team and the teams in charge of combating the virus, she added, noting that the related work of the scientific community covers three stages, with the first being preventing the spread of the virus and controlling it through short-term research.

The second phase is the period after the pandemic’s peak, which will involve a set of procedures, such as reopening public areas and markets while the third phase relates to the contribution of the scientific community and its cooperation with NCEMA in building the nation’s scientific capacities to face future pandemics, she further added.

In his speech during the meeting, Al Shamsi stated that the meeting reflects NCEMA’s keenness to cooperate with the council and highlighted the authority’s related efforts, upon the directives of the country’s leadership, including its coordination with relevant national authorities and its monitoring and management of the efforts of national and local authorities and the private sector to face the pandemic.

“We are looking forward to cooperating with the council, to support the role of scientists and experts in drafting scientific solutions to current challenges, most notably the coronavirus,” he said.

In a statement to the Emirates News Agency, WAM, Dr. Saif Al Dhaheri, NCEMA Spokesman, said that the meeting highlighted the importance of the strategic partnership between relevant authorities in combating the coronavirus.

In her statement to WAM, Dr. Farida Al Hosani, Official Spokesperson of the UAE Health Sector, stressed the importance of the meeting, which discussed research priorities related to coronavirus.