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Abu Dhabi, AstraZeneca forge strategic partnership to enhance COPD awareness, care in emirate

Zawya14-05-2025

ABU DHABI: The Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC) and AstraZeneca FZ LLC (AstraZeneca) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch a collaborative public health project to strengthen public health initiatives and improve outcomes for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Abu Dhabi Emirate.
The MoU was signed on 13 May 2025, by Dr. Dr. Omniyat Al Hajeri, Executive Director of Community Health sector, representing ADPHC, and Sameh El Fangary. Cluster President GCC, AstraZeneca, representing global biopharmaceutical AstraZeneca, during the 25th IUHPE World Conference on Health Promotion, taking place from 13 to 16 May, 2025, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).
Dr. Rashed Alsuwaidi, Director General of ADPHC said: 'This partnership reflects our steadfast commitment to improving population health in Abu Dhabi through proactive and innovative approaches. By partnering with AstraZeneca, we aim to deliver comprehensive solutions that raise public awareness, promote early screening, and enable best-in-class care for COPD patients. This initiative builds upon the recommendations from the Abu Dhabi Public Health System Sustainability and Resilience (PHSSR) report and strengthens our vision of a healthier Abu Dhabi.'
Sameh El Fangary, Cluster President GCC, AstraZeneca shared: 'Our most recent collaboration with ADPHC is a significant milestone in advancing public health and addressing the rising burden of chronic respiratory diseases in the UAE. Through this MoU, we are proud to support the UAE's healthcare priorities by sharing global best practices, driving education, and enabling early diagnosis and treatment pathways. Together, we are working towards a future where every patient has the opportunity to achieve better health outcomes and an improved quality of life.'
The strategic agreement outlines a shared vision between ADPHC and AstraZeneca to enhance population health through coordinated efforts centred around disease awareness, prevention, and best practice sharing. This shared vision will significantly benefit COPD patients in Abu Dhabi.
The two-year partnership aligns with the company's mission to transform healthcare and improve patient outcomes through evidence-based and collaborative approaches.
The strategic alliance focuses on three key pillars:
* Disease Awareness: Jointly creating and executing public awareness campaigns to educate the community about COPD. This will include online and offline initiatives to encourage routine testing and early screening.
* Disease Prevention: Developing early detection strategies to identify COPD in its initial stages, enabling timely intervention and management to reduce the long-term health burden on individuals and the healthcare system.
* Best Practice Sharing: Utilising AstraZeneca's global insights and best practices in diagnostics and disease management to enhance patient care in Abu Dhabi. This may include workshops, knowledge exchange sessions with other AstraZeneca affiliates, and collaboration with international partners.
A joint task force will be established, with ADPHC and AstraZeneca representatives to oversee the project's execution. The task force will be responsible for aligning strategic priorities, evaluating feasibility, and tracking the progress of each initiative under the Mou. All agreed-upon projects will be subject to further detailed documentation, and the implementation will proceed upon mutual approval from both parties' leadership.
ADPHC, which is dedicated to elevating community health through innovation and integrated public health systems, continues to build on its commitment to address non-communicable diseases, including cancer and respiratory illnesses. As part of its broader public health strategy, ADPHC launched the Abu Dhabi Public Health Sustainability and Resilience (PHSSR) report, emphasising the need for early screening and legislative support to combat chronic diseases.
AstraZeneca, a global leader in addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in oncology, cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic diseases (CVRM), respiratory conditions such as COPD, and rare diseases, brings unparalleled expertise to the collaboration.
This partnership is a testament to the unwavering commitment of both ADPHC and AstraZeneca to improving public health in Abu Dhabi and advancing innovative solutions for chronic disease management.

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