Noor Dubai campaign raises Dhs250,000 donations

Around Dhs250,000 was raised by Dubai Health Authority (DHA) employees as part of Noor Dubai Foundation’s “Tolerance in Treatment Campaign”, which aims to provide treatment to people who suffer from preventable visual impartment.

As part of the annual campaign, which was launched last Ramadan, DHA staff were encouraged to donate to the foundation via text messages and the employees raised a total of Dhs250,000 this year.

Their contribution will go towards providing treatment to people with limited means, who are suffering from preventable visual impartment and are living abroad, in remote areas with limited access to treatment.

The foundation made the announcement during the campaign’s award ceremony, which was held on Monday at DHA’s Innovation Centre.

The initiative was launched in line with the “Year of Tolerance”. His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, declared the year 2019 as the “Year of Tolerance” highlighting the UAE as a global capital for acceptance through its legislative and policy goals.

It is also in line with the objectives of Noor Dubai Foundation, which is a non-profit organisation that has benefited more than 27 million individuals since its inception in 2008, providing treatment to preventable forms of blindness and educating the public about the causes of blindness and how to avoid them.

As part of the annual campaign, a humanitarian competition amongst the authority’s sectors and corporations was launched to encourage them to raise the highest amount of donations.

The winning sector will receive the “Tolerance Flag”. This year, the Director General’s Sector received the “Tolerance Flag” during the award ceremony after raising the highest number of donations.

During the event, Humaid Al Qutami, Director General of the DHA and Chairman of Noor Dubai Foundation commended the innovative humanitarian initiative, launched by Noor Dubai Foundation, as it reinforced and encouraged humanitarian work amongst DHA employees.

He added that the campaign directly supports the goals of the foundation, which has successfully benefited more than 27 million individuals since its inception in 2008, providing treatment to preventable forms of blindness and educating the public about the causes of blindness and how to avoid them.

He said that the initiative is in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.It is also in line with his call to all sectors, public and private, to instill the values of giving, whichthat have been passed on by our late founding father, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (May his soul rest in Peace).

Dr Manal Taryam, the CEO of Noor Dubai Foundation commended the efforts exerted by all participating sectors and corporations at the DHA who made the campaign a success.

She added that the campaign will be held every year during Ramadan as a competitive humanitarian completion amongst the employees to benefit as much people as possible through the foundation’s ongoing mobile eye camps.

Al Qutami and Taryam honoured all the volunteers and sectors who contributed to the success of the campaign during the award ceremony in the presence of DHA CEOs and officials.

Noor Dubai Foundation is a UAE based charity focused on the prevention of blindness and visual impairment globally. It was launched as an initiative in 2008 by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and was later established as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) by Law in October 2010. Over 27 million individuals from all over Africa and Asia have benefited from the Foundation’s free treatment and preventive programs which includes provision of eye glasses and medication. As a member of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Initiatives foundation, Noor Dubai continues to strive towards fulfilling the Vision 2020 initiative of a world free from preventable forms of blindness.