As far as health measures go, the UAE has been making spectacular progress. The coronavirus pandemic has again highlighted the importance of the nation’s role in combating viral diseases. And this is not just in the country. It has also provided urgent humanitarian and medical aid to scores of countries, benefiting millions of frontline workers in their fight against the pandemic.

It was among the first countries to establish specialist centres for diseases and epidemics, known as “Coronavirus Control Centres,” which are cooperating with all relevant authorities to be always prepared and draft strategic plans to combat epidemics.

In an article in February, Mohammed Jalal Al Rayssi, Director General of the Emirates News Agency, said the UAE’s decisive and swift handling of the COVID-19 crisis has shown the efficiency of the measures taken since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Administering more than four million COVID-19 vaccine doses and conducting over 26 million tests is yet another proof that the UAE is confidently striding towards recovery, thanks to the vision of our wise leadership in following the footsteps of the Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

This achievement is also a result of the tireless efforts of the unsung heroes, who have been working hard, away from the media glare, achieving the highest rate in screening per capita, the highest recovery rates, the highest rates of preparedness in government hospitals and the lowest fatality rates, Al Rayssi added.

There is no room for vaccine politicisation or vaccine nationalisation. The UAE, home to people from more than 200 nationalities, is offering vaccines to everyone, citizens and residents alike.

The UAE has made payment of all costs related to the treatment of critical cases of coronavirus through stem cell therapy. The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) announced that it would be a patron and provide care to the families of those who died of COVID-19, irrespective of their nationality. The “10 million meals” campaign was launched to support low-income families and individuals who have been affected financially by the virus.

On the global front, the UAE sent Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to other nations to help them deal with the pandemic crisis, including 10 tonnes to Italy, 13 tonnes to Kazakhstan, 11 tonnes to Ukraine and 10 tonnes to Colombia. The UAE also built a 4,000-bed field hospital in the UK and launched repatriation flights to help people return to their countries during these difficult times, Al Rayssi added.

Numbers never lie. The UAE is now a world leader in terms of the vaccine doses to every 100 people and the top country in the region and in the world in the vaccine distribution rates.

Now, the UAE has added another sterling achievement to its cap of feats. The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has approved the emergency use of a highly effective new treatment for COVID-19, becoming the first country in the world to both license and enable immediate patient use.

Endorsed by the US Food and Drug Administration, the new treatment, from globally-leading healthcare company GSK, “Sotrovimab (Vir-7831)” offers the prospect of reducing hospitalisation for more than 24 hours and fatalities by as much as 85% when administered to patients as an early treatment for COVID-19.

The UAE has authorised the emergency use of Sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of patients aged 12 years or older with mild to moderate COVID-19 disease who are at risk of progression to hospitalisation or death.

The UAE knows all too well that protecting the health of the people and safeguarding the country’s gains are of paramount importance. After all, as the age-old saying goes, health is wealth. It is the gateway to worry-free wellbeing; escaping the clutches of the dreaded monster coronavirus has assumed overarching importance, setting aside all other concerns.