New system includes eight main chapters focusing on communicable and non-communicable diseases, occupational health and safety, environmental health, community health, information, research and reports, awareness and education programs and public health emergencies and crises.
Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC), has issued the Abu Dhabi Public and Preventive Health System to serve as a cornerstone of the Centre’s vision towards a healthy and safe society.
The decree defines the key responsibilities of Abu Dhabi’s entities that are managing various aspects of public and preventive health, and encompasses eight pillars which are communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases, occupational health and safety, environmental health, community health, information and research, awareness programs, and public health emergencies and crises.
In collaboration with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), ADPHC will work on preparing and developing the systems, policies, circulars, and initiatives to meet the requirements of the Abu Dhabi Public and Preventive Health System.
H.E. Abdulla Bin Mohamed Al Hamed, Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said: “As a result of our leadership's wise directives that have placed the safety and wellbeing of the community at the forefront, and since the establishment of Abu Public Health Centre, we continue to move forward towards strengthening Abu Dhabi's position as a regional and global leader in healthcare through initiatives such as the Abu Dhabi Public and Preventive Health System. Following the directives of the Abu Dhabi Government, the Abu Dhabi Public and Preventive Health System was issued to serve as a strategic addition to the Emirate’s public health landscape. Public and preventive health are a critical element of DoH’s responsibilities and a complementary component of the curative health offerings across healthcare facilities in Abu Dhabi. By providing a regulatory framework for all public health activities in the Emirate, the system will support ADPHC’s initiatives towards a healthy and safe society. It has been prepared in accordance with international best practices and is designed to be resilient, keeping pace with changes in the healthcare sector. The System is a reflection of our wise leadership’s commitment towards the health and safety of everyone living in the UAE and is another step to strengthen public and preventative health, as we continue to reinforce Abu Dhabi's position as an international leader in healthcare.”
H.E. Matar Saeed Al Nuaimi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre said: “The new system follows the wise decision by our leadership to establish ADPHC in 2019, whereby the Abu Dhabi Public and Preventive Health System is a document that sets the regulatory framework for all public health activities in the Emirate. The implementation of the Public and Preventive Health System at the Emirate level is a unique and distinct experience in the region and is a key step that supports our development efforts while also creating a positive impact on the standards of public health in Abu Dhabi.”
Al Nuaimi added: "The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the capabilities of the UAE and its flexibility in implementing exceptional public health and preventative health measures. In 2022, we are focusing on leveraging this success to move forward at a faster pace to achieve the aspirations of our leadership and residents of the Emirate. We aim to contribute to the creation of a healthy and aware society across the whole of Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi Public and Preventive Health System will clarify the obligations and guidelines for both government and private agencies, health sector institutions and community members. This, in turn, will contribute to improving the level of public health in the community and will reflect positively on a number of local indicators that the government aspires to achieve in the coming years while also improving the country’s public health ranking at global levels.”
The System's Communicable Diseases chapter outlines the requirements for managing infectious diseases by addressing aspects related to monitoring, investigation, surveillance, and vaccinations necessary for preventing and controlling the outbreak infectious diseases. The importance of circulating information about infectious diseases has been reinforced by the COVID-19 pandemic on both a local and global level. Similarly, the chapter on Noncommunicable Diseases focuses on identifying and updating lists of diseases and priorities for dealing with them based on currently available data and statistics, both locally and globally.
The system also addresses Occupational Health and Safety by defining the responsibilities of employers and workers in public and private sectors, emphasizing the need to assess and reduce the risks associated with various workplace activities and promoting a culture of occupational health and safety. It also contributes to defining standards and requirements needed to protect the health of workers and communities from occupational and environmental risks through assessing potential sources of environmental pollution. The Community Health chapter covers all aspects related to family and school health, particularly emphasizing the importance of medical and preventive examinations for expecting mothers and newborns. The chapter also highlights the importance of educating community members on all matters that could affect their health.
In line with ADPHC’s commitment to investing in innovation and smart data and its applications, the System allocates an entire chapter to identifying and categorizing research and data management activities related to public and preventive health. Through that, it stresses the importance of developing and implementing education and awareness programmes, unifying messages and priorities in this field and preparing for emergencies such as pandemics and epidemics.
The Abu Dhabi Public Health System has been launched to define policies and procedures that will maintain and promote public health, ensure the health and safety of workers and employees in the Emirate, and improve the Abu Dhabi’s global public health ranking.
