Abu Dhabi: Bab Al Qasr Hotel and Residences has announced a new partnership with Al Jalila Foundation to create a fund which aims to contribute to the advancement of research in the field of mental health.
Established by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Al Jalila Foundation looks to help transform lives through medical education and research by investing in the UAE’s medical treatment capabilities.
Bab Al Qasr Hotel and Residences will ask willing guests to donate Dh5, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going towards the foundation’s mental health research programme. The initiative aims to recognise and raise awareness on the rising prevalence of mental health disorders with the World Health Organisation (WHO) reporting the diagnosis of more than 450 million people who have developed a mental or behavioural disorder during their lifetime.
Bab Al Qasr Hotel and Residences’ initiative is integral to the property’s new CSR activity programme, the Tadammon Programme, which is a yearlong campaign launched in partnership with Al Jalila Foundation supporting mental health research, and will include the study of addiction, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, autism, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia and general mental illnesses.
Vincent Mercurio, general manager of Bab Al Qasr Hotel & Residences, commenting on the new initiative said: “Even in today’s world of technology and instant communication, mental health illnesses are still taboo. Societal barriers and stigma often get in the way of patients seeking timely care, which is why yearly campaigns, such as Bab Al Qasr Hotel & Residences’ ongoing Tadammon Programme, is important to shed light on the issue and accord it the required treatment like any other illness.
“It is a powerful cause to be a part of and I encourage the community to join us in supporting Al Jalila Foundation’s fight to understand and treat illnesses pertaining to mental health,” he added.
