Abu Dhabi launches first jointly accredited fertility fellowship for Emiratis

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi has launched a three-year fellowship to train Emirati doctors as fertility specialists, in a move aimed at building the emirate's long-term medical workforce and strengthening its standing in assisted reproduction.

PureHealth on Thursday announced the SEHA National Fellowship Programme in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery, which will be run at the SEHA Corniche Fertility Centre in Abu Dhabi and the SEHA Tawam Fertility Centre in Al Ain.

The board-recognised programme is open exclusively to Emirati physicians. It combines clinical practice, surgical training, research and leadership development in assisted reproductive technologies.

It is the first reproductive medicine fellowship for Emirati physicians in the UAE to be jointly accredited by the National Institute for Health Specialties and the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi. Graduates will be licensed as specialists in reproductive medicine and infertility in the UAE.

Fellows will also take part in research supporting precision medicine, including the use of population-specific genomic insights relevant to the UAE.

Saeed Jaber Mohd Al Kuwaiti, Group Chief Executive Officer at SEHA, said the programme reflected a commitment to developing subspecialty expertise among Emirati doctors.

"National healthcare resilience depends on strong clinical capability," he said.

He added by embedding training within SEHA fertility centres, standards of care would rise in response to the growing global challenge of infertility, while supporting Abu Dhabi's ambition to be recognised as a destination for advanced fertility treatment, research and specialist training.

Dr Salma Salem Al Ameri, Acting Chief Medical Officer and Consultant Physician at SEHA fertility centres, said fellows would train within a system spanning genetics, assisted reproduction, maternity and neonatal services.

This would give them both technical expertise, and the judgement required to lead in this complex field, according to her.

She added the programme would prepare specialists to support couples through the emotional and psychological complexities accompanying infertility.

The accreditation was initiated by Dr Fatima Al Shalabi, an alumna of the Emirati Women Chapter, PureHealth's national leadership platform set up in collaboration with the General Women's Union under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation.

The programme also supports the 'Mother of the Nation 50:50 Vision', which highlights improving fertility outcomes and promoting healthy maternal and neonatal development as part of the UAE's goal of sustainable population growth.