UAE: Abu Dhabi announces free treatment for patients with chronic diseases through Dh1billion fund

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi on Monday announced the launch of an initiative to offer free treatment to patients with chronic illnesses through a Dh1billion Healthcare Endowment Initiative.

The Endowments and Minors Funds Authority (Awqaf Abu Dhabi), in collaboration with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, has launched the Life Endowment Campaign to support chronic disease patients under the slogan “With You for Life”, aimed at supporting individuals suffering from chronic illnesses. The initiative seeks to enhance the sustainability of healthcare services and cover treatment costs for the most vulnerable segments of society.

The campaign is part of the broader “Healthcare Endowment” initiative, jointly launched by the Authority and the Department of Health in collaboration with the Emirates Red Crescent and the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an, with a total value of Dh1billion in May 2024.

The initiative is designed to provide sustainable funding for chronic disease treatments, support the healthcare system, and strengthen its capacity to address future challenges.

The campaign aims to raise contributions to establish an endowment dedicated to covering treatment expenses for patients with chronic illnesses. Additionally, the endowment funds will be invested in the development of healthcare services, the provision of medication, and psychological support for patients.

The initiative also seeks to maximize the returns of the endowment and channel them into healthcare programmes, thereby contributing to the enhancement of quality of life and building a healthy and sustainable community.

Furthermore, the campaign promotes the values of endowment, positioning it as a developmental tool that fosters social solidarity. It also highlights the UAE’s pioneering role in supporting humanitarian and charitable efforts and encourages social investment to benefit those most in need.

Fahad Abdulqader Al Qassim, Director General of the Authority of Social Contribution – Awqaf Abu Dhabi, stated: “We believe that endowments are essential partners in community development and supporters of vital sectors, including healthcare. The Authority is committed to achieving the campaign’s goals through the creation of endowments from contributions and donations, overseeing the management of these contributions by investing and preserving them to ensure sustainable resources, and enhancing their impact to encourage further giving in this critical sector.”

He emphasised that the campaign represents a new hope for patients with chronic diseases, enabling access to high-quality healthcare for those unable to afford it. He noted that this initiative is a true embodiment of the “Year of the Community”, as announced by the President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and reflects Awqaf Abu Dhabi’s commitment to excellence in endowment practices aimed at community well-being and sustainability.

Al Qassim also called on everyone to actively participate in the noble initiative, which promotes community solidarity and reinforces the deeply rooted values of generosity and humanity in UAE society.

Dr Noura Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, highlighted that the “Life Endowment” campaign under the “Healthcare Endowment” initiative reflects the UAE’s vision and leadership’s commitment to empowering individuals and enhancing their health.

She stated: “This endowment serves as a sustainable model for providing care to the most vulnerable. The campaign reinforces community partnership and social solidarity and supports our efforts to improve quality of life by delivering integrated, specialised, and effective healthcare that prioritizes patient needs.”

Dr Al Ghaithi explained that the campaign contributes to securing sustainable funding that eases the financial burden on patients with chronic illnesses and supports their healing journey. It also reflects the Department’s ongoing commitment to fostering social solidarity and encouraging community engagement to achieve a lasting positive impact on patients and their families.

She added that the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi will be responsible for managing all healthcare-related aspects of the endowment contributions, ensuring their optimal use in supporting specialized healthcare services and expanding their reach to more eligible patients in need.

The campaign also announced its two main contribution channels:

      •     The Emirates Red Crescent, which has played a leading role in humanitarian efforts both locally and internationally since its establishment in 1983, and

      •      Ma’an, the official governmental channel for collecting community contributions in Abu Dhabi.

Ma’an acts as a bridge between the public and private sectors and social organisations to direct contributions toward key sectoral priorities, thereby promoting social development and fostering an engaged and cohesive community.

Abdullah Hamid Al Ameri, Director General of the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an, stated: “Promoting social responsibility is one of our top priorities. We support all initiatives that activate the societal role of institutions and individuals, encouraging collective efforts and contributions to initiatives with long-term positive impact. Our partnership with the ‘Life Endowment’ campaign to support patients with chronic illnesses reflects our belief in the importance of collaboration to assist patients and improve quality of life in Abu Dhabi.”

He added: “Through this partnership, we aim to instill the values of shared responsibility and community giving to help develop an endowment that supports the healthcare sector — one of the key areas backed by Ma’an through community contributions from individuals and companies to address pressing social priorities in Abu Dhabi.”

The “Life Endowment” campaign represents an innovative model for advancing endowments as a sustainable development tool. It provides a dynamic and renewable mechanism to support healthcare services for the most vulnerable and strengthens the UAE’s ongoing efforts to embed charitable work as an integral part of its social and humanitarian framework.

This campaign builds on previous efforts and initiatives launched by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to cement its leadership in humanitarian action, grounded in strategic planning, collaborative efforts, and long-term benefit for recipients.

Endowments play a vital role in achieving sustainable development by expanding the scope of charitable work to benefit more individuals in need through a sustainable giving model. They also reinforce the values of solidarity and mutual support, enabling all members of society to contribute to charitable causes, thus ensuring the continued flow of goodness and generosity.