Page 234 - UAE Foreign Aid Report 2022

United Arab Emirates
234
Foreign Aid Report 2022

Aid Allocation Overview

Noor Dubai, established with the noble vision of creating Acting as both funder and implementor, Noor Dubai
a world liberated from preventable blindness, has been was entirely responsible for the direct execution of all
a source of light in the realm of ocular health. Serving as its programs in 2022. In alignment with Sustainable
a vehicle for therapeutic, preventative, and educational Development Goal 3 (SDG 3), which seeks to ensure
interventions, the organization has extensively reached healthy lives and promote well-being for all, the
out to developing nations, aiming to combat visual organization focuses on a three-pronged approach:
impairment and blindness on both regional and global therapeutic services, preventive measures, and
scales. In 2022, the organization channeled its efforts educational outreach.
and resources into five nations, deploying AED 2.7
million (USD 0.7 million) in grant funding. Of this, 59% Zooming out to a broader timeframe, over the past half-
was directed towards three Least Developed Countries decade, from 2018-2022, Noor Dubai has poured AED
(LDCs), while the remaining 41% fortified programs 16.1 million (USD 4.4 million) into the global arena,
in two Lower-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). A tenaciously battling against blindness and other ocular
lion’s share of its 2022 initiatives found its epicenter in ailments.
Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia, with these nations
absorbing over 90% of the total funding.

Allocation Insights

01 Health

In 2022, the Noor Dubai Foundation bolstered its elementary schools in Katsina, Daura, and Funtua, as
commitment to eradicating preventable blindness and part of Noor Dubai’s ongoing comprehensive eye care
visual impairment. Their determined outreach with programme, which was launched in the state in 2019.
disbursements worth AED 2.7 million (USD 0.7 million) This initiative, echoing the spirit of UN’s SDGs – health,
spanned multiple nations, with eye treatment camps quality education, and gender equality – is meticulously
established in Bangladesh, Ghana, and Nepal, which planned. Beyond its health objectives, it acknowledges
catered to thousands. the profound impact of clear vision on a child’s mental,
social, and academic evolution. An ambitious target
In Bangladesh, in addition to the eye treatment camps, is set: screening 160,000 pupils and 3,000 teachers
the Foundation embarked on a long-term vision, across 194 public elementary schools. To ensure
having initiated a 5-year programme in 2021 designed efficacy, teacher training sessions will be organized,
to reduce avoidable blindness. This multifaceted while experienced ophthalmic nurses will oversee
initiative is geared towards fortifying the eye healthcare the screenings. Anticipating corrective measures,
system in the Barishal division, ensuring it is holistic, provisions have been made to offer free spectacles for
sustainable, and promotes gender and disability an estimated 3,000 beneficiaries, supported by three
inclusivity. Notably, the programme prioritizes the optical workshops and 12 vision centers, honing in on
treatment and management of refractive error and refractive error ailments.
diabetic retinopathy – the predominant blindness
culprits in Barishal. The ambitious target set for this Simultaneously, the Katsina Eye Health Program,
initiative encompasses benefiting 25,000 children and mirroring the global “Vision 2020” initiative, seeks
50,000 adults, alongside raising awareness among an to comprehensively address eye health in the region
estimated 4 million residents of Barishal. 29 from 2019 to 2022. Alarming statistics from Katsina
underscored the urgency – with 122,000 visually
Meanwhile, in Nigeria, the Foundation’s influence has impaired residents and 24,000 blind, but a mere
been twofold. Teaming up with local institutions like 25% accessing surgical remedies. However, there’s a
the Katsina State Ministry of Health, they inaugurated a silver lining, as 82% of visual losses are treatable or
comprehensive ‘School Eye Care Programme’ spanning preventable. This program delves into capacity-building,