Page 50 - UAE Foreign Aid Report 2022

United Arab Emirates
50
Foreign Aid Report 2022

01 COVID-19 Control

In 2022, the battle against COVID-19 dominated the health sector’s assistance. AED 551.5 million (USD 150.2
million) was allocated to four developing nations for COVID-19 prevention, control, and patient treatment. This
encompassed the distribution of over 3 million COVID-19 vaccines to Ethiopia and Palestine, the construction of
field hospitals, and the provision of essential medical equipment and supplies for COVID-19 patients in Palestine,
Syria, and Tunisia. The commitment to building significant healthcare infrastructure, such as the 215-bed hospital
in Gaza and facilities in Aleppo and Homs in Syria, and Jendouba, Tunisia, are pivotal in combatting the COVID-19
pandemic and enhancing health care access in these regions.

Emergency Health
02

In addition to the pandemic response, the UAE also maintained significant support for emergency health services,
allocating 17% of its total 2022 aid (AED 261.8 million; USD 71.3 million) for SDG 3 towards this crucial sector. This
included timely health and medical assistance for those impacted by flooding in Pakistan and Malaysia, earthquakes
in Afghanistan, the crisis in Ukraine, and ongoing difficulties in Ethiopia and Yemen.

03 Infectious Disease Control

The UAE also remained steadfast in its commitment to combating infectious diseases, with significant funding
allocated to infectious disease control sector and tuberculosis control sector amounting to AED 283.9 million (USD
77.3 million).

The UAE emerged as a global leader in polio eradication efforts, demonstrating its commitment to eliminating this
debilitating, but vaccine-preventable disease. In a remarkable display of solidarity, in 2022, the UAE disbursed AED
73.8 million (USD 20.1 million) to continue its long-standing support the polio vaccination campaign in Pakistan, a
pivotal move to combat polio in one of the last polio-endemic countries still affected by the virus.

A further AED 73.5 million (USD 20.0 million) was provided to the newly established Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF)
for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (PPR), hosted by the World Bank with technical leadership
from the World Health Organization. This fund aims to provide long-term financing to strengthen PPR capabilities in
low- and middle-income countries, addressing critical gaps through investment and technical support at national,
regional, and global levels.

Also in 2022 with its AED 99.9 million (USD 27.2 million) in disbursements, the UAE completed its €50 million
pledge for the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment (2020-2022). The Global Fund is a worldwide movement to
defeat HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria and ensure a healthier, safer, more equitable future for all.