Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, chairman of Abu Dhabi's Department of Health, participates clinical trials for the Covid-19 vaccine in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Government Media Office
Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, chairman of Abu Dhabi's Department of Health, participates clinical trials for the Covid-19 vaccine in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Government Media Office
Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, chairman of Abu Dhabi's Department of Health, participates clinical trials for the Covid-19 vaccine in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Government Media Office
Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, chairman of Abu Dhabi's Department of Health, participates clinical trials for the Covid-19 vaccine in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Government Media Office

Fight against Covid-19 should be guided by science


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Even as researchers scramble to halt the coronavirus pandemic in its tracks, science is being undermined by dwindling funds and fabricated theories. Children in the developing world are increasingly being deprived of life-saving immunisation while conspiracy theorists in the West dissuade parents from getting their children vaccinated. The two trends could prove disastrous. A UN survey of more than 80 countries has found that three in four immunisation programmes have been halted or delayed due to the coronavirus. A child born today has 20 per cent less chance of getting all the recommended vaccines by the age of five, leaving millions exposed to preventable disease.

Providing vaccines has become a challenge as the pandemic has restricted access to healthcare. Personnel, funds and medical facilities have been diverted towards the Covid-19 response. In the long term, this imbalance could have fatal ramifications.

Vaccine and funding shortages could spark other outbreaks in addition to the current pandemic. For instance, at least 30 measles vaccination campaigns were cancelled or put at risk this year, even as cases of measles had been on the rise prior to the coronavirus.

Diminished funding has affected the healthcare sector beyond vaccines. The British charity Cancer Research UK announced an estimated £300 million (Dh1.39bn) cut in fundraising over the next three years.

The global response to Covid-19 must take into account other threats to public health, which have not gone away with the pandemic. In the words of Henrietta Fore, Unicef's executive director: "We cannot trade one health crisis for another".

Vaccines save 3 million lives every year, but despite the overwhelming scientific evidence, a campaign against immunisation, led by so-called anti-vaxxers, is paving the way for disaster. Relying on an anecdotal study that was disproved years ago, the movement claims that vaccines are linked to autism and has been on a deadly quest to discourage people from providing their children with life-saving shots.

A survey published by a German newspaper this week found that the confidence of Europeans in vaccines is decreasing. In April, 74 per cent of participants said they would get inoculated should a coronavirus vaccine become available. Two months later, that number dropped to 68 per cent. According to a separate survey by the British analytics firm YouGov, only 50 per cent of Germans are willing to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

With vaccination on the wane worldwide and misplaced scepticism on the rise in the West, it is all the more important to fight disinformation and provide funding for immunisation programmes.

Vaccines save 3 million lives every year, but despite overwhelming scientific evidence, a campaign against immunisation, led by so-called anti-vaxxers, is paving the way for disaster

Politicians and public figures must also lead by example, driving public support for science through their actions. This includes wearing masks in public and partaking in efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Yesterday for instance, the chairman of the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, volunteered to be the first to test for a Covid-19 vaccine. The UAE has commenced clinical trials for two Covid-19 vaccines, with 15,000 volunteers set to take the shots.

For science to prevail, governments must devote more resources to dispelling false information and espouse a more holistic approach to public health.

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

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Key 2013/14 UAE Motorsport dates

October 4: Round One of Rotax Max Challenge, Al Ain (karting)

October 1: 1 Round One of the inaugural UAE Desert Championship (rally)

November 1-3: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Formula One)

November 28-30: Dubai International Rally

January 9-11: 24Hrs of Dubai (Touring Cars / Endurance)

March 21: Round 11 of Rotax Max Challenge, Muscat, Oman (karting)

April 4-10: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (Endurance)

Top tips

Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
 

PROFILE OF HALAN

Started: November 2017

Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport and logistics

Size: 150 employees

Investment: approximately $8 million

Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar

Full Party in the Park line-up

2pm – Andreah

3pm – Supernovas

4.30pm – The Boxtones

5.30pm – Lighthouse Family

7pm – Step On DJs

8pm – Richard Ashcroft

9.30pm – Chris Wright

10pm – Fatboy Slim

11pm – Hollaphonic

 

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

The specs

Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Power: 300hp

Torque: 420Nm

Price: Dh189,900

On sale: now

The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan

Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm

Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km

 

The biog

Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.

Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books

Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella

Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"

The%20Last%20White%20Man
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Mohsin%20Hamid%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E192%20pages%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublished%20by%3A%20Hamish%20Hamilton%20(UK)%2C%20Riverhead%20Books%20(US)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERelease%20date%3A%20out%20now%20in%20the%20US%2C%20August%2011%20(UK)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets