DUBAI // Infertility treatments will be free for UAE citizens under a new Government initiative in the emirate called “Amal”, Arabic for hope.
The Dubai Gynaecology & Fertility Centre (DGFC) will cover the costs of “all cycles of fertility treatment needed” for Emirati couples from Dubai, including in vitro fertilisation, the Dubai Health Authority said today.
Amal was launched on the orders of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
Thiqa health insurance covers fertility treatments for Emiratis from Abu Dhabi, but Emiratis from Dubai had to pay for treatments in the past, said Fatma Buhannad, DGFC director.
“It will be great news for them,” she said. “I’m sure that everybody will be happy, because this treatment can cost.”
The price for treating fertility problems can reach tens of thousands of dirhams.
One trial of in vitro fertilisation at the centre typically costs Dh22,000, while the cost for a intracytoplasmic sperm injection is Dh26,000.
“Not all insurance companies dealing with fertility doctors accept [the costs],” Ms Buhannad said.
The financial burden can force families to delay treatment until they save enough money, she added.
Dr David Robertson, medical director of the Bourn Hall Clinic in Dubai, said the news that the Government would foot the bill was not unexpected.
“It would bring Dubai in line with Abu Dhabi, so I’m not really surprised,” he said. “Of course from the local citizens’ point of view it’s a great thing.”
But Dr Robertson said that initiative should consider setting a limit on how many times someone can undertake in vitro fertilisation.
“I worked in Abu Dhabi for a while at Tawam Hospital,” he said. “We had the same thing happening with Thiqa patients there.
There was always some confusion over how much treatment they could have.”
He said: “I think it would be unhelpful to allow an unlimited treatment. I would be inclined to set a limit of three cycles, along those lines.”
In 2010, the UAE’s “total fertility rate” was 1.7 children per woman, down from 4.4 in 1990, according to the World Health Organisation.
Although the decline can be partly attributed to a growing number of female expatriate residents, it also reflects changes in Emirati society.
The country’s rapid development has resulted in more people attending university and entering the workforce, and consequently more women – and men – are delaying the age at which they marry and have children.
Experts say infertility affects UAE couples at the same rate as those globally, about 10 per cent. Locally, the most common cause of infertility in men is low sperm count, while for women it is polycystic ovarian syndrome, according to the DGFC.
The centre serves Emiratis and expatriates. It provides treatment to 500 to 600 Emirati couples a year, on average.
Women older than 40 get pregnant at a rate of 45 per cent; for those younger than 40, the rate is 55 per cent.
Since the centre opened in 1991, 3,000 babies have been born through treatments provided there.
The centre also tests patients for genetic disorders such as Thalassemia.
vnereim@thenational.ae
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
If you go…
Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.
Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days.
Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”