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Mukudzei Chingwere Herald Reporter

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) says it is open to more collaboration with Zimbabwe in the health sector, as well as space science and technology, exploiting the good bilateral relations that exist between the two countries.

This was revealed by UAE Ambassador to Zimbabwe Dr Jassim Al Qasimi during the ongoing engagement with locals in different sectors.

Zimbabwe has already taken the lead with a comprehensive response to the global Covid-19 pandemic, winning international plaudits from the World Health Organisation and some countries.

“I want to highlight that we recognise the great initiatives put in place by the Government of Zimbabwe in the health sector,” said Ambassador Al Qasimi. “The Emirates have always admired the Zimbabwean government for this.

“The UAE has a comprehensive, government-funded health service and a rapidly developing private health sector that delivers a high standard of health care to the population.”

Health care is regulated at both the Federal and Emirate level with public healthcare services administered by different regulatory authorities in UAE, including the Ministry of Health and Prevention, Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD), the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and the Emirates Health Authority (EHA).

“Due to the success of this high standard of care across all stages of the health care system, life expectancy in the UAE is 76.8 years, reaching levels similar to those in Europe and North America,” said Ambassador Al Qasimi.

“To date, health care in the UAE has been funded mainly by the Government.”

Zimbabwe’s health system is being transformed towards the attainment of a universal health coverage of sufficient quality that leaves no one behind.

A recent all-stakeholders conference convened by Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga in Victoria Falls left those in the sector unified and pulling in the same direction.

On space science technology, Ambassador Al Qasimi said: “The UAE is seeking opportunities to explore celestial bodies, develop satellite communications technology and deploy the latest space technologies in terrestrial applications.

“The UAE recognises the need for the applications of remote sensing through satellites, including natural resource mapping, environmental monitoring, land-use planning and security.”

Ambassador Qasimi said the UAE hoped for continued exchange in the quest for “the collaboration of both nations in allocating new heights within the space sector.”

VP Chiwenga recently pitched a convincing investment case at the ongoing Expo 2020 Dubai, where Zimbabwe is among the 192 countries exhibiting, when he led a Zimbabwean delegation in October.

The UAE boasts of a Gross Domestic Product of around US$400 billion and its keen interest to partner Zimbabwe in several areas is a manifestation of policies put in place by the Second Republic anchored on luring investment into the country by making capital more comfortable.