UAE Climate Ministry Hosts Key Workshop On Disease Modelling

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) recently hosted a pivotal workshop titled "Modelling the Spread of Animal and Common Diseases" at its headquarters. This initiative is part of MOCCAE's comprehensive strategy to enhance the biosecurity system, focusing on safeguarding livestock from diseases, implementing precautionary measures against epidemics, and promoting veterinary and public health. The workshop aimed to mitigate diseases transmissible between animals and humans, thereby ensuring the safety of animal product consumers.

The event saw participation from Dr. Mohammed Alyafei, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine at UAE University, Ibrahim Al Dhanhani, Director of Environmental Disaster Department at MOCCAE, alongside leadership from various sectors within the ministry. Over 50 officials, specialists, and stakeholders from federal, local, and security authorities as well as the academic sector attended the two-day workshop.

Professor Aaron Reeves, a Senior Research Epidemiologist from RTI International in North Carolina, USA, led the workshop. Renowned for his expertise in digital modelling and simulation of epidemic scenarios, diseases, and environmental disasters, Reeves has contributed significantly to managing the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. The workshop also featured presentations by Dr. Ehab Fath Al Rahman and Prof. Youssef El Khatib from UAE University, Prof. Magdy Mahmoud from MOCCAE, and Dr. Yassir El Tahir from the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority.

Ibrahim Al Dhanhani highlighted the ministry's dedication to updating its human resources with the latest scientific practices to bolster national biosecurity across all levels. He emphasized that the workshop aims to enhance animal wealth care in line with top international standards while also improving understanding of modelling concepts to better prepare for and predict potential epidemics and environmental disasters.

Dr. Alyafei underscored the significance of the workshop in reinforcing the collaboration between MOCCAE and UAE University under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This partnership has already facilitated numerous joint research projects that have been published in prestigious scientific journals.

The workshop provided practical training in digital modelling to depict how zoonotic diseases are transmitted between animals and humans, considering human interactions. It introduced participants to stochastic modelling, algorithms, potential scenarios, and future explorations to aid policy and decision-makers in crafting responses to low-probability but high-impact disasters.

With inputs from WAM