BUSINESS

ADFD earmarks AED11 billion to support education, healthcare

October 16, 2018

ABU DHABI – In a bid to elevate the standard of living in developing countries and eradicate global poverty, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), the leading national entity for development aid, has highlighted its allocation of nearly AED11 billion toward development projects in the education as well as healthcare sectors.

In its report marking International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, which is annually observed on October. 17, ADFD emphasized its mission to help developing countries achieve sustainable economic growth and reduce poverty.

ADFD provides concessionary financial resources in the form of loans that satisfy the concessional conditions in accordance with the requirements of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). ADFD also manages Abu Dhabi government grants.

In cooperation with international financial institutions, ADFD has worked to increase spending on key sectors such as health, food security, transport, housing, education, water, agriculture and energy in order to reach the goals outlined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as achieve social and economic growth in developing countries.

Over the span of the last four-and-a-half decades, ADFD has disbursed AED81 billion in concessionary loans and government grants across 88 countries.

Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of ADFD, said: “The international community is taking great strides to improve the economic and social situation in many developing countries, which suffer from high rates of poverty and unemployment and the deterioration of health services and education. The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is an opportunity to further mobilize international efforts and boost cooperation, ensuring the creation of job opportunities and overall socio-economic well-being.”

Al Suwaidi added: “Over the years, ADFD has intensified its efforts to finance health care as well as education projects in particular to reduce poverty rates and increase the standard of living in beneficiary countries.

In addition to supporting sustainable development in key socio-economic sectors, ADFD aims to reduce poverty rates by contributing to the healthcare and education sectors. Notable projects include:

Among the strategic healthcare projects funded by ADFD is the 200-bed children›s hospital in King Hussein Medical City in Jordan. The Fund earmarked AED73 million for the first two phases of the project. Fitted out with the latest medical equipment to offer specialized care and treatment, the hospital has contributed to the development of the healthcare sector in Jordan through enhancing the quality of health services available to its citizens. Furthermore, ADFD supported the expansion of King Hussein Medical City through allocating AED735 million towards the construction of a new 940-bed hospital. The state-of-the-art facility accommodates more than 1,200 patients daily. ADFD also funded the Al-Bashir Hospital and the King Hussein Cancer Center in Jordan.

In Pakistan, ADFD provided AED94 million to build the Emirates Hospital – an integrated specialty medical centre with 1,000 beds. The facility has the capacity to receive 6,000 patients daily. The hospital is also equipped with laboratories and lecture halls to train military personnel and civilians to perform medical duties.

In the Seychelles, ADFD funded an AED16.3 million integrated healthcare project that seeks to provide high-quality healthcare and treatment at an affordable cost.

In Turkmenistan, the Fund allocated AED43 million towards the development of a series of integrated health projects that aim to improve the quality of healthcare services offered by the government. The project involves the construction of specialty hospitals to treat complicated diseases in a bid to reduce disabilities and mortality rates among the population.

Moreover, ADFD financed the construction of the AED16 million Sheikh Khalifa Hospital in the Comoros and an AED562 million cardiac center in Bahrain to reduce the pressure on specialized heart disease treatment facilities in the country. — SG


October 16, 2018
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