The Al Jalila Foundation, part of Dubai Health Authority, Emirates Today newspaper, and the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to adopt the second season of the "Your Donation saves lives" initiative. This initiative aims to support kidney failure patients and facilitate kidney transplants in Dubai by encouraging the private sector, businesspeople, and community members to contribute and provide necessary support for the targeted group.
According to the MoU, which was signed by Mohamed Mosbeh, Acting Executive Director of the Charitable Work Sector at the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department, Dr. Amer Al Zarooni, Executive Director of Al Jalila Foundation, and Saud Mohammed Al Darbi, Head of Newspapers and News Center at Dubai Media, Al Jalila will identify the targeted cases that can benefit from the initiative in coordination with partners at Dubai Hospital, Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, and Mediclinic City Hospital. They will provide the concerned parties with details about the patients, their health status, and the required amount for surgery and post-operative treatment, as well as take necessary measures to ensure these cases can benefit from the initiative as quickly as possible.
According to the MoU, Emirates Today will be responsible for coordinating with other parties to prepare an extensive promotional campaign for the initiative across all its media platforms. It will also commit to transferring donations and contributions received through the “hotline” service to the dedicated bank account for the initiative, in coordination with the Islamic Affairs Department and Al Jalila Foundation. The Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department will coordinate with all parties and ensure that the amounts donated to eligible cases approved by Al Jalila are paid.
The community contributions platform “Jood” will display the cases alongside their presentation in Emirates Today through the hotline. Ahmed Darwish Al Mehairi, Director General of the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai, emphasized that signing this MoU with Al Jalila Foundation and Emirates Today supports the national agenda towards achieving a better life for citizens and residents in the UAE, enhances humanitarian work, and aligns with the leadership’s vision promoting charitable endeavors locally, regionally, and internationally. This initiative encourages community members to save the lives of patients with organ failure and improve their quality of life, enabling them to return as productive individuals in society.
He stated, “The ‘Your Donation saves lives’ initiative in its second season, in collaboration with the mentioned entities, reflects the strength of individuals in the community to restore hope to patients and their ability to return to normal life, with God’s will. Nothing surpasses saving a human life and alleviating the suffering of someone suffering from a chronic illness by translating the culture of donation in the community into sustainable outcomes.” He added that the agreement translates the national efforts to serve humanity through qualitative initiatives that positively impact the performance of healthcare institutions in the state, through cooperation and coordination among Dubai government departments and entities to achieve the public interest, considering the initiative a noble humanitarian mission symbolizing brotherhood and solidarity in finding opportunities to improve the lives of kidney failure patients.
Dr. Amer Ahmed Sharif, Executive Director of Dubai Health Authority, stated, “We value this important agreement with all our partners, which represents a vital step towards supporting needy patients. Through this collaboration, we unify expertise and resources to create a tangible impact on the lives of individuals and the community, contributing to enhancing human health. In line with the core value of ‘patients first,’ we are committed to promoting these efforts to provide the best forms of healthcare and treatment for patients.”
Dr. Amer Al Zarooni, Executive Director of Al Jalila Foundation, expressed happiness at signing the MoU with the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department and Emirates Today, as well as the community contributions platform “Jood” to launch the second version of the “Your Donation is Life” campaign. This campaign aims to gather donations for kidney transplant surgeries and provide direct support for surgical operations and treatment services that can save the lives of kidney failure patients, reflecting the continuous commitment to collaborate with various entities in both the public and private sectors to achieve the goals and values that represent the essence of our community.
He noted that the “Your Donation saves lives” initiative follows the successes of the first campaign, which helped treat over 38 kidney failure patients, significantly alleviating the financial burdens on patients and their families. Al Zarooni highlighted the importance of this collaborative effort, which aims to strengthen the community impact of the humanitarian campaign and expand its reach and positive influence, thus enhancing the levels of credibility and transparency while raising awareness of the humanitarian message of the campaign.
Soud Mohammed Al Darbi, Head of Newspapers and News Center at Dubai Media, mentioned that Emirates Today has a record of participating in such important initiatives, having previously partnered with governmental and semi-governmental entities in several community initiatives, including the “Yaq al-Awn” initiative with Dubai Courts over five seasons, and the “Cities of Goodness” initiative with the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program. Therefore, the newspaper decided to join this community initiative.
He added that Emirates Today will establish a direct communication channel with donors through the “hotline,” directing donors, according to an agreed-upon organized mechanism, to its partner in the initiative, Al Jalila Foundation. He expressed hope that this initiative will represent a beacon of hope for a new life for kidney failure patients, restoring smiles to the faces of patients and their families. He noted that the newspaper is confident, based on previous experiences, of the community’s engagement with the initiative to treat these patients, especially since the initiative encourages the private sector, businesspeople, and community members to provide targeted support for needy cases.
Ibrahim Shukrallah, Editor-in-Chief of Emirates Today, expressed pride in signing the MoU with the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department and Al Jalila Foundation, which will enhance national efforts in the field of donations and organ transplantation through the “Your Donation saves lives” initiative in its second season, providing financial support to needy cases suffering from organ failure, especially kidney failure patients for whom kidney transplantation represents a sustainable solution that restores hope for life. He added, “This collaboration is a clear translation of our commitment to achieving the mission of charitable work between media and institutional sectors, and we hope for community engagement between individuals and institutions working in the state to support such community initiatives that serve the public interest.”
It is worth noting that more than 120 kidney transplant surgeries have been performed in Dubai, led by surgeons at Dubai Health Authority. The “Your Donation saves lives” campaign, launched in 2021, successfully covered the costs of kidney transplant surgeries for about 30% of the total kidney transplants in the emirate. The importance of such community campaigns stems from the increasing need for kidney transplants, amid a shortage of organ donors and the financial challenges faced by some underprivileged patients. Recent statistics from the World Health Organization indicate that global rates of kidney disease have risen, ranking as the tenth leading cause of death, up from thirteenth place, highlighting the importance of kidney transplant operations.
Al Jalila Foundation will identify the targeted cases that can benefit from the initiative.
The agreement translates national efforts to serve humanity through qualitative initiatives.