Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO), commended Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre (ADSCC) for its cutting-edge Covid-19 treatments.

Dr Yendry Ventura, general manager of ADSCC, along with Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, director of the AD-BMT Programme, and the leadership team, welcomed Tedros to ADSCC’s state-of-the-art facility.

ADSCC specialises in developing pioneering technology methods for targeted stem cell therapies that rapidly detect, identify, and count specific cells.

During the visit, future collaborations in clinical innovation were discussed as ADSCC aims to become the WHO’s first partner in the Middle East.

The WHO has led the global effort in combatting Covid-19 and commended ADSCC for providing its cutting-edge stem cell treatment to infected patients. More than 13,800 patients have received "UAE-Cell19" treatment to date.

Additionally, ADSCC’s research was referenced in the latest edition of the WHO Therapeutics and Covid-19 Living Guideline issued on December 7, which notes the most up-to-date recommendations for the use of therapeutics in the treatment of Covid-19.

ADSCC was also congratulated for contributing to the national testing and vaccination programme as the centre recorded over 14.5 million PCR tests to date. In collaboration with the Department of Health (DoH) and Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha), ADSCC has administered more than 172,600 vaccinations and has provided remote vaccination centres and home visits for vulnerable patients with chronic diseases and the elderly.

Dr Tedros and Dr Hawa Al Mansoori, ADSCC executive director of the Department of Intramural Research and Member of the Federal National Council of the UAE, also spoke about the newly announced letter of intent signed between ADSCC and the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The initiative will help to grow research partnerships in response to unique scientific opportunities as they arise between the UAE and the United States.