Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – 9 August 2021: The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DOH), The Abu Dhabi Public Health Center (ADPHC)and Malaffi, the region’s first Health Information Exchange (HIE) a strategic initiative of the Department of Health (DOH), today announced their participation at the upcoming Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, Inc. (HIMSS) global conference and exhibition, HIMSS21, in Las Vegas, USA. HIMSS is a global advisor and thought leader, supporting the transformation of the health ecosystem through information and technology. Its annual conference, taking place from August 9th - 13th, will see global healthcare experts connect and discuss how digitalisation is reshaping the sector.

The DOH and Malaffi have been invited to present both in-person and virtually at this internationally respected event, reaffirming Abu Dhabi’s position as a global leader with one of the world’s most innovative healthcare ecosystems. The theme for HIMSS21 is ‘Be the Change’, and under this banner, representatives will showcase how, thanks to our government’s robust principles and plans to strengthen the sector, the Emirate has established a healthcare infrastructure fit for the 21st century.

Atif Al Braiki, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Health Data Services, Malaffi, will deliver a presentation on August 12^th together with Dr Sanji de Sylva, Head of Clinical Adoption and Informatics at Malaffi, and Dr Hamed Al Hashemi, Director, Strategic Affairs, Department of Health Abu Dhabi. They will detail the complex journey to establishing Malaffi, the first HIE in the MENA region. The session will explore how the platform has, in under two years, become a pivotal part of the digital transformation of healthcare in Abu Dhabi, and highlight the benefits this has afforded stakeholders including patients, payers and regulators, having already connected 98% of hospitals and 96% of all patient episodes within the Emirate.  This presentation has been selected as one of only a handful of the HIMSS’s Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER) sessions – a designation that identifies presentations from organisations that offer the global workforce innovative eHealth tools and resources that are transforming health for all.

Mr Al Braiki, who was recently recognised as a HIMSS Future50 leader in digital health, says, “We are privileged and proud to showcase Malaffi at the most important and influential global event in healthcare information technology. HIMSS brings together global health leaders, encouraging education and collaboration, to drive innovation. When we work together, share ideas, and learn from one another we can turn our vision into reality and truly Be the Change. We have drawn on the experiences of our peers, on Abu Dhabi’s relentless enthusiasm for innovation, and on our stakeholders’ vision, to develop a sustainable and scalable platform offering ongoing, long-term benefits for the people of Abu Dhabi.”

These benefits have been demonstrated over the last 15 months when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Thanks to a centralised database of real-time health information and test results, the DOH and Malaffi expedited one of the world’s most effective and efficient pandemic responses. By centralising all vaccine data within the Emirate, they have contributed to the UAE’s success in leading the world in terms of vaccination rates.

A second, virtual presentation available on-demand, will be given by HE Dr Farida Al Hosani, Executive Director of Infection Diseases Sector in Abu Dhabi Public Health Center and Official Spokesperson for the Health Sector in the UAE, together with Dr Sanji de Sylva, Head of Clinical Adoption and Informatics at Malaffi, exploring Abu Dhabi's HIE-enabled analytics solution, and in particular, its role in supporting the COVID-19 response.

HE Dr Al Hosani says “Our vision is to offer residents a healthy and safe society, and in recent years, by building a healthcare system offering the highest levels of innovation and excellence, we have revolutionised Abu Dhabi’s healthcare offering and kept our communities safe. We proudly share with HIMSS the analytics and insights capabilities that Malaffi has opened up, and that enabled the DOH to monitor the spread of the virus in real time, strengthening its pandemic response. Our government was better prepared to allocate resources efficiently and implement measures such as mass testing, isolation, and vaccination. These were vital tools in containing the pandemic and protecting the health and safety of our community.”

The online presentation will also explore the future potential of platforms like Malaffi, and how, with the addition of syndromic and pandemic surveillance platforms, governments will be able to build predictive models ensuring they are even better prepared to handle any future threats to public health, and further advance the healthcare offering to the people of Abu Dhabi.

Furthermore, as part of HIMSS21 Digital Middle East Summit, Dr Rahul Goyal, Senior Vice President Clinical Engagement and Adoption, Malaffi will take part on the Online panel “COVID 19 – Accelerating Digital Transformation and Driving Innovations in the Middle East”, scheduled online for Wednesday 11th August, 13:00 (PST).

Dr Hamed Al Hashemi, Executive Director, Strategic Affairs Sector, Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, reflects, “Thanks to the vision of our leadership many years ago, we are in a position today to demonstrate that Abu Dhabi has built an advanced and data-led healthcare system. Through the use of improved data collection, standardisation and analytics, we are ensuring the way we deliver healthcare in Abu Dhabi meets the needs of today’s society and prepares us for tomorrow. We draw on the learnings and experiences of our fellow organisations across the world and thank HIMSS for providing a platform for us to continue to learn, as well as to showcase our commitment, and our achievements, to the world.”