UAE donates $35 million to Children's National Hospital in Washington

The UAE has strengthened its commitment to the Children’s National Hospital in Washington DC with a new $35 million donation focused on prenatal, neonatal and maternal health.

This comes following a recent visit to the hospital by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who met with Emirati families and patients receiving care at the facility.

The UAE's assistance is the latest chapter of a longstanding philanthropic partnership between the country and Children’s National.

Each year, more than 100 Emirati families travel to the hospital for advanced pediatric care and life-saving treatments.

This latest contribution will bolster various strategic health initiatives, including within the hospital’s Centre for Prenatal, Neonatal & Maternal Health Research and the Zickler Family Prenatal Pediatrics Institute.

"I am deeply grateful for the UAE’s most recent gift. The contribution will positively impact children and families and support the teams of researchers and specialists who dedicate their lives to developing innovative medical care," said Michelle Riley-Brown, President and CEO of Children’s National.

UAE donates $35 million gift to Children’s National Hospital, strengthening a range of strategic health initiatives#WamNews https://t.co/2UeRgRcDr4 pic.twitter.com/GN6rv78r3G

— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) September 27, 2024

Key Milestones

The UAE helped to establish the Sheikh Zayed Institute (SZI) for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children’s National in 2009, which has grown into a world-class, self-sustaining research centre receiving more than 80 per cent of its funding from grants and outside sources.

SZI is also propelling the use of artificial intelligence to improve pediatric medicine and expand health equity. One example is a deep learning algorithm that uses hand-held ultrasounds to detect early signs of rheumatic heart disease, which kills nearly 400,000 people worldwide each year.

The UAE also supported the opening of the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus through a 2019 commitment. The facility represents the first pediatric innovation hub of its kind, where scientists, inventors, caregivers, patients’ families and health authorities come together to advance pediatric health.

The UAE opened a medical office in Washington DC in 1991. Since then, thousands of Emirati patients have visited Children’s National for lifechanging care for conditions such as congenital heart disease, neurological disorders and cancer.

The hospital is currently treating 40 Emirati patients.