UAE's handling of COVID-19 pandemic ranked first in global indexes

The UAE has been ranked first globally in terms of the number of indexes related to handling the COVID-19 pandemic, from addressing the virus to the recovery period, and overcoming the health, economic and social repercussions of the crisis.

The Emirates News Agency, WAM, monitored six achievements that have reinforced the leading position attained by the UAE, both globally and in the Middle East, since the outbreak of the virus last year.

It noted that the UAE ranked first globally in the distribution of daily doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from January 12 to 18, 2021, with a rate of 1.16 doses for every 100 people. The country was fifth globally in terms of the vaccine’s availability.

The UAE was also the first nation in the world where the number of coronavirus tests surpassed the actual population. By October 6, 2020, the country had conducted 10 million tests since the start of the pandemic.

In July 2020, the UAE accomplished a key achievement, under the framework of its continuous efforts to limit the spread of the virus, after the successful use of dogs in the country’s airport to detect infected people, the first country in the world to successfully implement this approach.

The UAE clinched the top position in the Middle East by handling the pandemic efficiently, according to the Global Soft Power Index, the world’s most comprehensive research study on perceptions of nation brands published by Brand Finance.

While the Toluna Consumer Insights survey published in June 2020, placed the UAE first in the Middle East and third globally, in terms of public satisfaction with the procedures undertaken by governments to counter the virus.

The UAE was the first country in the Middle East and fifth in the world to offer drive-through coronavirus tests, through several centres around the country. The tests take less than five minutes to complete.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the UAE has adopted effective procedures while harnessing all the necessary resources and tools to overcome this difficult period. The country launched the National Sterilisation Programme, implemented remote learning and teleworking systems, and utilised innovative medical treatments, including the use of stem cells, for coronavirus patients.

The UAE also established the largest coronavirus lab outside China, in addition to other precautionary measures that helped limit the spread of the virus.