Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Dubai
DIHAD
13 – 15 March 2023

Dubai World Trade Centre

  • About Us
    • About DIHAD Event
    • Messages
    • International Advisory Board
    • Event Summary
    • Event Testimonials
    • FAQ’s
  • Conference
    • Concept Note
    • Conference Program
    • Conference Speakers
    • Conference Topics
    • UNOCHA Workshop
    • Why Attend
    • Executive Summary 2022
    • Past Conference Archives
    • Waterfalls Initiative
    • Wednesday Webinars
  • Exhibition
    • Why Exhibit
    • Exhibitor Profile
    • Exhibitors List
    • Innovation Workshops
    • Featured Exhibitor Products
    • Exhibition and Sponsorship
    • Visitor Profile
    • Featured Exhibitor Products
  • Registration
  • DIHAD Hub
  • Our Community
  • Media
    • Image Gallery
    • Video Gallery
    • News & Press Releases
    • Media Clips
    • Online Coverage
    • Humanity without borders
    • Media Contact
  • Hospitality
    • Accommodation
    • Tours and Activities
    • Visa Information
    • Fly Emirates
  • Contact Us
    • Contact – Exhibiting
    • Contact – Registration
13 – 15 March 2023

Dubai World Trade Centre

Quick Links  
Quick Links
Conference
  • Registration
  • Why Attend
  • 2023 Conference Topics
  • Event Summary
  • Conference Program 2022
  • Conference Speakers 2022
  • Contact Us
Exhibition
  • Exhibition and Sponsorship
  • Why Exhibit
  • Exhibitors – 2022
  • Contact Us

Dubai Hosts the 17th edition of The Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference & Exhibition Next Month

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the 17th edition of the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference & Exhibition- DIHAD, the leading humanitarian gathering in the region, will be held from […]

Home News & Press Releases Dubai Hosts the 17th edition of The Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference & Exhibition Next Month

You May Also Like :

  • HH Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum inaugurates the 18th edition of DIHAD March 25, 2022
  • DIHAD launches 4 humanitarian initiatives from the UAE to the world March 25, 2022
  • HH Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed attends DIHAD Conference and Exhibition in Dubai March 25, 2022
  • DIHAD Conference and Exhibition all set to commence next week with more than 6,000 participants from 84 countries March 25, 2022
  • Dubai: DIHAD Aid Conference and Show returns on March 14 March 25, 2022

DATE
March 1, 2021
CATEGORY
News & Press Releases
SHARE
facebook twitter linkedin

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the 17th edition of the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference & Exhibition- DIHAD, the leading humanitarian gathering in the region, will be held from the 15th to the 17th of March 2021, at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Held under the theme ‘Aid and Coronavirus, a focus on Africa’, DIHAD 2021 will highlight the critical challenges facing people in Africa as it is impacted by the Coronavirus while also addressing the needs of humanitarian aid workers contributing constructively to a more effective global approach towards and within the continent in question.

In its 17th edition, DIHAD will present a rich and comprehensive agenda and is expected to attract over 6,000 visitors and participants from over 84 countries.

Furthermore, the conference features the presence of 50 world-renowned experts from the humanitarian sector, who will address various major topics duly focusing on Africa as it is impacted by the Coronavirus: ongoing conflicts and humanitarian crises; climate change; population growth, education and employment; aid flows and economic growth; food crisis, gender and resilience; exacerbated health challenges and, as a Special Session, the shaping of African Futures beyond COVID-19.

Some of the most prominent figures in the field will deliver keynote speeches during the event, including His Excellency Saeed Mohammad Al Eter, Chairman of UAE Government Media Office, Deputy Secretary General of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives; His Excellency Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, His Excellency Janez Lenarčič, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, His Excellency Dr. Hamdan Musallam Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Red Crescent and Her Excellency Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

While commenting on the occasion, His Excellency Ambassador Gerhard J.W. Putman-Cramer, Director of DIHAD’s International Scientific Advisory Board – DISAB, said: “Given the number and severity of Africa’s current challenges, some seriously aggravated by the Coronavirus pandemic, the Conference’s International Scientific Advisory Board decided to have the 17th edition of DIHAD highlight selected areas of concern and review the Aid that is brought to bear in attempts to address these. The Aid being provided should, besides meeting the most pressing needs, effectively complement national endeavors to capitalise on the continent’s recognised wealth in terms of resources and potential.”

He added: “We have included a vast array of partners in the discussions that are to take place at the event, these including donors and recipients, aid practitioners and those evaluating the impact of aid, governments, international organisations, specialised agencies, NGOs, the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement, academics and the private sector. While best practices will be duly identified and recognised, we believe that a number of constructive recommendations will result from our exchanges and that these, once implemented, will indeed have a positive impact.”

Furthermore, DIHAD has conducted a series of webinars in collaboration with Waterfalls Initiative for Continuous Education, amounting to 18 webinars as of February of this year, which have been exceptionally well-received, with an outstanding 7618 viewers from 112 participating countries. The webinars were held with the participation of leading organisations, such as the European Union, International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, United Nations, International Humanitarian City, and Doctors without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Commenting on this year’s edition of DIHAD, His Excellency Ambassador Andrea Matteo Fontana, Head of the EU Delegation to the UAE said: “I look forward to the upcoming DIHAD. Africa is a key partner for the European Union in building the world we want to live in – whether on green transition, fair digitalisation, human development, or trade. The new COVID-19 reality makes this partnership all the more important. The theme of this year’s DIHAD ‘Aid and Coronavirus: a focus on Africa’ is thus highly relevant for the European Union. This is also reflected in our level of participation. For the first time, we will be represented by two European Commissioners: European Commissioner For Crisis Management, His Excellency Janez Lenarčič, who will join the official opening of the conference and European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Her Excellency Jutta Urpilainen, who will present her keynote address titled “A Renewed EU-Africa Partnership: A Geopolitical Priority”. At the DIHAD Exhibition, participants will have the opportunity to visit our stand to learn more about the way the European Union puts people and planet first to create a better tomorrow in Africa and around the world.”

He added: “Over the past months, the DIHAD webinar series has provided invaluable opportunities to have ‘global conversations’ with experts and policymakers around the complex challenges that the pandemic has unveiled and discuss the solutions at hand. During the first of these webinars, I had the opportunity to outline the European Union’s Global Response to COVID-19 and our Team Europe Approach, which combines the assets of European institutions and Member States in delivering a robust response to the challenges raised by the pandemic. Six months down the line, 50% of the €38.5 billion Team Europe global recovery package has already been disbursed.”

He concluded: “I look forward to continuing these conversations with all the distinguished panelists and participants that will be present at DIHAD in March.”

Mr. Khaled Khalifa, Senior Advisor, Representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) commented saying: “It is a pleasure to participate and speak at the 17th edition of DIHAD and discuss the role of Islamic Philanthropy in supporting refugees during the pandemic. This year’s theme ‘Aid and Coronavirus, a focus on Africa’ is very timely and important as UNHCR strives to help refugees meet their needs under unprecedented circumstances impacting public health, poverty levels, protection, and livelihoods. We thank DIHAD and Waterfalls Initiative for Continuous Education for this unique opportunity of enlightenment and knowledge sharing.”

Running parallel to the conference, the DIHAD Exhibition will gather over 600 Relief item brands who will showcase their latest products and services, breakthrough innovations while also giving them a chance to engage in productive collaborations and expand their businesses in the region.

On the sidelines of the exhibition, more than 60 Buyers coming from the leading UN Agencies, Foundations and Charities from different parts of the world will host B2B meetings with the aim of building collaborations and exploring business opportunities.

DIHAD is organized annually by INDEX Conferences and Exhibitions – a member of INDEX Holding, the event is supported by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), the Dubai Future Council on Humanitarian Aid, the Mohammed Bin Rashid al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, the UAE Red Crescent Authority, the United Nations, Dubai Cares and International Humanitarian City. The 2021 edition is sponsored by King Abdullah Humanitarian Foundation (KAHF), Islamic Affairs & Charitable Activities Department, Pathfinder International and Life for Relief & Development.

Other links:

Tradearabia.com | Zawya.com | Uaenews247.com | Wam.ae | Albawabhnews.com | Dubaiiconiclady.com | Medadcenter.com | Klyoum.com | Ajmannews.ae

Organised By :
INDEX Conferences & Exhibitions Org. Est.
INDEX Conferences & Exhibitions Org. Est.

COPYRIGHT © 2023. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Shortage of ‘Human Resources for Health’ in Developing Countries

Supported by Noor Dubai

Subtitle:

The shortage of health workers in developing countries may undermine the attainment of the Sustainable development goals, universal health coverage and undermine control of epidemics/pandemics. So how do we improve the number and quality of health workers in developing countries?

Context:

The World Health Organization in its 2006 World Health Report reported that over 4 million more health workers are needed globally to prevent crisis in the health sector. Out of which Africa alone needs 1.5 million workers. Thus 36 of the 57 countries in the continent have critical shortages of human resources for health.

Globally all countries are challenged by worker shortage, skill mix imbalance, maldistribution, negative work environment, and weak knowledge base. However, it is worse in the poorest countries mostly of Africa and Asia where the workforce is under assault by HIV/AIDS, epidemics, out-migration, poor working environment, demotivation, undertraining and inadequate investment.

The critical shortage of health workers in developing world especially Africa is a major impediment to achievement of health/developmental goals, and could hinder the ability to control epidemics and pandemic outbreaks. In many developing countries this shortage not only affects provision of life saving interventions like childhood immunization, maternal services and prevention/treatment of the major infectious diseases –HIV, Malaria and Tuberculosis; but also hampers response to serious epidemics and pandemics like Ebola, Hemorrhagic fevers, Yellow fever and Covid-19. In addition to this the increasing aging population and change of life style in these developing countries results in rising burden of chronic diseases and non-communicable diseases like diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cancers etc needing more well trained health personnel’s and facilities.

This shortage is made worse within these countries by a vicious cycle of outbreaks of epidemics that further deplete the workforce and emigration of health workers to other parts of the world. The gross mal-distribution of the workers where by majority of health workers are in the urban areas but most of the population lives in rural areas in these countries, aggravates the situation. Furthermore the opportunities for continuous medical education and self-development is generally limited.

Thus, this human resource for health crisis in the developing countries especially Africa is not only about the quantity of the health workers and their distribution but also their quality. Due to weak educational systems and training facilities, occasioned by poor investment, health workers in many of these countries are not only inadequately trained but also lack the continuous medical education to handle emerging life threatening emergencies and chronic health conditions.

The crisis is partly caused by underfunding from governments due to competing developmental demands with very weak economies. This results in fewer ill-equipped training institutions, undertraining, under-recruitment, lack of facilities, demotivation, brain drain etc. The pull of higher salaries in industrialized countries and the push of poor working conditions at home along with political and social strife drive thousands of health workers to jobs abroad each year. This ever increasing brain drain from these poor weak countries to richer nations of the West and Middle East compound an already bad situation.

Challenge statement:

The SDG goal 3 (Ensuring health living and promoting wellbeing for all for all ages), the universal health coverage and ability to withstand epidemics and pandemics like Covid-19 cannot be achieved in many countries if the human resources for health crisis in these countries is not tackled.

So how can we address this gross shortage of health workers in developing countries especially Africa in terms of not only the number of the health workers, but their distribution and their expertise (knowledge and skills?). What innovative and technological approach can be applied to address this big challenge?

The digital literacy divide between e-learners: how to narrow the gaps?

Supported by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

Title: The digital literacy divide between e-learners: how to narrow the gaps?

Concept: In a world that everyone is using the digital sphere to communicate and learn, there is still a gap between the e-learners as some have high digital literacy while many still have more limited literacy.

MSF’s e-Learning team (TEMO) aims at reaching 95% of the organization’s staff and not only 25% with high digital literacy, access to computers, access to internet, etc.

Challenge: In this scenario and in order for all staff to have access to distance learning and eLearning Solutions like Tembo can offer, what are proposals and ideas to promote digital literacy for the e-learners to narrow the gaps?

Overcoming Challenges to the Inclusion of Beneficiaries with Disabilities in Emergencies

Supported by International Humanitarian City

Keywords: Emergency Preparedness & Response; Disabilities

Introduction:
IHC for the 2020 Humanitarian Hackathon decided to focus the attention on a group of vulnerable populations affected by Disabilities. The purpose of this challenge is to stimulate people to think outside the box and come up with possible innovative tools that the humanitarian community can offer to people exposed to emergencies and having different kinds of disabilities. In particular, mobility and communication/ability to attract attention are two crucial factors when it comes to the immediate aftermath of a disaster as well as the short and long-term living situation the affected disabled population may find themselves in. The purpose is to integrate and enrich the humanitarian prepositioned stocks with appropriated equipment and aid and therefore strengthen the emergency preparedness and have tools ready for their use in the response phase. The aim is to involve the Humanitarian Hackathon 2020 participants and transform their ideas in humanitarian aid for the benefit of the disabled. Looking at the list of the humanitarian relief items stocked within various humanitarian hubs it appears that no specific items are kept in stock specifically to support the differently-abled living in areas affected by disasters.

Scenarios:
The most frequent emergency scenarios are due to natural disasters such as floods, Tsunamis, Earthquake, cyclones, volcano eruptions, fire-forest etc…in addition to conflict areas. Hackathon participants are invited to think about the disabled population in those scenarios, and particularly, how the disabled can attract rescue teams or humanitarian workers providing assistance. Options for innovative solutions may focus on preventive measures, especially for the populations most exposed to risks and living in prone and hazard areas and subject to frequent natural disasters. Other innovative solutions may focus more on the immediate response following disasters when the affected population is forced to vacate their accommodation, which is appropriately equipped for their disability and moved into newer and less familiar areas. How can we help them?

Below are some tips for the various potential disabilities.

Suggestions:

  • Overall, items that could be useful to most disability categories could be:
  • A Tools to attract attention (which can be distributed to all vulnerable people affected)
  • A disability-friendly app
  • Stool bags compatible with a foldable wheelchair toilet seat
  • Clear masks for lip-reading for the rescue teams
Improving Small Farmers Access to Knowledge About Crop Production Techniques through E-Agriculture

Supported by International Humanitarian City

In several humanitarian response areas, are blessed with diverse climatic conditions for almost all crops (cereal, fruit and vegetable crops), besides ample opportunity to grow high value vegetables as off season in certain zones and pristine climatic niches as well production of certain fruits and vegetables seedling in low, high and walk in tunnels.

Moreover, there is also immense scope of growing short duration vegetable in three successive seasons i.e. summer, winter and autumn such as tomato, broccoli and potato. The small farmers in general are neither aware of the opportunities of effective utilization of their physical , financial and human resources nor know the ways and means to utilize their available resources. Thus they follow the hit and trial rules to grow crops which often incur heavy losses to them.

DISTANCE LEARNING CHALLENGES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN A POST COVID-19 WORLD

Supported by Dubai Cares

COVID-19 exacerbated pre-existing gaps in Developing Countries, which were already strained, underserved and faced significant tech capacity limitations, causing serious learning disruptions.

Context

The world has been brought to a standstill by the impact of COVID-19. Airports, restaurants, movie theaters and other elements of the social environment have been disrupted by this virus’ contagion. While watching movies and dining in public are not essential to our lives, work and education are.

Education systems and learning have been heavily disrupted by COVID-19. At its apex, school closures reached over 180 countries. Currently, according to the UNESCO Education Impact Tracker, there are still 34 country wide school closures and over half a billion affected child learners. “The medium and long-term implications of the learning crisis [has] forced 1.6 billion learners worldwide out of the classroom” (UNESCO). This is especially true for education in developing countries, which were already facing poor economic conditions while also coping with low literacy, numeracy, enrollment and proficiency.

In July, UNESCO estimated “that about 24 million learners, from pre-primary to university level, are at risk of not returning to school in 2020 following the education disruption due to COVID-19. Almost half of them are found in South and West Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. University students are affected the most, due to the costs related to their studies. Pre-primary education is the second most affected while at primary and secondary level 10.9 million students are at risk, 5.2 million of whom are girls.”

As closures forced students and parents home, the need for connectivity and hardware arose. “Today half of the world’s population (3.6 billion people) still lack an internet connection.” Many countries with low economic development and lack of connectivity, adapted via national broadcasts over TV and Radio, “yet the benefits of internet-based solutions vis-à-vis radio and TV solutions are considerable: connected digital technologies allow for the possibility of two-way communication, real-time interaction, gamified learning, and much more. Investments poured into efforts to make digital tools the principal hubs of learning, rather than brick-and-mortar school sand classrooms” (UNESCO).

“According to UN estimates, nearly 500 million students from pre-primary to upper secondary school did not have any access to any remote learning. Three quarters of these students lived in the poorest households or rural areas. More nuanced data showed finer disparities that traced and functioned to accentuate existing social, economic, gender and geographic fault lines. Analysis from Brookings shows that at the height of school closures, around 90 percent of high-income countries were providing some form of online remote learning, but only 25 per cent of low-income countries were doing the same” (UNESCO).

 

One of the flagship innovations responding to this at a global level is GIGA, an initiative launched by UNICEF and ITU in September 2019 to connect every school to the Internet and every young person to information, opportunity and choice. GIGA is supporting the immediate response to COVID-19, as well as looking at how connectivity can create stronger infrastructures of hope and opportunity in the “time after COVID.” The main objective of GIGA is to connect 2 million schools and 500 million children by 2025 and 5 million schools and 1 billion children by 2030, via funding of local infrastructure entrepreneurs and open source digital public goods.

Lastly, the long term effects of diminished education is worth considering, as “the World Bank has projected the financial cost of this learning loss to be as high as USD $10 trillion or 10% of global gross domestic product” (UNESCO). The human and economic impact of stunted education will ripple through the next decade as less educated students, workers and citizens will enter a world that is simultaneously regressing (climate change) and rapidly evolving (technology). Those that are already economically disadvantaged are at greater risk of getting left behind even more.

Challenge Statement:

As discussed above, distance learning is not always feasible due to low prevalence of connectivity and hardware in developing nations and economies, where the population is less able to purchase cell phones and laptops, while the public and private sectors are less likely to build connectivity infrastructure such as cell towers and Wi-Fi access points.

  • How can distance learning solutions be delivered to low income / remote / rural areas with low hardware saturation and lack of internet access so as not to exclude them from education services and systems they were already underserved by?
  • Think of innovative*, feasible and scalable solutions for learning disruption in developing countries

Things to keep in mind for solution design and review criteria:

  • Developing contexts often have limited access to transportation, clean water and sanitation
  • *Innovation does not necessarily mean very high tech and revolutionary. Sometimes the most innovative thing is using or reformulating something basic and abundant in a new and low cost way
  • Reflect on the sustainability of the design, as many solutions end up collecting dust after initial investment and intervention
  • Think through the replicability and scalability of the solution for global reach in similar environments
  • Contemplate potential cross-sectorial collaboration (telecom, government, and academia)
  • Consider the operational part of it: how is it going to work, under what umbrella, with what organizational or collaborative structure
  • Deliberate on the Who and How of funding your solution
Water Scarcity and Accessibility to Clean Water

Supported by UAE Water Aid

The UAE Water Aid Foundation, Suqia, under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, works diligently to provide clean and safe drinking water to communities in dire need and that lack basic access to water. Thus, Suqia contributes directly to Goal 6, Clean Water & Sanitation, of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It also has important contributions to goals 1 (no poverty), 3 (good health and well-being), 4 (quality education), 5 (gender equality) and 17 (partnerships for the goals).

Access to clean and safe water remains one of the most critical challenges faced by many around the world. While governments and societies work together to provide solutions to communities in need, the number of those who lack access to basic drinking water services continues to increase till date. According to recent statistics, the figure has reached a staggering 785 million in 2019. In many communities, people spend up to 6 hours each day collecting water. Not only does walking long distances while carrying 20 liters of water cause severe health issues, but it also keeps children out of school and wastes time that families could be using to earn an income.

Utilizing various solutions including artesian wells, water purification stations, water filters, water distribution networks and others, we were able to provide clean drinking water for more than 13 million people in 36 countries around the world.

The main challenge is in providing communities that need it the most. Often these communities are in remote locations difficult to get to and may be overseen in search of the places that require access to clean drinking water.

Although, the water infrastructure is not available, tele-communication networks are often available.

How can we utilize the tele-communication networks or mobile applications to support our goal of reaching out to communities in need? We are looking for a solution that would be easy to use where individuals can pin-point locations globally that face water shortage and lack easy access to clean drinking water. The solution would ideally identify the type of need in the area, the water quality, the approximate number of people living in the area, etc ..