Even as researchers scramble to halt the coronavirus pandemic in its tracks, science is being undermined by dwindling funds and fabricated theories. Children in the developing world are increasingly being deprived of life-saving immunisation while conspiracy theorists in the West dissuade parents from getting their children vaccinated. The two trends could prove disastrous. A UN survey of more than 80 countries has found that three in four immunisation programmes have been halted or delayed due to the coronavirus. A child born today has 20 per cent less chance of getting all the recommended vaccines by the age of five, leaving millions exposed to preventable disease.
Providing vaccines has become a challenge as the pandemic has restricted access to healthcare. Personnel, funds and medical facilities have been diverted towards the Covid-19 response. In the long term, this imbalance could have fatal ramifications.
Vaccine and funding shortages could spark other outbreaks in addition to the current pandemic. For instance, at least 30 measles vaccination campaigns were cancelled or put at risk this year, even as cases of measles had been on the rise prior to the coronavirus.
Diminished funding has affected the healthcare sector beyond vaccines. The British charity Cancer Research UK announced an estimated £300 million (Dh1.39bn) cut in fundraising over the next three years.
The global response to Covid-19 must take into account other threats to public health, which have not gone away with the pandemic. In the words of Henrietta Fore, Unicef's executive director: "We cannot trade one health crisis for another".
Vaccines save 3 million lives every year, but despite the overwhelming scientific evidence, a campaign against immunisation, led by so-called anti-vaxxers, is paving the way for disaster. Relying on an anecdotal study that was disproved years ago, the movement claims that vaccines are linked to autism and has been on a deadly quest to discourage people from providing their children with life-saving shots.
A survey published by a German newspaper this week found that the confidence of Europeans in vaccines is decreasing. In April, 74 per cent of participants said they would get inoculated should a coronavirus vaccine become available. Two months later, that number dropped to 68 per cent. According to a separate survey by the British analytics firm YouGov, only 50 per cent of Germans are willing to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
With vaccination on the wane worldwide and misplaced scepticism on the rise in the West, it is all the more important to fight disinformation and provide funding for immunisation programmes.
Vaccines save 3 million lives every year, but despite overwhelming scientific evidence, a campaign against immunisation, led by so-called anti-vaxxers, is paving the way for disaster
Politicians and public figures must also lead by example, driving public support for science through their actions. This includes wearing masks in public and partaking in efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Yesterday for instance, the chairman of the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, volunteered to be the first to test for a Covid-19 vaccine. The UAE has commenced clinical trials for two Covid-19 vaccines, with 15,000 volunteers set to take the shots.
For science to prevail, governments must devote more resources to dispelling false information and espouse a more holistic approach to public health.
Company%C2%A0profile
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Last-16 Europa League fixtures
Wednesday (Kick-offs UAE)
FC Copenhagen (0) v Istanbul Basaksehir (1) 8.55pm
Shakhtar Donetsk (2) v Wolfsburg (1) 8.55pm
Inter Milan v Getafe (one leg only) 11pm
Manchester United (5) v LASK (0) 11pm
Thursday
Bayer Leverkusen (3) v Rangers (1) 8.55pm
Sevilla v Roma (one leg only) 8.55pm
FC Basel (3) v Eintracht Frankfurt (0) 11pm
Wolves (1) Olympiakos (1) 11pm
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
WIDE%20VIEW
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Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Aayan%E2%80%99s%20records
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Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
BRAZIL%20SQUAD
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The%20Caine%20Mutiny%20Court-Martial%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWilliam%20Friedkin%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKiefer%20Sutherland%2C%20Jason%20Clarke%2C%20Jake%20Lacy%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
