The UK’s Zayed Centre for researching rare diseases in children is celebrating its second anniversary with praise for its pioneering work on gene therapy and Covid-19.
The centre, which is linked to London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, opened shortly before the pandemic arrived in Britain.
It is named after the UAE’s Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed, whose wife Sheikha Fatima donated £60 million ($82.6m) to the Great Ormond Street charity in 2014.
Entering its third year, the centre praised its scientists for investigating the smallest amount of coronavirus that is needed to cause an infection, helping the world’s understanding of Covid-19.
The hospital described this as the first human challenge trial of the pandemic, meaning healthy volunteers were deliberately exposed to the virus under controlled conditions to help develop treatments.
This research has “supported the global pandemic response by aiding vaccine and treatment development”, the centre said.
A separate gene therapy trial ended with 48 out of 50 patients no longer showing symptoms of a rare, inherited immune deficiency called ADA-SCID.
It came as the hospital celebrated 20 years since the first gene therapy carried out at Great Ormond Street, on a child called Rhys Evans who celebrated his 21st birthday in October.
Gene therapy researcher Prof Manju Kurian said working at the Zayed Centre had been “absolutely life-transforming” for him and his colleagues.
“We answer the questions that families ask us: why has my child got this condition, how has this happened and what can you do to make my child’s life better?,” he said.
“And being in the Zayed Centre has allowed us to answer them. We have the most amazing laboratory space, we have state-of-the-art tissue culture facilities and we are in a milieu of other researchers who have the same goal, propelling us forward for these children.”
The centre said it had treated more than 105,000 young patients since it opened. There were more than 25,000 appointments at a section called Falcon Outpatients.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, toured the centre on a visit to the UK in September.
He said he was inspired by the pioneering research taking place there and thanked staff for helping children from around the world.
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School counsellors on mental well-being
Schools counsellors in Abu Dhabi have put a number of provisions in place to help support pupils returning to the classroom next week.
Many children will resume in-person lessons for the first time in 10 months and parents previously raised concerns about the long-term effects of distance learning.
Schools leaders and counsellors said extra support will be offered to anyone that needs it. Additionally, heads of years will be on hand to offer advice or coping mechanisms to ease any concerns.
“Anxiety this time round has really spiralled, more so than from the first lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Priya Mitchell, counsellor at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
“Some have got used to being at home don’t want to go back, while others are desperate to get back.
“We have seen an increase in depressive symptoms, especially with older pupils, and self-harm is starting younger.
“It is worrying and has taught us how important it is that we prioritise mental well-being.”
Ms Mitchell said she was liaising more with heads of year so they can support and offer advice to pupils if the demand is there.
The school will also carry out mental well-being checks so they can pick up on any behavioural patterns and put interventions in place to help pupils.
At Raha International School, the well-being team has provided parents with assessment surveys to see how they can support students at home to transition back to school.
“They have created a Well-being Resource Bank that parents have access to on information on various domains of mental health for students and families,” a team member said.
“Our pastoral team have been working with students to help ease the transition and reduce anxiety that [pupils] may experience after some have been nearly a year off campus.
"Special secondary tutorial classes have also focused on preparing students for their return; going over new guidelines, expectations and daily schedules.”
