UAE Doctors Launch Mobile Voluntary Al-Fareej Health Festival

Abu dhabi: UAE Doctors have launched the Mobile Voluntary Al-Fareej Health Festival under the slogan "For our Nation - Following the Path and Legacy of Zayed the Giver," in a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at enhancing community health through specialised voluntary medical services delivered directly to residential neighbourhoods. According to Emirates News Agency, the initiative seeks to attract and professionally qualify medical volunteers, strengthening their readiness to serve society through preventive and awareness-based health services. It focuses on promoting healthy lifestyles, raising awareness of major diseases, and encouraging early detection and prevention in a sustainable, year-round model. The festival will tour various emirates, starting from Abu Dhabi, through specially equipped mobile buses that provide integrated platforms for physical, mental, sports, educational, cultural, and environmental health. It is launched by Zayed Giving and the UAE National Readiness and Response Programme Jaheziya, under the supervision of UAE Volunteer Ambassadors, with participation from volunteer teams and in cooperation with government, private and non-profit entities. Mobile platforms include early detection services, healthy nutrition guidance, sports and physical activity programmes, and behavioural change initiatives addressing inactivity, poor sleep, and anxiety. The approach aims to reach all segments of society directly within their communities. The initiative reflects a preventive healthcare vision that promotes specialised health volunteering and strengthens partnerships to deliver innovative community-based services. It builds on more than 25 years of Zayed Giving initiatives inspired by the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and his legacy of humanitarian and volunteer work. Adel Al Shamry Al Ajmi, CEO of Zayed Giving Initiative and President of UAE Doctors, said the festival represents an innovative model that transforms voluntary health programmes into tangib le services impacting people's daily lives, while contributing to a healthier society capable of addressing future challenges. Latifa Al Khouri, a cardiology consultant, said the festival is built on four pillars: volunteering, community health through early detection, health awareness, and interactive health accelerators aimed at correcting unhealthy behaviours and promoting physical activity, healthy nutrition, and psychological wellbeing. Al Anoud Al Shamry, CEO of the UAE Community and Specialised Volunteering Programme Tatawoa, called on community members to engage with the initiative, stressing its role in improving quality of life and encouraging sustainable healthy practices across society.