Revolutionizing Heart & Stroke Care in the MENA Region

March 2025

The American Heart Association and the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi (DoH). (American Heart Association)

The Association and the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DOH) are partners in revolutionizing cardiovascular and stroke care in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and across the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. Together, the organizations are driving a system-of-care approach to ensure more patients receive timely, critical care when it matters most.

On 24 February 2025, the Association convened 130+ health care leaders for an inaugural Senior Executive Health Emergency Management Ecosystem Rollout & STEMI and Stroke Accreditation Quality Summit. Hospitals, government agencies and EMS teams gathered in-person and virtually to discover customizable solutions for systemic challenges and reinforce their commitment to lifesaving practices.

Key highlights:

  • Insights from DOH leaders H.E. Dr. Rashed Obaid Al Suwaidi, Acting Director General of Health Care Regulatory, and Dr. Salama Jamal Husain Bin Rafeea, Acting Executive Director Center of Emergency Preparedness & Response, on strategies to strengthen multidisciplinary coordination and patient-centered care.
  • The role of hospital certifications in ensuring high-quality, evidence-based patient treatment.
  • Leveraging telemedicine, A.I. and other emerging technologies for improved care delivery.
  • The measurable impacts of Get With The Guidelines® and other delivery frameworks for sustainable quality and outcome improvements.

This groundbreaking Quality Summit reinforced the Association’s commitment to collaboration and continuous quality improvement in the UAE and beyond. It also commemorated key advancements, including a Chest Pain & Stroke Center Certification Agreement with Al Dhannah Hospital (Managed by Burjeel Medical City LLC), the recognition of a Comprehensive Stroke Center with the GWTG-Stroke® Silver Award, and positive meetings with many current and potential partners — milestones that will help the Association and DOH continue to elevate patient care across MENA.

Learn more about the Association’s International Quality Improvement(link opens in new window) programs.