As the UAE continues to pave the way in the fight against COVID-19, the emirates have become the first country in the world to approve a life-saving COVID-19 treatment, which was approved by the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP).
The treatment, known as Sotrovimab (Vir-7831) which has been endorsed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is now licensed and enabled for patient use in the UAE in emergencies, the first place in the world where it is available.
Per WAM, the state news agency, the treatment which was developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Vir Biotechnology has been found to drastically reduce hospitalization for those suffering from COVID-19 and reduce fatalities by 85 per cent.
Discussing the latest available treatment in the UAE, Dr. Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, praised the UAE’s “keenness to proactively address the pandemic”.
UAE first country to approve highly effective, new COVID-19 treatment authorised by FDA for emergency use#WamNews https://t.co/XQNmq5nWOM
— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) May 29, 2021
“Such a new qualitative achievement would not have been possible had it not been for the UAE leadership’s keenness to proactively address the pandemic, attract and provide innovative medicines that prove effective and efficient, and adopting them as treatment protocols,” he said.
The Minister also highlighted that the treatment will help combat COVID-19 deaths in the UAE and help speed up the recovery for many patients.
“It will also support the country’s efforts being made to conduct Covid-19 tests and administer vaccines, retaining its leading position among the world’s foremost countries, dealing efficiently with the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.
This comes after it was declared the UAE is now the world leader in vaccine distribution rates.
“We are pleased to announce that #UAE is at the top of vaccine distribution rate, becoming the first country in vaccine distribution per 100 people worldwide,” the NCEMA said.
“This achievement is a testament to the success of the national vaccination campaign and the country’s proactive approach to achieving a sustainable recovery.”
