Today's Edition
ISIDORA CIRIC (ABU DHABI)
Emirati Women’s Day lands this year with a theme that speaks to service, community, and belonging, and few careers make that link as clearly as Dr. Farida Al Hosani’s, who currently serves as Deputy CEO of Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE).
A physician who moved from hospital wards in Abu Dhabi to the front line of national COVID-19 response and global disease elimination, she says that each step reinforced her belief that Emirati women are meant to “lead and leave a legacy”, rather than just participate.
“Emirati Women’s Day is both a celebration and a reminder. It is a celebration of how far we, as Emirati women, have come — and a reminder of the responsibility we carry to shape the future,” she said in an interview with Aletihad.
From Clinic to National Voice
The image many in the UAE remember is the composed spokesperson who met a nervous public with clear guidance during COVID-19. That presence grew from years of working in clinical practice in Abu Dhabi, absorbing the human weight of illness and the quiet discipline that public health demands - but also the belief that everyone deserves access to quality care.
In 2019, Dr. Al Hosani helped establish the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, where she led infectious disease programmes and tied together everyday prevention with rapid response. It was the practical spine of public health: e-notification platforms, premarital screening, malaria control, vaccination planning, environmental and occupational health, and protocols for outbreaks. That same architecture she worked on would later support a rapid response when COVID-19 arrived.
“For me, the transition from clinical practice in Abu Dhabi to national public health, and now to global leadership, has been defined by a sense of duty to serve people at their most vulnerable,” Dr. Al Hosani said.
Looking back, she points out two key turning points that helped shape that path: Standing at the front line during the H1N1 and COVID-19 responses.
When the world faced the threat of COVID-19, she became the face of the UAE’s health sector as its official spokesperson. Behind the scenes, she participated in the national response team, supervised operational teams in Abu Dhabi, coordinated research committees, and contributed to shaping health policies and guidelines for frontline workers.
“[This is] where I saw the power of science and community resilience; being entrusted with the role of national spokesperson during the pandemic, which showed me the impact of clear, compassionate communication,” Dr. Al Hosani revealed.
GLIDE: Innovation With People at The Centre
That outlook now shapes her day-to-day work at GLIDE, an institute that focuses on advocacy, operational research, and capacity strengthening, rather than sweeping, top-down interventions.
Born of a partnership between President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, GLIDE was first conceptualised in 2017 and then launched in 2019 at the Reaching the Last Mile Forum.
GLIDE has a deceptively simple agenda in mind: speed the end of preventable infectious diseases by marrying policy and practice. It concentrates on malaria, polio, lymphatic filariasis, and onchocerciasis, and aligns with WHO strategies and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
“At GLIDE, partnership and country ownership are two of our core principles and are integrated into every collaboration. Through strategic partnerships with relevant stakeholders, we work to accelerate progress towards and create enabling environments for sustainable infectious disease elimination,” Dr. Al Hosani explained.
The Year of Community resonates deeply with GLIDE’s mission because its key focus is protecting and strengthening communities. It calls itself a “think-and-do” tank because it pairs technical advice and research with catalytic grants that help ministries and local partners close stubborn gaps.
“Diseases know no borders, but communities are the first line of defence - and the ultimate beneficiaries-of elimination efforts. At GLIDE, we believe that placing communities at the centre of strategies is the foundation for building a healthier and more resilient world,” Dr. Al Hosani said.
GLIDE is now sharpening its near-term push to end infectious diseases and neglected tropical diseases by combining science, innovation, and local action.
Looking ahead, Dr. Al Hosani wants the institute to be recognised worldwide as proof that a small team can deliver real results through focused funding, operational research and grounded partnerships. And her legacy, she hopes, will be about building bridges between research and policy, between compassion and action, and between the UAE and the wider world.
A New Era of Influence for Emirati Women
Today, the Deputy CEO of a leading global disease elimination institute and the first Emirati woman to chair the WHO’s Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework Advisory Group, Dr. Al Hosani, herself represents a new generation of Emirati women leaders who have moved from empowerment to influence on the international stage.
“We are entering a new era where Emirati women are no longer asking for a seat at the table - they are shaping the agenda at the table. In global health, this influence is seen in how Emirati women bring a deeply community-oriented perspective, rooted in values of compassion, equity, and resilience,” Dr. Al Hosani said.
“When Emirati women contribute to health diplomacy or scientific initiatives, they bring with them a belief that progress must always serve humanity. That is a unique voice in today’s global conversations - one that blends humility with determination, and cultural grounding with forward-looking leadership.”
The inspiration, she added, comes from the UAE leadership’s own distinct approach: Combining tradition and innovation, and local identity with a global vision.
She called on the next generation of Emirati women to remember the legacy of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and the backing of the country’s leadership. She urged them to see themselves as part of a chain of pioneers who opened doors.
“Remember that you are part of a legacy of pioneers who opened doors for you. Your role is to walk through those doors with confidence, open new ones for others, and ensure that your leadership always serves humanity.”
