DoH Abu Dhabi partners with Pfizer Gulf to advance healthcare research with Real World Data Workshop

UAE—Pfizer Gulf, in partnership with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), recently organized a specialized workshop titled “Harnessing the Power of Real World Data in Healthcare Research.”

This event is a direct outcome of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two organizations in 2024, which aims to advance Abu Dhabi’s role as a global leader in healthcare innovation by strengthening real world data (RWD) capabilities and promoting data-driven, evidence-based decision making.

Sickle cell disease is a major public health concern in the Gulf region, with prevalence rates ranging from 0.24% to 5.8%.

It can cause severe pain, organ damage, and significantly impact patients’ quality of life and ability to work.

The workshop brought together over 60 participants, including researchers, data scientists, pharmacists, and healthcare professionals from leading hospitals and academic institutions across Abu Dhabi.

The primary focus was to explore how real-world evidence (RWE) can be applied to enhance research, improve health outcomes, and enable more personalized patient care.

 Through expert-led discussions, attendees examined the use of RWD from national databases, the distinctions between RWE and traditional clinical trials, as well as best practices in study design, bias mitigation, regulatory requirements, and governance models for data access.

A highlight of the event was a panel discussion featuring representatives from the Department of Health, the UAE Genome Program, M42, and Pfizer’s global RWE leadership.

The panel explored the potential of Abu Dhabi’s Trusted Research Environment to drive scientific discovery and support the emirate’s ambition to become a global center for health and life sciences.

This initiative is part of a broader commitment under the MoU, with Pfizer and DoH working jointly to enhance the local ecosystem for real world data.

Their efforts are focused on generating local evidence, building research capacity, and addressing healthcare priorities that are both national and global in scope.

Notably, one of the first areas of focus is sickle cell disease (SCD), a significant public health concern in the region, with plans to expand into other disease areas for the benefit of patients locally and internationally.

Dr. Nadine Tarcha, Medical Director at Pfizer Gulf, emphasized the importance of partnerships in shaping the future of healthcare research.

 She highlighted that real world data is crucial for generating insights that complement clinical trials and accelerate patient-centered innovation.

Through this collaboration, Pfizer and DoH aim to empower local researchers, strengthen evidence generation, and improve access to better health outcomes.

The workshop also fostered knowledge exchange and scientific dialogue, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s vision to become a global hub for biomedical research, genomics, and precision medicine.

By promoting education and awareness around RWD and RWE, the partnership is helping to upskill the local healthcare workforce and establish a sustainable model for ongoing innovation.

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