Princess Astrid on RBM Tour – Part 3

Princess Astrid, Special Representative of the Roll Back Malaria programme of the UN, is on a week-long visit to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar.

Today, 1 April, the Princess left Saudi Arabia and moved on to the UAE. She started her visit in Abu Dhabi, with a visit to Minister of Health, Humaid Mohammed Obaid al Qattami, to discuss the UAE’s strategy in eradicating the disease. Princess Astrid praised the UAE for their efforts to combat malaria. The country was declared malaria-free in 2007. At the same time, she urged the UAE to share their knowledge with those countries which are still severely suffering from the disease.

In an interview, the Princess also explained why she is such an avid advocate for the RBM programme. “I was shocked to find out that most of malaria’s victims were children under five years of age,” she said in The National. Princess Astrid, who is herself a mother of five, also said she hoped her meetings would give results.

The Princess also attended an Education Without Borders event at the Atlantis Hotel in Dubai, so The National reports.

For more information about Princess Astrid and RBM, see this thread.
For an article about this event, see here.

Filed under Austria-Hungary, Belgium
Tagged House of Austria-Este, Interview, Patronage, Princess Astrid of Belgium, Roll Back Malaria Partnership, United Arab Emirates, Working Visit.