SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being


3.3.1 Current Collaborations with Health Institutions

Current Collaborations with Health Institutions

The American University of the Middle East maintains collaborations with health institutions at various levels (Local, National and Global) to improve health and well-being outcomes. 

LOCAL COLLABORATIONS

Agreement with Dar Al Shifa - AUM Central Clinic

AUM has an agreement with Dar Al Shifa Hospital, one of the most renowned hospitals in Kuwait, to provide medical staff and registered nurses from their Emergency Department (ER) Department for AUM Central Clinic, in addition to collaborations to raise awareness on health issues among students. We note that Dar Al Shifa Hospital has the diamond accreditation of Accreditation Canada International (ACI).

AUM Central Clinic includes two large clinics that can accommodate a big number of patients on a daily basis. In addition to having the best medical equipment and continuously monitoring the medicines’ validity, AUM ensures having the highest standards of cleanliness in its central clinic.

Services offered at the clinic include simple cases or accident / emergency cases


Read more: AUM Central Clinics 

Health Awareness Activities with Dar Al Shifa Hospital - AUM Central Clinic: AUM partners with Dar Al Shifa hospital to raise awareness on several causes including breast cancer awareness every year in October, Diabetes Day, COVID19 awareness, First Aid Workshops among others (more details are provided in the outreach programs). Below is a sample event organized in collaboration with Dar Al Shifa Hospital.

Example of yearly campaign initiatives at AUM in collaboration with Dar Al Shifa Hospital: World Diabetes Day (below examples from many consecutive years)

World Diabetes Day 2023 - Diabetes Awareness Campaign and Beat Diabetes Walkathon

AUM organized the Diabetes Awareness week between 26 and 30 November 2023. Health check stations were on campus, measuring blood sugar levels and blood pressure provided in collaboration with Dar Al-Shifa Hospital.

On 26 November 2023, awareness sessions were held for students, faculty and staff covering diabetes types and prevention methods. The students’ awareness session was under the theme “Beat Diabetes – Student Experiences and Support”.

In addition during the same week, Beat Diabetes Walkathon was organized for students on campus. Additional link.

World Diabetes Day 2022 - Interactive Wellness and Nutrition Workshop on “What you need to know about Diabetes”

On 21 November 2022, AUM organized an interactive wellness and nutrition workshop on “What you need to know about Diabetes” for faculty and staff in collaboration with Dar Al Shifa Hospital.

This workshop covered types of diabetes, signs and symptoms of diabetes, the "ABC's" of Diabetes control, dietary management of diabetes, ways to better live with diabetes and some of the common medications for managing diabetes.

In addition, a health checkpoint was also available where faculty and staff could visit and get their blood sugar and blood pressure measured.

World Diabetes Day 2021 - AUM Raises Awareness on World Diabetes Day

On 14 November 2021 and on the occasion of World Diabetes Day, AUM runs a series of activities on campus in order to raise awareness about the disease and encourage healthy living among the campus community.

According to International Diabetes Federation (IDF), around 1 in 6 adults (73 million) are living with Diabetes and the number is expected to reach 95 million by 2030. It is also worth noting that 1 in 3 adults living with diabetes is undiagnosed as per IDF. In this respect, AUM partners with Dar Al Shifa hospital who conducts glucose tests on campus.

Since diet and physical activities are considered important pillars when it comes to diabetes care, AUM collaborates with famous diet centers in Kuwait and offers a dedicated space during the event. Dietitians from these centers answer students’ questions and offer them advice on how to combat diseases with a healthy diet.

On the athletic front, a cross-fit challenge are conducted at the football pitch where students competed in different forms of sports such as squats, pushups, lunges, jumping jacks, crunches, running, and hurdles. Nurses from the AUM clinic are available in case any injury happened. From nutrition and exercise to medical care and advice about handling complications, the community benefits from the opportunity to learn more about diabetes and healthy diet from experts across the country. Read more.

World Diabetes Day 2020 - Living with Diabetes – Virtual Event

On 25 November 2020, the American University of the Middle East (AUM) ran a virtual event under the title “Living with Diabetes” as part of the university’s efforts to raise awareness about the disease and how to live with it. The aim of this event was to explore the challenges people with Diabetes face daily and how they can be overcome.

AUM students, faculty, and staff attended the virtual event on Zoom, which featured the following speakers: Dr. Ahmed Swidan, an Endocrinology Consultant, Ms. Esraa Abdulrida, a nutrition expert, and AUM Alumni, Ms. Duaa Mohamed, who shared her personal experience of living with Diabetes.
 Dr. Ahmed Swidan presented an overview of diabetes and explained in detail the disease types and their various symptoms. He also educated students on the prevention methods, the common misconceptions about the disease, and how to behave with diabetes patients.

Ms. Esraa Abdulrida tackled the most important prevention and coping methods and stressed the importance of exercise and a healthy diet. AUM Alumni, Ms. Duaa Mohamed, shared her experience about how she has been coping with the diseases since she was six years old. She highlighted that AUM’s inclusive environment was very beneficial during her academic journey, especially since the university provides well-equipped clinics and nursing staff with high qualifications. She also pointed out that the disease was not an obstacle to her as she was able to be fully active in various sports, social, and cultural activities at the university. Her main message to AUM students was that living with Diabetes does not have to hold you back while emphasizing the importance of exercise and proper diet.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 420 million people in the world are living with diabetes. Both the number of cases and the prevalence of diabetes have been steadily increasing over the past few decades. In Kuwait in particular, the prevalence of diabetes in adults is around 22% as per the International Diabetes Federation.

From nutrition and exercise to medical care and handling complications, AUM provided the platform for knowledge dissemination by giving participants the opportunity to learn about diabetes from experts across the country and hear about personal experiences. Read more. 

World Diabetes Day 2019 - Health Awareness Activities at AUM during “World Diabetes Day”

In November 2019, the American University of the Middle East (AUM) held, and for the 3rd consecutive year, “World Diabetes Day” on its campus in Egaila in collaboration with nurses and dietitians from Dar Al-Shifa hospital. “World Diabetes Day” activities are increasingly important and aim to highlight the risks of diabetes if left untreated. “There is a great need for awareness of the disease and its treatment”, the organizers stressed.

Awareness activities included lectures by the medical team who held information sessions about diabetes and how to detect and treat it, especially that the latest statistics show that one in two adults with diabetes is unaware of having the disease.

As nurses conducted “glucose” tests for students to measure the level of sugar in the blood, dietitians explained the risks of eating high-sugar foods, calculated the students’ body mass index (BMI) and provided them with healthy-diet advice based on the results.

Based on its educational philosophy, AUM is committed to spreading awareness about different issues. In that respect, AUM organizes cultural, health and sports activities that hope to increase the sense of responsibility in the new generation and society as a whole.

In that respect, AUM organizes cultural, health and sports activities that hope to increase the sense of responsibility in the new generation and society as a whole.

Agreement with KIC (Kuwait Insurance Company) – Medical Coverage for faculty & staff

AUM has an agreement with KIC (Kuwait Insurance Company) to provide full medical insurance for faculty and staff including a comprehensive coverage, competitive premiums, and excellent customer service.

This ensures that our employees have access to the medical care they need, should the need arise. Accordingly, a long list of Benefits by Globe Med Network for Healthcare providers in Kuwait and Cross border Networks is provided.

Additionally, AUM also provides life insurance to employees and health insurance for the families of faculty recruited from overseas. The university also offered maternal insurance to female faculty and staff.

As for the students, all Kuwaitis are entitled to free healthcare and medical treatment at government facilities. Additionally, health insurance is mandatory for expatriates and their families in Kuwait, which gives them access to government health facilities.

In light of the above, everyone in Kuwait has access to affordable health care coverage. AUM and some private institutions provide private insurance to their employees.

Note: Faculty and Staff have various channels to seek support such as the Human Capital Department where they can walk-in and discuss any concern.

Collaboration with KFH Takaful GlobalMed Kuwait to provide PCR Tests for Faculty/Staff on AUM Campus

During Covid-19 period, AUM collaborated with KFH Takaful to send medical personnel to campus and hold PCR results to all faculty and staff that were working on campus during that period. KFH receives the AUM Corporate Award 2022. Additional evidence. 

Collaboration with SLB to host Sustainable Village – Health and Wellbeing

AUM collaborated with SLB to host The Sustainability Village on November 9 and 10, 2022. A sustainability mini walk-through experience linked with a number of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals and local sustainability goals. The purpose behind the project is to showcase the importance of these topics to the modern-day Kuwaiti Household.

One of the three main booths was “Health and Wellbeing” in addition to the other two booths: “Electricity Consumption Booth” and “Waste Management Booth”. The booth was designed in an interactive way that would encourage individuals to participate and experience how sustainability and especially health and well-being can make a difference in their lives. Additional link.

NATIONAL COLLABORATIONS

Collaboration with the Kuwait Central Blood Bank to organize a blood donation drive at AUM

AUM collaborates on a recurrent basis with Kuwait Central Blood Bank, the only blood bank in Kuwait being operated by the government, to organize a blood drive at the university so that students, faculty, and staff can volunteer to donate blood and help save lives. Additional evidence.

Collaboration with the Ministry of Health in Kuwait for Vaccination of Faculty and Staff on Campus

AUM collaborated with the Ministry of Health to encourage faculty/staff who did not take the COVID19 vaccine to get vaccinated while on campus.

Collaboration with Health Institutions to provide Internships for AUM Students

Senior Students at AUM have held internships at different health institutions in the private and public sectors. Most recently, AUM students worked as interns in various departments at the following health intuitions:

Students Engineering Graduation Projects developed in collaboration with Health Institutions

Graduation projects aim to integrate the knowledge and skills learners have acquired throughout their program of study, into a major piece of work that reflects the performance expected from an engineer. The project is intended to develop the learner’s ability to identify, plan, and execute a course of action to produce a viable solution and outcome conforming to agree upon specifications, engineering standards, timescale and constraints.

The following table shows a selected sample of graduation projects conducted in collaboration with health institutions:

GLOBAL COLLABORATIONS

Research Partnership with various global and regional institutions

AUM established several research collaborations with global and regional health entities. Below are selected examples:

“The Universe of Biometrics as a Promising Smart Technology” at AUM

The American University of the Middle East hosted on Monday, October 29, 2018 the Director of Biometrics Group and Head of the International Master of Biometrics at the Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne University (UPEC), Professor Amine NAIT-ALI, who presented a lecture titled “The Universe of Biometrics as a Promising Smart Technology: Human Face Analysis vs. Artificial Intelligence Analysis”.

The lecture that took place in the AUM cultural center was attended by students and faculty from the College of Engineering and Technology.

During the lecture, Professor NAIT-ALI explored another point of view of biometrics by considering the huge potential of artificial intelligence based biometrics in different fields, including security, healthcare and smart systems. Human-Machine Interaction was highlighted in particular through some advanced computer vision and Machine-Learning face analysis techniques, considering, as an example, digital face ageing and de-ageing.

Moreover, Professor NAIT-ALI’s presentation included many illustrations and demonstrations showing the socio-economic impact of smart biometrics, used for education purpose, for person’s assistance, or even for entertainment.

Following the lecture, Professor NAIT-ALI praised AUM for its high tech facilities and the knowledge and expertise of its students in the artificial intelligence field. “It was a great experience to be at AUM today. I was impressed by the students’ standards, they asked me very interesting questions on important topics, which reflects their levels of interests and shows that they have creative ideas and projects”, he said.

He added: “Biometrics can be use in different fields such as security, healthcare, sport, mechanics, etc. so students can do studies and define priorities in their community and use biometrics for its development”. Read more.