KAUST and PATH Sign MOU to Address Public Health Challenges in KSA and Beyond.
THUWAL, Saudi Arabia - King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and PATH, a global nonprofit organization based in Seattle, US, have joined forces to address public health challenges in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
The two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday to establish collaboration and innovation partnerships to transform healthcare delivery.
The MoU was signed by KAUST President, Prof.
Tony Chan, and his counterpart from PATH, Nikolaj Gilbert.
The collaboration between KAUST and PATH aims to provide expertise and deliver digital healthcare towards health equity, which is one of the Kingdom's top national priorities, as described by the Research, Development and Innovation Authority (RDIA).
The MoU establishes a framework for PATH to provide expertise in several areas, including establishing a
vaccine manufacturing capability and competence, developing digital health systems, tools and practices to meet current and future needs, establishing and operating a biobank facility at KAUST, creating an ecosystem that promotes the commercialization of technologies developed by KAUST, addressing the impacts of climate change on health, and organizing professional training in smart health programs.
PATH is a global organization with a mission to advance global health equity through partnerships.
KAUST is a key partner in the Middle East in achieving this goal.
As a first step, PATH is working with KAUST to secure a physical presence in the kingdom to facilitate access to researchers and facilities while providing a foundation for future regional collaborations.
Prof.
Tony Chan, KAUST President, stated that this partnership represents a unique opportunity for KAUST to team up with an international NGO like PATH to be part of the global effort to develop the next generation of smart health tools and methods to ensure equal access to health care.
PATH President and CEO, Gilbert, said, "There is no global public health equity without delivering for everyone everywhere.
We are excited that through this partnership with KAUST, we have the opportunity to both collaborate in the Middle East for the first time and advance more equitable access to essential health services globally."