A total of 969 children received specialised medical care in Abu Dhabi through a partnership between SEHA Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) and Cincinnati Children’s hospital in the United States between April 2025 and June 2026.
The partnership also helped 189 families access specialised paediatric care in Abu Dhabi, reducing the need to seek treatment abroad.
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The figures were announced ahead of the 20th SEHA International Paediatric Conference (SIPC 2026), which will take place from October 16 to 18 at Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi.
Organised by SEHA, a subsidiary of PureHealth, in collaboration with Cincinnati Children’s, the conference is expected to bring together around 700 healthcare professionals to discuss the latest developments in treating children with complex medical conditions.
International experts to share knowledge
The three-day conference will feature 30 presentations and six workshops, bringing together 29 international speakers, mainly from the United States, alongside experts from Spain and six speakers from the UAE.
Discussions will focus on several areas of paediatric medicine, including genetic conditions, gene therapy, mental health, heart and kidney diseases, and respiratory conditions.
Experts will also discuss the treatment of rare childhood diseases and how doctors can improve care for children with complex medical needs.
Strengthening children’s healthcare in Abu Dhabi
The conference builds on the existing partnership between SKMC and Cincinnati Children’s, which focuses on improving specialised healthcare services for children in Abu Dhabi.
The collaboration covers several medical fields, including paediatric heart surgery, neurology, cancer treatment, bone marrow transplantation and rehabilitation.
Dr Jamal Al-Jubeh, Conference Chair and Consultant Paediatric Endocrinologist at SKMC, said the event would give doctors an opportunity to learn from international experiences and discuss challenges they face when treating young patients.
He explained that the conference would focus on practical medical decisions and approaches that healthcare professionals can apply in their daily work.
Sharing complex medical cases
Dr Dan von Allmen, Regional President of Cincinnati Children’s Global Health Consultancy, said the conference would allow specialists from different countries to exchange knowledge and discuss new treatment approaches.
The programme will also give UAE-based doctors and researchers an opportunity to present eight complex medical cases and seven research abstracts.
SEHA said the conference aims to strengthen the skills of healthcare professionals and improve access to specialised treatment for children across Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE.