Secretary-General of IIMSAM Remigio Maradona Welcomes the Appointment of Dr. Tareq Al Saif Chairman of the Prestigious UAE Al Tareq Rehabilitation and Autism Centre As an Honorary Goodwill Ambassador in Support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2030 Through the IIMSAM Mandate & the Pilot Project “Spirulina Therapeutic Diet Immune (STDI) Aimed at Improving the Diet of Autistic Children Through the Consumption of Spirulina”
Secretary General R. Maradona with the Newly Appointed Honorary Goodwill Ambassador Dr. Tareq Al Saif holding his Ambassadorial Credentials Certificate and Ambassador at-large H.E. Dr. Fahed Merhebi
The Secretary-General of the Autonomous Intergovernmental Institution for the Use of Micro-Algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition (IIMSAM) Remigio Maradona welcomes the appointment of one of the UAE’s leading nutritionist and researcher Dr. Tareq Al Said who is the Chairman of the prestigious Al Tareq Rehabilitation and Austism Centre - UAE. As a Goodwill Ambassador in the fight against acute malnutrition the world’s number one killer, Ambassador Dr. Saif will be championing the IIMSAM cause in support of the IIMSAM Mandate and the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2015 - 2030 in order to achieve the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), launched by the UN in September and to be reached by 2030. In particular in purview of IIMSAM’s Mandate SDG #2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
His Excellency Dr. Saif will be supporting IIMSAM’s Secretary-General Remigio Maradona in mobilizing action on the institutional development of the IIMSAM/Al-Tareq Rehabilitation and Autism Centre Pilot-Project (Programme Guidelines and Schematics showed in picture below left.) Aimed at improving the immune system of autistic children who suffer from deficiency for vitamins, minerals and other elements abundant in Spirulina. This Pilot-Project will be used as a study to see the improvement in the children’s health. There is close to 3 million children in the region with various levels of autism and related illnesses. According to UNICEF: “Every 20 minutes” somewhere in the world, one child is diagnosed with autism. The number is rising at an alarming rate particularly in the Middle East/GCC Region. IIMSAM and its Strategic Partner will be guided, inspired, and will use the United Nations General Assembly Resolution on Autism as a Benchmark “A/67/L.33* Addressing the socioeconomic needs of individuals, families, and societies affected by autism spectrum disorders (ASD), developmental disorders (DD) and associated disabilities.”
The Pilot-Project will also establish norms that will be beneficial and applicable anywhere in the world on the correct way of using Spirulina in autistic children “inter alia”. His Excellency Dr. Saif will be the acting Director of the Pilot-Project and will assist with logistics and various protocols that must be followed to get the Pilot-Project going in the UAE. The financial backing of this unprecedented Pilot Project will be private and public funding.
Comments by SG R. Maradona:
“I further take this opportunity to thank His Excellency Dr. Merhebi for instituting the effort of inviting Dr. Saif to become our Honorary GWA and being the fiscal backbone in seeking through private and public funding of the Pilot Project “Spirulina Therapeutic Diet Immune (STDI) aimed at improving the diet of autistic children though the consumption of Spirulina.”…I also want to give my most humble appreciation to H.E. Dr. Saif for his willingness to support our Mandate in the field of Social and Humanitarian Affairs by being the catalyst along with H.E. Dr. Merhebi in creating an unprecedented Pilot-Project for IIMSAM in a synergy of cooperation with the Al-Tareq Rehabilitation and Autism Centre…This would be the first foray for IIMSAM into Autism which affects some 3 million children in the MENA-GCC Region alone…This is an important and unique appointment…because of the magnitude of His Excellency Dr. Saif’s enormous track record in the field of Autism and Nutrition…The Pilot Project has the potential to galvanize the IIMSAM in the field of Autism and Nutrition throughout the MENA-GCC Region and in particular the organization’s ambition of making Spirulina a key-driver to eradicate malnutrition, achieve food security, and bridge the health divide and the need for goodwill global partnership for development as expressed manifestly as an aspiration of the UN-SDGs…I look forward to working closely along with Goodwill Ambassador H.E. Dr. Saif and his UAE team in achieving these objectives with “Concrete Deeds” on behalf of the Autistic children to give them better health to realize their full potential.”
Marking Autism Awareness Day, IIMSAM Officials Attend IIMSAM’s Goodwill Ambassador H. E. Dr. Tareq Al Saif Chairman of the Prestigious UAE Al Tareq Rehabilitation and Autism Centre’s Annual Autism Day Awareness Event and Advocated in Support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Launched in September 2015, in New York - The General Assembly Pledged That “No One Would Be Left Behind.”
Picture on the left depicts: IIMSAM’s Hon. GWA H.E. Dr. Tareq Al Saif Chairman of the prestigious UAE Al Tareq Rehabilitation Centre with IIMSAM’s H.E. R. Maradona with H.E. Dr. Fahad Merhebi presenting on behalf of the Autism Centre Goodwill Ambassadors Certificate to Ms. Maysoon Al Atta who is phisically challenged individual. Other Recipients are shown below.
2 APRIL 2016 – Addressing the commemorative event this afternoon at the Regal Zabeel Park in Dubai, UAE. His Excellency Maradona Stated for the IIMSAM Newsletter: “autism and other forms of disability such as the one I was a victim of Polio are part of the human experience that contributes to human diversity.” “About one per cent of the world’s population is autistic… The vast majority of those affected are children.” “Today we also celebrate the unique talents of persons with autism,” he said, emphasizing that each must be treated a valued member of society and is thus entitled to equal opportunity in all respects, including education, employment, participation in social, political and cultural life and access to information…This means that the needs and rights of persons with disabilities, including autism, need to be taken fully into account, on an equal footing with other citizens, in the design and implementation of all policies and programmes.”
