Note: The reporter continued the numbering sequence thoughout the First Lady's overseas trip.
Report #1 is availabe by clicking here.
Reports #2 through 4 available by clicking here.
Pool Reports by Kara Voght, The Washington Post
| Sent: | Reports: |
| December 5, 2024 21:57 GST |
FLOTUS Travel Pool Report #5 | Visits to Qasr Al Bahr, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and Qasr Al Hosn FLOTUS's motorcade departed RON at 12:47 PM local time for Qasr Al Bahr. FLOTUS met with Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union and the Family Development Foundation, and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood. The pool held in the vans for the duration of the visit, which was closed press. The motorcade left Qasr Al Bahr at 2:04 PM. The motorcade arrived at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi at 2:25 PM. FLOTUS told her greeters that cancer research is a "major interest of the Bidens" and thanked them for the work the clinic is doing to "treat and eradicate cancer." FLOTUS then joined a group of doctors to learn about the hospital's work on behalf of cancer treatment, research, and education. She told Dr. Zeina Kassem — the Nursing Director of the Medical, Surgical, Digestive Diseases, Transplant & Oncology Service Lines — that "part of my heart" is with helping patients navigate treatment. "Unfortunately, I know this from personal experience," FLOTUS said, recalling her son Beau's battle with glioblastoma. "We walked in, we heard 'brain cancer,' and we heard nothing else." FLOTUS mentioned how she took over the patient navigation element of the Biden Cancer Moonshot initiative to help Medicare recipients pay for the treatment they need. FLOTUS then heard from Dr. Stephanie Ricci, the only female ob-gyn oncologist in the UAE, who discussed the efforts to destigmatize cancer-related screenings for Middle Eastern women and include more of them in clinical trials. "We know women haven't been included in the research for a long time," FLOTUS said. "I could speak to you for hours about the cultural differences." FLOTUS also learned about the role of artificial intelligence in cancer treatment from Dr. Fady Geara and the high costs of treatment from Dr. Carla Hajj. FLOTUS returned to the car and the motorcade departed for Qasr Al Hosn at 3:03 PM. She entered the site, which is home to the oldest building in Abu Dhabi, at 3:24 PM and briefly toured it with her daughter Ashley and Martina Strong, American Ambassador to the UAE. FLOTUS took a few minutes to sign the site's guestbook: "May the wisdom of these walls continue to light a way forward in peace and prosperity for the centuries to come. Thank you for your warm welcome and hospitality." The pool was escorted back to the motorcade while FLOTUS participated in a brief Bait al Gahwa, an Arabic coffee ceremony, which was closed press. The motorcade returned to the RON at 4:10 PM. Reportable background from the Office of the First Lady Today December 5th, First Lady Jill Biden will participate in a fireside chat focused on the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research at the Milken Institute Middle East and Africa Summit in Abu Dhabi, UAE. While in Abu Dhabi, the First Lady will also tour Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and visit Qasr Al Hosn. Prior to visiting Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, the First Lady will participate in a greet with Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union and the Family Development Foundation, and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood. This greet will be closed press. Following her visit to the UAE, the First Lady will continue her travel to Doha, Qatar. Visit to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi As part of the Biden Cancer Moonshot, the First Lady will visit Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's oncology center, the Fatima bint Mubarak Center, to showcase the strong bilateral partnership and shared health priorities between the United States and the UAE. The First Lady will be accompanied during the visit by Her Excellency Martina Strong, U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. Upon arrival to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's Fatima bint Mubarak Center, the First Lady and Ambassador will be greeted by:
The First Lady will then receive a briefing on the US-UAE health collaboration at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and learn more about its oncology center) and patient navigation services. The First Lady will be briefed by:
Following the first briefing, the First Lady will view Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's Ethos Adaptive Radiotherapy cancer treatment technology, which uses AI to reduce the side effects of treatment. She'll also receive a briefing on Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's efforts to improve the patient experience through innovation—including by co-developing clinical trials between the United States and UAE. The First Lady will be briefed by:
Background on Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is a unique and unparalleled extension of US-based Cleveland Clinic's model of care, specifically designed to address a range of complex and critical care requirements unique to the residents and communities of the United Arab Emirates. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi provides patients in the region direct access to the world's best healthcare providers and Cleveland Clinic's unique model of care, reducing their need to travel abroad for treatment. Background on Dr. Biden's Cancer Advocacy Efforts In February 2022, the President and the First Lady reignited the Biden Cancer Moonshot and set a new national goal: to reduce the death rate from cancer by at least 50 percent by 2047, and improve the experience of people and families living with and surviving cancer, ultimately ending cancer as we know it today. Dr. Biden has been a tireless champion of the Biden Cancer Moonshot, traveling the country and the world to hear from cancer patients and their families, as well as those who support them. As First Lady, Dr. Biden has focused on supporting cancer patients and their loved ones, especially by championing the importance of navigation services, early detection, and improving the experience of patients, families, and caregivers. Since the start of the Biden Administration, the First Lady has participated in more than 40 Cancer Moonshot engagements and has visited over 20 cities in over a dozen states, as well as Costa Rica and Spain. Visit to Qasr Al Hosn During the visit to the Qasr Al Hosn, the First Lady will be accompanied by Her Excellency Martina Strong, U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.
At the conclusion of the tour, the First Lady will sign a guest book and participate in Bait al Gahwa, an Arabic coffee ceremony, with the Ambassador. This ceremony will be closed press. Background on Qasr Al Hosn Qasr Al Hosn is the oldest and most significant building in Abu Dhabi, holding the city's first permanent structure; the watchtower. Built around the 1790s, the structure overlooked the coastal trade routes and protected the growing settlement established on the island. Qasr Al Hosn comprises of two buildings: the Inner Fort (originally constructed in 1795) and the Outer Palace (constructed between 1939-1945). Over the centuries, it has been home to the ruling family, the seat of government, a consultative council, and a national archive; it now stands as the nation's living memorial and the narrator of Abu Dhabi's history. |
| December 5, 2024 22:13 GST |
FLOTUS Travel Pool Report #6 | Milken Institute MEA Summit, Event at U.S. Embassy, Doha departure and arrival The motorcade departed the RON at 4:40 PM for the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, where FLOTUS was scheduled to discuss her work on the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research at the Milken Institute Middle East and Africa Summit. She took the stage in a hotel ballroom with moderator Esther Krofah, Executive Vice President of Milken Institute Health, at 5:05 PM. FLOTUS told the room that her interest in women's health began in 1993, when four of her friends were diagnosed with cancer. She talked about the disparities in medical research between men and women and that older women's medical needs are especially misunderstood: When women are of child-bearing age, "our bodies are considered these great miracles," she said, but by the time they age, they're considered "great mysteries." FLOTUS discussed her efforts on women's health research and the attendant government investments that have made the White House initiative possible. "This is a real breakthrough that the government is taking this on as a priority," she said. FLOTUS also called upon the investors present to consider funding women's health research. "There is the potential here to change the world," she said. "I want to call on everyone in this room to get involved and get organized and put money into research…let's close the current gaps that occur." She ended her remarks by noting that her women's health initiative will remain a priority for the remaining weeks of her husband's term. "As I — as Joe leaves office — as we leave office together, one of the things that I'm going to prioritize is women's health," she said. Your pooler was escorted to the motorcade as FLOTUS did a photo line. The motorcade then rolled onto the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi around 6:00 PM. Your pooler was escorted to a holding room while FLOTUS met with embassy staff and their families and delivered remarks, which was closed press. FLOTUS departed the Embassy at 6:55 PM and arrived at Zayed International Airport around 7:30 PM. Executive One was wheels up to Doha, Qatar at 8:06 PM and touched down at Doha International Airport at 7:42 PM local time. FLOTUS and daughter Ashley emerged from the plane at 8:00 and were received by their greeters. The motorcade departed for the RON soon thereafter. Reportable background from the Office of the First Lady Fireside Chat at the Milken Institute Later in the evening, the First Lady will participate in a fireside chat focused on the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research at the Milken Institute Middle East and Africa Summit with Executive Vice President of Milken Institute Health, Esther Krofah. The conversation will be livestreamed here: https://milkeninstitute.org/content-hub/event-panels/conversation-first-lady-united-states-jill-biden Background on White House Initiative on Women's Health Research Launched by the President and the First Lady in November 2023, the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research aims to fundamentally change how we approach and fund women's health research. This first-of-its-kind effort, led by First Lady Jill Biden and the White House Gender Policy Council, will galvanize the federal government, as well as the private and philanthropic sectors to spur innovation, unleash transformative investment to close research gaps, and improve women's health. As part of the Initiative, the First Lady has traveled across the country to highlight the Administration's actions on women's health research and spotlight the importance of nationwide efforts to advance women's health research and innovation. Recent engagements include:
Background on the Milken Institute MEA Summit The Milken Institute 2024 Middle East and Africa (MEA) Summit, running December 5 and 6, will convene hundreds of influential business and philanthropic leaders, health and finance experts, and policy changemakers from around the world to discuss, explore and catalyze ideas to guide solutions to many of today's global issues, centered around the theme "Investing in a Shared Future." The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank focused on accelerating measurable progress on the path to a meaningful life. With a focus on financial, physical, mental, and environmental health, we bring together the best ideas and resourcing to develop blueprints for tackling some of our most critical global issues. Arrival to Doha, Qatar
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Jill Biden, First Lady Pool Reports of December 5, 2024 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/375356