Healthcare in the United Arab Emirates

Standards of health care are considered to be generally high in the United Arab Emirates, resulting from increased government spending during strong economic years. According to the UAE government, total expenditures on health care from 1996 to 2003 were US$436 million. According to the World Health Organization, in 2004 total expenditures on health care constituted 2.9 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), and the per capita expenditure for health care was US$497. Health care currently is free only for UAE citizens. The number of doctors per 100,000 (annual average, 1990–99) is 181.

Cardiovascular disease is the principal cause of death in the UAE, constituting 28 percent of total deaths; other major causes are accidents and injuries, malignancies, and congenital anomalies.

The World bank ranked Dubai and Abu Dhabi as being the 2nd and 3rd, respectively, most popular medical tourism destinations in the region, behind Jordan.

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Health care systems

The UAE now has 40 public hospitals, compared with only seven in 1970. The Ministry of Health is undertaking a multimillion-dollar program to expand health facilities and hospitals, medical centers, and a trauma center in the seven emirates. A state-of-the-art general hospital has opened in Abu Dhabi with a projected bed capacity of 143, a trauma unit, and the first home health care program in the UAE. To attract wealthy UAE nationals and expatriates who traditionally have traveled abroad for serious medical care, Dubai is developing Dubai Healthcare City, a hospital free zone that will offer international-standard advanced private health care and provide an academic medical training center; completion is scheduled for 2010.[1]

Emirate of Abu Dhabi

Effective January 2006, all residents of Abu Dhabi are covered by a new comprehensive health insurance program; costs will be shared between employers and employees. Prior to 2007, government owned health care facilities were managed by the General Authority for Health Services, GAHS. In 2007, this authority was restructured into:

Emirate of Dubai

Genetic Disorders

In 2009 119 genetic disorders were identified among Emiratis and 241 among Arab citizens and expatriates combined in the UAE. This is the second-highest incidence of genetic disorders in the Arab world (after Oman).[3] Autosomal recessive disorders are common in the UAE. Hemoglobinopathies are one of the most common disorders among the UAE nationals. Beta-thalassemia constitutes a major public health problem in the UAE. During 1989-2004, more than 850 patients have been registered at the Dubai Genetics and Thalassemia Center. Surveys have shown that the UAE exhibits one of the highest carrier frequencies of β-thalassemia in the Persian Gulf region which is 8.5%.[4] Pre-marital medical examinations in the UAE, excluding the HAAD, include blood group tests, sick cell anaemia, hepatitis B and C, German measles, haemoglobin variance, HIV/AIDS, thalassaemia, and syphilis.[5]

HIV/AIDS

Main article: HIV/AIDS in United Arab Emirates

In 1985 the UAE established a national program to prevent transmission of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and to control its entry into the country. According to World Health Organization estimates, in 2002−3 fewer than 1,000 people in the UAE were living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS.[1].

Health survey

A health survey will cover 5,000 nationalof March 2009. [6]

Diabetes

One out of every four citizens of the United Arab Emirates has diabetes, at a rate of roughly 20 % for residents, 25% for Emirati nationals.[7] UAE Ministerial Council declared 2009 "Anti-diabetes Year" on January 11, 2009.

2009 flu pandemic

External links

References

  1. ^ a b United Arab Emirates country profile. Library of Congress Federal Research Division (July 2007). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ Seha, Abu Dhabi Health services Co. (12 October 2008), Electronic Patient Care Reporting System Issue date, http://www.seha.ae/en/tenders/pdf/G-RFP-24-2008/G-RFP-24-2008.pdf, retrieved January 23, 2009 
  3. ^ Elass, Rasha (22 September 2009), Arabs bear brunt of gene disorders, http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090922/NATIONAL/709219841/1138, retrieved September 22, 2009 
  4. ^ Erol, Baysal (pdf), Genetic Disorders in the Arab World: United Arab Emirates, http://www.cags.org.ae/cbc05hb.pdf, retrieved February 8, 2009 
  5. ^ El Shammaa, Dina (January 30, 2009), Couples urged to screen health before marriage, Gulf News, http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/09/01/31/10280654.html 
  6. ^ "MoU signed for UAE health survey". Gulf News, The Nation, Health. December 28, 2008. http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/08/12/28/10270580.html. Retrieved January 22, 2009. 
  7. ^ SETRAKIAN, LARA (Dec. 23, 2007). "UAE and Diabetes: One in Four Has It". ABC news. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Diabetes/Story?id=4044952&page=1. Retrieved January 11, 2009. 
  8. ^ "UAE confirms first swine flu case". iol. May 25, 2009 at 11:52AM. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=nw20090525053944440C374421. Retrieved August 1, 2009. 
  9. ^ El Shammaa, Dina (July 21, 2009). "H1N1 cases put pressure on hospitals in UAE". Gulf News. http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/09/07/22/10333627.html. Retrieved August 1, 2009. 
  10. ^ ECDC SITUATION REPORT Pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009, EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR DISEASE PREVENTION AND CONTROL (published Update 31 July 2009, 17:00 hours CEST), pp. 5, http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/files/pdf/Health_topics/Situation_Report_090730_1700hrs.pdf, retrieved August 1, 2009 
  11. ^ MoH announces UAE's first swine flu death (published Update 21 August 2009, 17:00 hours CEST), http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2009/August/theuae_August406.xml&section=theuae, retrieved August 23, 2009 
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