An analysis of the health status of the United Arab Emirates: the ‘Big 4’ public health issues

Abstract

BackgroundThe United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a rapidly developing country composed of a multinational population with varying educational backgrounds, religious beliefs, and cultural practices, which pose a challenge for population-based public health strategies. A number of public health issues significantly contribute to morbidity and mortality in the UAE. This article summarises the findings of a panel of medical and public health specialists from UAE University and various government health agencies commissioned to report on the health status of the UAE population.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted to retrieve peer-reviewed articles on health in the UAE, and unpublished data were provided by government health authorities and local hospitals.ResultsThe panel reviewed and evaluated all available evidence to list and rank (1=highest priority) the top four main public health issues: 1) Cardiovascular disease accounted for more than 25% of deaths in 2010; 2) Injury caused 17% of mortality for all age groups in 2010; 3) Cancer accounted for 10% of all deaths in 2010, and the incidence of all cancers is projected to double by 2020; and 4) Respiratory disorders were the second most common non-fatal condition in 2010.ConclusionThe major public health challenges posed by certain personal (e.g. ethnicity, family history), lifestyle, occupational, and environmental factors associated with the development of chronic disease are not isolated to the UAE; rather, they form part of a global health problem, which requires international collaboration and action. Future research should focus on population-based public health interventions that target the factors associated with the development of various chronic diseases.

Prevalence of Dokha Use among Secondary School Students in Ajman, United Arab Emirates

“…10% of all deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, 22% of all cancer deaths and 36% of all deaths from diseases of the respiratory system are attributed to tobacco use (WHO, 2012). Cardiovascular diseases are increasing globally as well as UAE and it is a leading cause of death in the UAE (HAAD health statistics, 2011;Hajat et al, 2012) and of the "Big four" public health issues identified in the UAE (Loney et al, 2013) three of them viz. cardiovascular disease, cancers and respiratory disorders have direct links to smoking, thereby making it a number one priority issue to be addressed urgently.…”

New Clinical Trials With Evolocumab and Alirocumab on Cardiovascular Outcomes, in Patients With High Rsk of Acute Coronary Syndromes

“…Results of the combined data from the these trials revealed that evolocumab significantly reduced the concentration of LDL cholesterol by 61%, from a median of 120 mg per deciliter to 48 mg per deciliter compared with standard therapy alone (P<0.001). The rate of cardiovascular events at 1 year was reduced from 2.18% in the standard-therapy group to 0.95% in the evolocumab group (hazard ratio in the evolocumab group, 0. become a public health problem in emerging countries, hence these agents could be important for prevention of risk of CAD including acute coronary syndromes and in all countries [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] .…”

Results From the United Arab Emirates’ 2016 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth

“…3 The UAE population has grown substantially over the past 4 decades (census population estimates: 557,887 in 1975, 4.1 million in 2005, 8.3 million in 2010), and this is primarily due to high net inward migration of expatriate workers and the high natural growth of the Emirati population. 1,3 Mass recruitment of migrant workers has created an unusual population structure as the native Emirati population constitutes approximately 11% (~950,000) of the total UAE population and the remainder is composed of multinational expatriates. 3 Moreover, the UAE population has a youthful age distribution; for example, in the emirate of Abu Dhabi (largest emirate in terms of population size; 2,334,563 in 2010) 49% of the native Emirati population, 15% of the expatriate population, and 22% of the total UAE population were under the age of 19 years in the year 2010.…”

“…3 Moreover, the UAE population has a youthful age distribution; for example, in the emirate of Abu Dhabi (largest emirate in terms of population size; 2,334,563 in 2010) 49% of the native Emirati population, 15% of the expatriate population, and 22% of the total UAE population were under the age of 19 years in the year 2010. 1,3 Over the past 4 decades there has been a shift from a traditional seminomadic physically active lifestyle to a modern, urbanized, and technology-driven lifestyle characterized by reduced occupational, domestic, and leisure-time physical activity (PA), coupled with the overconsumption of energy-dense convenience foods with poor nutritional content. 1 Consequently, there has been a dramatic increase in the prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in both the indigenous Emirati and expatriate adult population.…”

“…1 Since formation and the expansion of commercial oil production in the 1970s, the UAE has witnessed tremendous economic and industrial development, resulting in an increase in the affluence of the Emirati population. 2 Based on global economic indicators, the UAE is considered a high-income developing country that has passed through the epidemiologic transition.…”