Social Determinants of Health in the UAE: Need for Healthier Lifestyle

The United Arab Emirates is a high income country with the economy primarily driven by oil and gas.
The UAE has the highest Human Development Index in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, and is ranked
at 30 out of 187 countries globally. Health care is provided for all nationals. With this, total expenditure
on health as a percentage of GDP was 4.0 in 2010 and translated into an average per capita expenditure
of US$ 1078. Moreover, the national health care indicators are equivalent to those in high-income
countries. However, the absence of local expertise, expensive treatment and a general lack of
confidence in medical facilities are the main driving forces that challenge the healthcare sector (WHO,
2012). Moreover, UAE has experiences a shift from a traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle to a modern,
urbanised, and technology driven lifestyle characterised by reduced occupational, domestic, and leisure
time physical activity, coupled with the overconsumption of energy-dense convenience foods with poor
nutritional content (Loney et al., 2013).

The UAE has managed to eradicate many of the communicable diseases still present in much of the
Arab Region. However, due to the increasingly sedentary lifestyles, some of the highest incidences of
non-communicable diseases in the world are found in the country, with high prevalence rates. Based on
the survey findings, health promotion programmes have been launched at school level, such as nutrition
awareness, sports activities and training school nurses. In addition, the Nutrition and Health
Department, College of Food and Agriculture, United Arab Emirates University, a WHO collaborating
centre for nutrition, is working on childhood obesity prevention among other interventions directed at
improving the nutritional well-being and health of people (WHO, 2012). This is a good step towards
prevention at an early stage with the schools mainly involved in the initiative.

Non-communicable diseases are the leading cause of mortality in the country, responsible for 67% of
the estimated burden of mortality in 2011 (Figure 1). Diabetes, coronary conditions and other lifestyle-
related diseases are widespread. Over 60% of the population is overweight, 20% of the population has
been diagnosed with diabetes and a further 18% is considered at risk of developing this disease. Ali Zain
(2014) recommended that the UAE should look into its health strategies not to be limited to the
development of the diagnostic and therapeutic plans of these diseases but must extend so as to activate
the preventive plans for addressing their causes. Hence, it is important that preventive systems become
the major health promotion programs especially among the youth. This will enhance effectiveness of
health promotion programs as it targets prevention than cure and being started at an early stage while
people at risk of non-communicable diseases are still young.

References:

Ali Zain, A. (2014). Rise in non-communicable diseases: Prevention is better than cure - Khaleej Times.
[ONLINE] Available at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-
1.asp?xfile=data/nationhealth/2014/January/nationhealth_January11.xml§ion=nationhealth.
Loney, T., Ching, T and Hnadysides, D.G. (2013). Middle East Health Magazine. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.middleeasthealthmag.com/cgi-
bin/index.cgi?http://www.middleeasthealthmag.com/sep2013/feature5.htm.

WHO (2012). Country Cooperation Strategy for WHO and the United Arab Emirates 2012–2017 .
[ONLINE] Available at: http://www.who.int/countryfocus/cooperation_strategy/ccs_are_en.pdf.