Children are healthier but obesity and diabetes cannot be overlooked, health experts say

Current public health strategies and those needed in future were up for discussion on day one of the Arab Health Congress in Dubai, the largest meeting of the region’s health professionals.

A visitor on Monday inspects an operating table at Toshiba Medical’s booth at the 13th Arab Health Congress in Dubai, the largest meeting of health professionals in the region. Reem Mohammed / The NationalShow less

DUBAI // Children may be getting healthier, but public health experts are repeating their warnings about the impact of lifestyle illnesses affecting the majority of Emiratis.

Public health strategies present and future were discussed on Monday, the first day of the Arab Health Congress in Dubai, the largest meeting of the region’s health professionals.

Dr Iain Blair, associate professor and chairman of the Institute of Public Health at UAE University, Al Ain, said problems such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease may be the same as three years ago but there were clear signs that young people are getting healthier.

“From 1990 to 2015, there has been a big increase in health loss in that time,” he said.

“It looks like it is exponentially out of control, but that isn’t true. The population has rocketed, so we need to challenge those figures to look at trends in age standardised rates.

“There are a lot of young people but very little health loss in that population. Our children in the UAE are remarkably healthy.”

In 2014, the Dubai Health Authority and Dubai Statistics Centre surveyed 3,298 Emirati and expatriate families on their health.

Results showed 21.9 per cent were smokers but 11.9 per cent were obese, well below the UAE figure of 66 per cent of men and 60 per cent of women quoted in the 2013 Global Burden of Disease Study by the University of Washington. The study did show that 31.9 per cent of respondents were borderline obese.

The Dubai study also revealed that Emiratis were more at risk of high blood pressure (18.5 per cent) than other families, with female Emiratis even more at risk.

Figures showed 19.1 per cent of locals had high cholesterol, with Emirati men recording higher levels than women. It is a key factor in cardiac disease, narrowing arteries and reducing blood flow to the heart.

Dr Blair said a health screening programme of Emiratis in Abu Dhabi also revealed a worrying trend.

It showed 60 per cent of adults were overweight, 8 per cent were obese and 44 per cent of Emiratis overall had either pre-diabetes or diabetes. A quarter of those surveyed had high blood pressure and a quarter of men smoked.

“That is very worrying, particularly if that is replicated across the Emirati adult population of the UAE,” he said.

“There is a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors. It is serious business.”

Proven public health interventions such as smoking bans and restricted advertising on tobacco products offer a good return on financial investment, the experts said, with cancer and cardiovascular disease both big financial burdens on healthcare.

Age-related health conditions are also likely to become more common in future and should be provided for in health policy planning.

Failure to address known causes of ill health should be viewed as neglect, experts said.

“Public health is evolving and each generation has its own considerations,” said Dr Nada Al Marzouqi, director of the preventive medicine department at the Ministry of Health and Prevention, Dubai.

“The changing of the ministry’s name shows a high commitment of political leaders on prevention public health.”

Manpower is another substantial challenge, according to Dr Wasif Alam, director of public health and safety department at DHA.

“Would anyone want to come and work in public health who is already working in a hospital?” he said.

“When I ask people to join us, they ask what the salary and benefits are and it is not the same. The reality is that funding for public health projects is so low.

“Most of our funding goes into curative measures - that needs to change.”