UAE experts call for wider early screening for diabetes, cancer and other chronic diseases
Early screening for chronic diseases should be expanded across the UAE and more closely linked with primary healthcare, health experts have recommended following a three-day conference in Dubai. The first conference on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), held under the patronage of the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), concluded with recommendations aimed at preventing diseases earlier and…
Health experts in the UAE have advocated for expanded early screening for chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, and others, tying it closer to primary healthcare services during a three-day conference in Dubai. Held under the Ministry of Health and Prevention's (MoHAP) auspices, the forum brought together over 600 government officials, doctors, public health specialists, researchers, and academics.
Key discussions centered on cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity, cancer, kidney and respiratory diseases, and mental health.
A primary recommendation was to widen programs for spotting risk factors and chronic conditions at an earlier stage. Experts also stressed the need for stronger ties between primary healthcare and specialist services to enable more coordinated treatment and long-term follow-up for patients. Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector at MoHAP and the conference president, emphasized the critical role primary healthcare plays in reducing risk factors and managing chronic diseases.
The conference also advocated for increased reliance on health data and artificial intelligence (AI) to identify at-risk individuals and back clinical decisions. However, AI's use was cautioned to be responsible and governed by clear rules ensuring patient data protection. Dr Buthaina Bin Belaila, Head of Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health Department at MoHAP and chair of the conference's scientific committee, pointed out that data collection alone is insufficient; its value lies in utilizing it to comprehend health trends, detect risks, identify gaps, and determine where to act.
Further recommendations included promoting local scientific research and better measuring the effectiveness of prevention and treatment programs. Prevention should start early in life, focusing on nutrition, physical activity, mental health, and behavioral and environmental factors that extend through adulthood and healthy aging.
The conference also called for incorporating health economics to evaluate prevention and screening programs' impact, guiding authorities to allocate resources to measures that can measurably enhance public health.
Written by urgent.news from Gulf News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
