{
  "id": 19925450,
  "title": "UAE health ranking: Good on sugar taxes and vaccines, but tobacco control lags",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/14/uae-health-ranking-good-on-sugar-taxes-and-vaccines-but-tobacco",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-11-14T05:28:58.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2026/11/14/uae-health-ranking-good-on-sugar-taxes-and-vaccines-but-tobacco-control-lags/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The United Arab Emirates has secured a respectable 23rd place among 114 countries in a new ranking of disease prevention readiness. The assessment, conducted by FTI Consulting, evaluated 27 indicators across four key areas: policy and governance, funding and incentives, digital health and data, and access and capacity. The UK topped the rankings, with Finland, Australia, Norway, and Sweden close behind. Despite strong performances in certain areas, the UAE lags behind in tobacco control, scoring only 45 out of 100, compared to 82.5 for the UK and 80 for Finland. The UAE achieved full marks for its policies to reduce sugary drink consumption, which have been implemented through excise taxes on sweetened beverages since 2017. Digital health adoption and data use also contributed to the UAE's positive score. However, tobacco control remains a significant weakness, with the UAE's tax on traditional tobacco products and electronic smoking devices at 100% resulting in a lower score compared to wealthier nations. Dr Maryam Mojtabavi, an infectious diseases specialist, highlighted the importance of regular health checks and early screening in strengthening disease prevention, while Dr Lalu Chacko emphasized the UAE's proactive approach to health, citing vaccination programs and public fitness campaigns as key initiatives.",
  "summary": "The UAE has been ranked 23rd out of 114 countries for its readiness to prevent disease, gaining strong ratings for vaccination and curbing sugary drinks, but scoring poorly on tobacco control. The first Preventive Health Readiness Index, compiled by FTI Consulting, assessed 27 indicators across four areas: policy and governance, funding and incentives, digital health and data, and access and…",
  "key_points": [
    "UAE ranks 23rd among 114 countries in disease prevention readiness",
    "UAE excise taxes on sugary drinks score full marks (100/100)",
    "UAE's tobacco control measures score only 45/100, lagging behind UK and Finland"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The UAE's high ranking demonstrates successful fiscal interventions against sugar consumption, yet the nation's inability to match global leaders in tobacco control highlights a critical gap in its preventive health strategy.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}