Prevention key factor in HAAD health policy

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That's according to H. E. Dr. Ahmed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Health Authority - Abu Dhabi who stated that the biggest health problems facing the public in the emirate will be tackled head on.

'Preventive medicine is a central pillar of the HAAD (Health Authority of Abu Dhabi) 5-year strategy. The evidence is clear that society benefits greatly from preventing disease before it affects the population: effective prevention programs often show the greatest impact on life expectancy.'

he said.

'Screening, by detecting disease early, helps improve the chances of effective treatment, and also limits the need for more complex often more expensive curative care. Put simply, prevention is often more effective and more cost effective than cure.' he added.

H.E. Dr. Mazrouei went further and described the major causes of death that have become the focus of attention.

'Clear priorities are set based on the health status of the population, focusing our work on the biggest killers and causes of disease affecting people of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The three central challenges right now include cardiovascular disease, cancer, and death on the roads. Programs are being driven in other key prioritised areas such as mother and child health and mental health,' he said.

'The Public Health initiatives set the primary health care agenda in areas of priority through standardizing promotion, prevention, screening and treatment programs. There is strong collaboration between the two,' he added.

Primary healthcare was explored extensively at the Abu Dhabi Medical Congress (ADMC) which was officially opened on Sunday by His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court. He was accompanied by Dr. Al Mazrouei.

Simon Page, Director of Life Sciences Division at IIR Middle East was also keen to emphasise the importance of ADMC to the health sector in the country.

'This event allows medical professionals in the UAE the opportunity to understand the latest developments in three major areas of healthcare, namely primary healthcare, patient safety and disaster management.' he said.

'Delegates attending have been thanking us for bringing the top experts in these fields. It's been an outstanding success,' he added.