Browsing by Author "Sharif, Amer"

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An analysis of the health status of the United Arab Emirates: the ‘Big 4’ public health issues
(2013) Sharif, Amer
Background: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a rapidly developing country composed of a multinational population with varying educational backgrounds, religious beliefs, and cultural practices, which pose a challenge for population-based public health strategies. A number of public health issues significantly contribute to morbidity and mortality in the UAE. This article summarises the findings of a panel of medical and public health specialists from UAE University and various government health agencies commissioned to report on the health status of the UAE population. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted to retrieve peer-reviewed articles on health in the UAE, and unpublished data were provided by government health authorities and local hospitals. Results: The panel reviewed and evaluated all available evidence to list and rank (1highest priority) the top four main public health issues: 1) Cardiovascular disease accounted for more than 25% of deaths in 2010; 2) Injury caused 17% of mortality for all age groups in 2010; 3) Cancer accounted for 10% of all deaths in 2010, and the incidence of all cancers is projected to double by 2020; and 4) Respiratory disorders were the second most common non-fatal condition in 2010. Conclusion: The major public health challenges posed by certain personal (e.g. ethnicity, family history), lifestyle, occupational, and environmental factors associated with the development of chronic disease are not isolated to the UAE; rather, they form part of a global health problem, which requires international collaboration and action. Future research should focus on population-based public health interventions that target the factors associated with the development of various chronic diseases.
The “Arab World” is not a useful concept when addressing challenges to public health, public health education, and research in the Middle East
(2014) Sharif, Amer
Introduction: Interest in public health in the “Arab World” has intensified following the political and social changes that have affected the Middle East since 2010. A new textbook has been published (1), an international meeting has been held (2), a network of experts has been formed, and a special edition of major medical journal has been published (3). But how useful is the “Arab World” as a way of defining a geographical region in order to focus attention on the health challenges that it faces and in particular the challenges relating to public health research and education. In this brief essay, the authors argue that its usefulness is limited because the countries of the Arab World, however defined, are too heterogeneous to allow meaningful communal debate of their problems and solutions. As an alternative it is recommended that countries in the region form smaller more homogenous issue-specific groupings to discuss common challenges and action.
Financing health care in the United Arab Emirates
(2013) Sharif, Amer
Abstract: Newcomers to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) health care system often enquire about the way in which UAE health services are financed particularly when funding issues affect eligibility for treatment. The UAE ranks alongside many western counties on measures of life expectancy and child mortality but because of the unique population structure spends less of its national income on health. In the past as a wealthy country the UAE had no difficulty ensuring universal access to a comprehensive range of services, but the health needs of the UAE population are becoming more complex and like many countries the UAE health system is facing the twin challenges of quality and cost. To meet these challenges new models of health care financing are being introduced. In this brief article we will describe the evolution of UAE health financing, its current state and likely future developments.
Health and health systems performance in the United Arab Emirates
(2013) Sharif, Amer
Abstract: In the early 2000s, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had good levels of health and its health system was ranked twenty-seventh in the world by the World Health Organization. Since that time, to further improve the situation and to address cost and quality challenges, the UAE has embarked on an ambitious programme of health system reform. These reforms have focused on the introduction of private health insurance and encouraging the growth of private health provision. In these areas there have been impressive achievements but while it is too early to say whether these reforms are succeeding some anxieties are emerging. These include the rising cost of services with no obvious improvement in outcomes, a growth in hospital provision that may not best meet the needs of the population, rising levels of chronic disease risk factors and an insufficient focus on public health services, public health leadership, health work-force planning and research.
The legal framework and initiatives for promoting safety in the United Arab Emirates
(2012) Sharif, Amer
Introduction: Injury is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE is a rapidly developing country with fast economic growth, demographical and environmental changes that are associated with new hazards emerging at a similar pace. The UAE as a federal entity has federal and local systems responsible for safety policy, regulations and enforcement. To set priorities for safety promotion and injury prevention, it is necessary to have data on the most frequent external causes of injury and the main individual, equipment and environmental risk factors that contribute to injury. However good quality data for injury prevention are scarce. The aim of this paper is to describe the scale of injury as a public health problem in the UAE, and the development of safety policies, regulations and promotion efforts with special emphasis on traffic, occupational and child safety.
Population structure and the burden of disease in the United Arab Emirates
(2012) Sharif, Amer
Abstract: To carry out their duties more effectively, health care professionals in the UAE often ask about the population structure and the main causes of mortality and morbidity in the country. This paper summarizes what is known about these topics drawing on secondary data sources that are available in the public domain, including census data, population estimates, births and deaths, proportionate mortality, age-standardized mortality rates and disability adjusted life-years. There are inconsistencies and flaws in some of this data which this paper will highlight and attempt to explain. Since 2005, the UAE population has grown substantially owing to high natural growth and high net inward migration and is currently estimated to be about 8.2 million. In 2008, injuries, heart disease, neoplasms and cerebrovascular disease accounted for 57% of deaths, and this is well known. Less is reported about the risk of death, disease, injury and disability. The population of the UAE is diverse, and there are variations in mortality and morbidity risk by age-group, sex and nationality. The authors recommend improvements in the timeliness, completeness and consistency of data. They conclude that better data will encourage more analysis which will generate health intelligence leading to health improvement for the UAE population.
Research productivity in the United Arab Emirates: A 20-year bibliometric analysis
(2019) Alsheikh-Ali, Alawi; Al Marzouqi, Ahmed H. Hassan; Alameddine, Mohamad; Sharif, Amer
Background: Despite increased attention on science and research in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), little is known about the national state of research productivity and how it evolved over time. Methods: Using the world's largest bibliometric database (Scopus), we reviewed research productivity in the UAE (1998–2017) in various disciplines and normalized it to population size and gross domestic product. We summarized the quality of research using conventional metrics of research quality and compared the performance of the UAE to its geographic region and to other countries of similar population size and economic standing. Results: Over the past 20 years, there was a 16-fold increase in the number of research publications from the UAE, and a 6- and 3-fold increase when normalized to population size and gross domestic product, respectively. Growth was observed across all disciplines, with an increasingly diverse research portfolio, and was coupled with a slight increase in the quality of publications. The crude productivity in the UAE was higher than that observed for the gulf cooperation council or Arab region, but lower when normalized to gross domestic product, or when compared to two countries outside the Arab region with remarkable research growth. Conclusions: Over the past 20 years, the UAE witnessed a significant increase in research productivity, coupled with a slight increase in quality and diversity of research. Accounting for the UAE's economic standing, and compared to other countries with excellent research output, the UAE has significant potential for further growth with increased resources for research and development.
The role of the hospital in the changing landscape of UAE health care: a focus on Dubai
(2011) Sharif, Amer
Abstract: In the UAE, health services have developed greatly in the past 40 years and there have been enormous improvements in population health. The hospital sector is growing strongly with private sector investment. However the current and future health needs of the population are complex and may not be properly served by the continued expansion of hospital capacity. In this paper, using the Emirate of Dubai as a case study, we examine the changes that have taken place in health services and attempt to predict their optimum configuration and capacity in the future taking into account population structure and growth and levels of morbidity and service use.
Teaching about health systems in the UAE
(2012) Sharif, Amer
Introduction: In many countries, health systems face challenges as they adapt to demographic change, new disease patterns and rising costs. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is no exception. Its health system is facing the twin challenges of maintaining quality while avoiding escalating costs. As the future leaders of the health system in which they work, medical students will be in a strong position to bring about change and improvement. However their effectiveness will be restricted by gaps in their knowledge of what health systems are and how they function, topics that are rarely dealt with in medical school curricula (Patel et al. 2009). The undergraduate medical curriculum should prepare students not only for clinical excellence but also to take their place as leaders of complex health systems (Berwick & Finkelstein 2010).
Tracking the Implementation of Electronic Medical Records in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Using an Adoption Benchmarking Tool
(2017) Sharif, Amer
Abstract: In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), health services have developed greatly in the past 40 years. To ensure they continue to meet the needs of the population, innovation and change are required including investment in a strong e-Health infrastructure with a single transferrable electronic patient record. In this paper, using the Emirate of Dubai as a case study, we report on the Middle East Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM). Between 2011-2016, the number of participating hospitals has increased from 23 to 33. Currently, while 20/33 of hospitals are at Stage 2 or less, 10/33 have reached Stage 5. Also Dubai’s median EMRAM score in 2016 (2.5) was higher than the scores reported from Australia (2.2), New Zealand (2.3), Malaysia (0.06), the Philippines ((0.06) and Thailand (0.5). EMRAM has allowed the tracking of the progress being made by healthcare facilities in Dubai towards upgrading their information technology infrastructure and the introduction of electronic medical records.