Public health in the Gulf

Public health expert Dr Narges Sheikhansari speaks to Healthcare World about the implications of changing populations and the shift towards prevention across the GCC

Few healthcare debates across the Gulf are now as important as the shift from treatment to prevention. Over the past two decades, governments have expanded hospitals and clinical capacity, transforming healthcare systems across the region. Policymakers are now considering how city design and individual behaviour can support better long-term health.

“COVID-19 and its aftermath made us realise we are no longer looking to provide treatment but rather a blanket prevention mechanism for the longer-term benefits and longer-term health of the citizens and the residents of the region,” says public health expert Dr Narges Sheikhansari. “COVID forced health systems everywhere to reconsider their resilience. In the Gulf, where healthcare infrastructure has expanded rapidly over the past decade, the pandemic reinforced both the strengths of those systems and the challenges created by chronic disease.”

Non-communicable diseases now account for most long-term health challenges across the Gulf. Cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, obesity and diabetes are often accompanied by mental health issues. Physical inactivity, poor diets and genetic factors contribute to the burden. Obesity and diabetes increasingly affect people aged 20 to 40, raising concerns about healthcare costs and workforce health.

Changing populations

Public health policy is also being shaped by demographic change. The UAE and Qatar have long had large expatriate populations, while Saudi Arabia is experiencing similar shifts as economic reforms attract workers and residents.

New visa options allow people to remain in the region for up to 20 years. Health systems must therefore support individuals throughout more of their lives and a settled expatriate middle class will bring greater demand for continuing care and services for older people.

“One of the major issues with receiving care across multiple countries is the fragmentation of medical records and health data,” says Dr Narges. Medical histories may be inaccessible when patients move between countries, leading to repeated tests and delays while clinicians reconstruct records.

Family care remains a strong value in Gulf societies, creating opportunities for home-based models supported by remote monitoring and AI. Expatriate populations may have different needs, potentially increasing demand for long-term care services.

Healthier lives and cities

Governments are placing greater emphasis on community wellbeing and liveability. Parks, walking areas, public sporting events and wellness campaigns are intended to make healthier choices easier.

“The objective is no longer simply to increase life expectancy, but to increase healthy life expectancy (healthspan vs lifespan), ensuring that people live not only longer lives, but healthier and more active ones,” says Dr Narges. Urban planning, environmental policy, transport and community design all affect whether people walk, drive, use green space or spend time in community environments.

Awareness alone, however, does not necessarily change behaviour. Community engagement can help: the Emirati majlis has proved an effective forum for public health discussion, and Dr Narges has seen participation in screening programmes increase after she has spoken at public events.

“Health does not happen innately,” she says. “It has to be learned behaviour and policy has to provide the ground for the education, motivation and skills to form healthy lifestyle and behaviours.”

Adapting Gulf health systems

Healthcare cannot deliver the change alone. Education, economic policy and urban planning also influence outcomes. Policymakers are moving towards value-based approaches that shift incentives from treatment towards prevention and sustained wellbeing.

Models developed for national health systems cannot simply be transplanted into the GCC, where public provision, private providers and insurance-based funding coexist. Dr Narges advocates a hybrid model that reflects the region’s structure and determines which outcomes matter most and how they should be rewarded.

The Gulf’s growing depth of healthcare data will be central to that approach. Patient records, claims and population health information can help systems identify which treatments work best for particular groups. “Abu Dhabi is especially data-rich,” she says. “Emirate-wide implementation of a health information exchange programme means almost all clinical activity feeds into Malaffi, which in combination with other means of insight generation, gives the government an unusually clear view of care delivery, payer claims and the overall disease burden.”

Primary care is also being positioned as the first point of contact and gatekeeper to specialist services. Success will depend on aligning policy and incentives with patient behaviour, so people understand the benefit of visiting a primary care physician first.

The shift towards prevention, longevity and value-based care is a structural transformation rather than a short-term policy trend. Investment in public health and outcome-based care can safeguard population health, sustain productivity and support economic resilience.