Abu Dhabi: The UAE will mark World Health Day tomorrow, highlighting a global campaign launched by the World Health Organisation (WHO) titled 'Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures'. The campaign urges governments and the global health community to intensify efforts to eliminate preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
According to Emirates News Agency, the WHO reports that approximately 300,000 women worldwide die annually due to pregnancy or childbirth-related complications. Additionally, more than two million infants die within the first month of life, and around two million others are stillborn each year.
World Health Day serves as an opportunity to spotlight the UAE's achievements in delivering high-quality healthcare services that help reduce health risks for mothers and newborns. In 2024, the UAE launched the National Policy for the Promotion of Women's Health, which outlines healthcare requirements for women throughout the various stages of life, including during the reproductive years.
The UAE boasts one of the world's leading maternal healthcare systems, starting with premarital medical screenings and continuing with regular prenatal care to ensure the health and development of both mother and baby. This extends through childbirth services and breastfeeding education.
The nation also runs national programmes for the early detection of breast cancer, cervical cancer, and osteoporosis, among others. The UAE remains committed to providing high-quality, comprehensive healthcare services to children from birth through adolescence. This commitment is evident through an advanced network of specialised hospitals, paediatric clinics, preventive care programmes, early disease screening, routine immunisations, mental health services, and therapeutic nutrition programmes.
Among the standout initiatives is the newborn screening programme run by Emirates Health Services (EHS), targeting infants from birth to 28 days old. This programme includes early screening for genetic disorders, critical congenital heart defects, and hearing impairments, implemented across all public and specialised hospitals under the EHS umbrella that offer maternity services.
EHS also provides comprehensive screening for genetic and congenital diseases in newborns, ensuring timely treatment and follow-up to prevent physical and cognitive disabilities and reduce mortality rates. Additionally, the institution offers a full spectrum of care for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including early screening services at primary healthcare centres for children aged 16 to 30 months.