UAE launches national newborn screening guidelines to prevent early health complications

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has officially launched the National Newborn Screening Guidelines to standardise and enhance the medical examination procedures for newborns across the country, aligning them with international best practices. The guidelines aim to prevent early health complications by standardizing the list of required laboratory and clinical tests and identifying designated reference laboratories nationwide.

The launch event was attended by high-profile officials, including Dr. Nada Hassan Al Marzouqi, Director of Public Health and Prevention Department; and Dr. Suad Al Awar, Head of the Family Health Department at the Ministry, along with members of the National Newborn Screening Committee from both the government and private health sectors.

Objectives of the guidelines

The newly introduced guide aims to standardize the quality of care for all newborns through continuous quality improvement principles. It provides consistent and clear screening approaches and pathways, including the detection, diagnosis, and intervention for conditions that could impact a newborn’s health or long-term survival and require necessary referrals.

These measures are expected to significantly reduce morbidity and mortality rates among newborns while also building the capacity of healthcare providers. Additionally, the guidelines emphasize the importance of health awareness, offering parental guidance and health education to ensure children can lead healthy lives from the start.

Top Priority

Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector,  emphasized that ensuring newborn health is a top priority and that the Ministry is committed to providing comprehensive preventive and therapeutic health services that adhere to the latest international standards.

“MoHAP will make every possible effort to promote disease prevention and establish robust healthcare systems designed to support healthy lifestyles across all age groups. This aligns with our strategic objective of achieving "high-level health care" through the effective management of health and community programs to enhance overall quality of life.

Al Rand highlighted that the newly launched national guideline will provide a crucial reference for the health sector to improve the health of future generations. It facilitates the early diagnosis of genetic diseases, metabolic and endocrine disorders, as well as screening for hearing abnormalities, heart defects, and other critical congenital anomalies.

Additionally, it supports the creation of a comprehensive database on genetic diseases and aims to enhance community awareness about the significance of newborn screening. This program will be implemented across both government and private hospitals in the UAE.

During the workshop, members of the National Newborn Screening Committee were honored, while Dr. Suad Al Awar provided a general introduction to the National Newborn Screening Program. The session covered various aspects of the guideline, including procedures, result reporting methods, blood spot tests, hearing and critical congenital heart disease screening for newborns, clinical pathways, key performance indicators, and an overview of the latest results and statistics.