Health and Biomedical Sciences

In accordance to the National Development Strategy (2018-2022; NDS-2), promotion of human development through a comprehensive and integrated healthcare system is essential. The focus of the state of Qatar is not confined to treatment of diseases but also includes establishment of strategies for proactive prevention of disease occurrence (NDS-2). Importantly, 69% of mortalities in Qatar are attributed to three main categories of disease, namely cardiovascular diseases (24%), diabetes (7%) and cancer (18%). Life style and welfare in Qatar seem to be major contributors to the aforementioned diseases. For example, in adults, around 70% are overweight, 44% have sedentary life style (i.e. low physical activity in their daily life), and 33% are tobacco users (31.9% of men and 1.2% of women). Furthermore, large scale construction and air pollution are triggers for respiratory diseases. With the ongoing development of the country including the sector of healthcare, the percentage of elderly population is progressively increasing, leading to increasing prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer and Parkinsonism. In addition, many of the labour workers contributing in the construction of Qatar are from poor countries in which communicable diseases are prevalent.