Department of Health Releases 2016 Health Statistics
The Department of Health (DoH), the regulator of healthcare sector in Abu Dhabi, released today the Abu Dhabi Healthcare statistics for the year 2016. The report available on www.haad.ae/statistics provides a summary on population health, births and deaths, common diseases, healthcare demand and supply, as well as future healthcare needs.
According to the report, the total number of births in the Emirate in the year 2016 was 39,731, whereas total number of deaths was 3,283. According to Statistics Centre − Abu Dhabi, life expectancy at birth for the Emirates of Abu Dhabi was 76 years for males and 79 years for females.
The total number of healthcare facilities in the Emirate has increased reaching 2,455 facilities including 56 hospitals, 1,324 medical centers and clinics and 750 pharmacies. The total number of licensed healthcare professionals for 2016 was 46,747 healthcare professionals including 8,983 physicians, 1,734 dentists, 24,915 nurses, 7,767 allied health professionals and 3,348 pharmacists.
The number of licensed health insurance companies operating in the Emirate in 2016 were 40 companies providing health insurance service to 3.1 million members. The total number of claims in 2016 were 28.9 million claims, 99.3% of which were for outpatient services.
H.E Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohammad Al Hamed, Chairman of the Department of Health, said: “Providing quality healthcare for the people in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi continuous to be a top priority on the Abu Dhabi Government agenda, and one of the strategic pillars in the country’s sustainability plans. The Healthcare Sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi has witnessed a remarkable growth in quality and quantity over the past few years. Today, the sector enters a new developmental phase focusing on “quality and innovation” to improve medical outcomes and increase patient satisfaction.”
According to the 2016 healthcare statistics report, cardiovascular diseases were the leading cause of death in the Emirate, accounting for 37% of all death cases, followed by Injuries with 20% and Cancer with 15%. Furthermore, falls were the leading cause of non-fatal injuries in the Emirate, accounting for 40% of all injury cases, followed by cuts with 17.2% and traffic injuries with 7.2%.
According to DoH, lifestyle diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer will witness an aggressive growth in demand with larger volume increases in outpatient settings.
Commenting on that, Mohamed Al Hameli, Acting - Undersecretary of Department of Health, said: “The Health Statistics report presents a clear picture of the health status in the Emirate, which help us project future healthcare needs and put the necessary plans to meet those demands”. “We continue to work closely with our partners and investors to improve access and quality of healthcare services in the Emirate.”