Genetic disorders cost $200m a year

DUBAI — The total economic impact on the healthcare system for people with genetic disorders in the UAE is estimated to be around $200 million per annum, says a report published recently.

Asma Ali Zain

Published: Mon 29 Jan 2007, 9:16 AM

Last updated: Mon 2 Sep 2024, 4:12 PM

The details have been published in a 2006 update of ‘Genetic Disorders in Arab Populations’ by Assistant Director of the Centre for Arab Genomic Studies (CAGS) in Dubai, Dr Ghazi Omar Tadmouri.

“This is the first attempt to analyse financial impact of birth defects due to genetic disorders in the region,” he says.

“Genetic disorders are chronic in nature and often require life-long management with no definitive cure. The impact of each of the genetic disorders differs according to their severity, many of which have medical, surgical or cosmetic consequences, as well as genetic backgrounds of affected individuals and families,” he explains in his publication.

The Principal Author and Database Manager of the Catalogue for Transmission of Genetics in Arabs (CTGA), Tadmouri has estimated the economic impact of genetic disorders in the region by comparing a similar study done in the US.

According to the US study, the national total economic costs of 18 birth defects is $10.8 billion for a single year’s cohort.

This total cost comprises $2.8 billlion in direct healthcare costs and $8 billion in indirect costs such as developmental services, special education and lost productivity.

By comparing the total size of the Arab population to that residing in the US and ignoring the fact that many of these 18 birth defects occur more frequently in the region than elsewhere, Tadmouri estimates that such a cost is expected to be about $13 billion per year in all Arab countries.

According to him, share of the UAE in this total cost would be about $130 million annually. “By adding the costs related to about 2000 beta-thalassaemia patients, 300 sickle cell disease patients, 200 cystic fibrosis patients and 50 haemophiliacs in the UAE, the total impact on the healthcare system would be estimated around $200 million per year.”

“In the Arab world, several disorders, including chromosomal, single-gene, and multi-factorial disorders are common. Some of these disorders have assumed epidemic proportions as in the cases of sickle cell disease, alpha-thalassaemia, hypertension and diabetes mellitus.”

According to the report, in terms of economic burden, patients with genetic or partly genetic disorders have longer and more frequent hospital admissions with a higher number of surgeries than other patients. Additionally, the total costs paid by patients with genetic conditions are slightly more.

“These patients come frequently from outside major cities and travel farther to get better treatment regimens, hence their families end up paying the bill more often,” points out Tadmouri, by citing earlier studies.

He also points out that, in fact, successfully managing genetic disorders also involves high financial costs.

“These can be eased by application of effective programmes in populations at risk of genetic disorders on families and societies which also leads to a greater success of treatment and improve outcome and prognosis,” he says.

He also says that a majority of Arab countries have the expertise and resources to apply most of these preventive measures, especially in the areas of newborn and carrier screening for prevalent diseases.