The UAE has taken a major step toward data-driven healthcare planning with the release of findings from the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2024-2025, offering the most detailed national assessment to date of health behaviors, nutrition patterns, and chronic disease risk factors across the country.
Published by the Ministry of Health and Prevention in collaboration with national partners, the survey presents a comprehensive picture of population health and provides an evidence-based foundation for strengthening preventive care strategies. The initiative was endorsed by the World Health Organisation and implemented with support from the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre along with federal and local authorities.
Ahmed Ali Al-Sayegh, Minister of Health and Prevention, said the findings reflect the UAE’s people-centered development approach and the leadership’s commitment to wellbeing as a national priority. He noted that the data reinforces the importance of early intervention and long-term planning while helping direct resources toward the most urgent health challenges. Advanced digital tools and analytical technologies were used to process information and generate indicators with strong predictive value.
Results among adults aged 18 and above showed that 8.7 percent of participants smoke and 22.4 percent are living with obesity. The survey also found high cholesterol levels in 54.2 percent of adults, high blood pressure in 25.9 percent, and elevated blood glucose in 12.5 percent.
The nutrition component revealed that 96.2 percent of individuals exceeded recommended sodium intake and 27.3 percent surpassed suggested sugar limits. Vitamin D deficiency remains significant, affecting 49.3 percent of adults and 69.1 percent of children aged 6 to 17.
Health leaders from Dubai, Sharjah, and Sharjah Health Authority welcomed the outputs as a key national reference that will support evaluation of existing policies and the design of targeted programs. The survey covered 20,000 households and ensured broad representation of citizens and residents, underscoring a national approach to continuous health assessment.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
