United Arab Emirates: migrant health guide
Advice and guidance on the health needs of migrant patients from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for healthcare practitioners.
Main messages
If the patient is new to the UK:
- explain to them how the NHS works
- discuss how this compares to the healthcare system they’ve been used to
Ensure that all patients are up-to-date with the UK immunisation schedule.
Determine any risk factors for hepatitis B infection that may indicate the need for screening. The UAE has a low prevalence.
Ask opportunistically about any travel plans the patient may have to visit friends and relatives in their country of origin, and see National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), or the Health Protection Scotland websites (TRAVAX and fitfortravel), for travel advice.
Be advised that there is a risk of typhoid infection in the UAE.
Consider nutritional and metabolic concerns.
Infectious diseases
Immunisation
Ensure that all patients, especially children, are up-to-date with the UK immunisation schedule.
Tuberculosis (TB)
There is a low incidence of TB in the UAE (<40 cases per 100,000), so:
- routine screening is not required
- consider testing in patients (including children) who show signs and symptoms
- be aware that TB is a notifiable disease
Sexually transmitted infections and HIV
Take a sexual history, and:
- screen for STIs and HIV according to risk as specified in the UK national standards and guidelines
- test all sexually active patients under the age of 25 for chlamydia
The UAE has a low rate of HIV (≤1%), so:
- offer and recommend an HIV test if the patient:
- falls into a high risk group
- is newly registering in a high prevalence area
- be advised that national guidelines do not recommend routine consideration of HIV testing of infants and children who have recently arrived in the UK
Hepatitis B
The UAE has a low prevalence of hepatitis B, so:
- offer screening for hepatitis B to all pregnant women during each pregnancy
- immunise appropriately babies born to mothers who are hepatitis B positive, and follow-up accordingly
- be aware that the UK has a universal infant immunisation programme for hepatitis B and a selective immunisation programme for higher risk groups
Hepatitis C
The UAE has a higher prevalence of hepatitis C than the UK, so consider screening for hepatitis C if other risk factors apply.
Travel plans and advice
Ask opportunistically about any travel plans the patient may have to visit friends and relatives in their country of origin, and see National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), or the Health Protection Scotland websites (TRAVAX and fitfortravel), for travel advice.
Typhoid
There is a risk of typhoid infection in the UAE, so:
- ensure that travellers to the UAE are offered typhoid immunisation and advice on prevention of enteric fever
- remember enteric fever in the differential diagnosis of illness in patients with a recent history of travel to-or-from the UAE
Women’s health
Reproductive health indicators
| Reproductive health indicator | UK | UAE |
|---|---|---|
| Children per woman¹ | 2 | 2 |
| Breast examination or mammography² | 75% | 12% |
| Cervical cancer screening³ | 70% | 23% |
¹lifetime average ²women aged 50 to 69 years ³women aged 20 to 69 years
No data are available on contraceptive use.
Female genital mutilation
Female genital mutilation (FGM) has occasionally been documented in the UAE.
Nutritional and metabolic concerns
Anaemia
There is a moderate risk of anaemia in adults (estimated prevalence in non-pregnant women is 20 to 40%), and in pre-school children (estimated prevalence is 20 to 40%), in the UAE, so:
- be alert to the possibility of anaemia in recently arrived migrants, particularly women and pre-school children
- test as clinically indicated
Vitamin D
Consider the possibility of vitamin D deficiency in people who may be at risk due to:
- covering their body for cultural or religious reasons (lack of sunlight)
- skin colour
- diet (vegan or vegetarian)
Iodine
People from the UAE may be at risk of mild iodine deficiency due to inadequate intake.
Country profile
Health indicators and health care
WHO Global Health Observatory has a summary of health indicators and health care in the UAE.
Culture, politics and history
BBC News and The World Factbook provide background information on the culture, politics and history of the UAE.
Languages
The main languages used in the UAE are:
- Arabic (official)
- Persian
- English
- Hindi
- Urdu
Source: The World Factbook.
Religions
| Religion | Population (%) |
|---|---|
| Muslim¹ | 76 |
| Other² | 15 |
| Christian | 9 |
¹Islam (official) ²primarily Hindu and Buddhist; less than 5% of the population consists of Parsi, Baha’i, Druze, Sikh, Ahmadi, Ismaili, Dawoodi Bohra Muslim and Jewish
Source: The World Factbook.
Migration to the UK
There were almost 11,000 people from the United Arab Emirates living in England and Wales at the time of the 2011 Census.
Source: Office for National Statistics © Crown Copyright 2014.
Updates to this page
Published 31 July 2014Last updated 18 April 2016 + show all updates
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Updated advice on risks of hep B and anaemia based on current prevalences in UAE.
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First published.