BMJ  2006;333:831-834 (21 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.38982.704931.AE

Practice

Genetic disorders in the Arab world

¹ Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates, ² National Center for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Genetics, Amman, Jordan, ³ Salmaniya Medical Complex, Ministry of Health, Bahrain, Kingdom of Bahrain

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Available evidence suggests that congenital and genetic disorders are responsible for a major proportion of infant mortality, morbidity, and handicap in Arab countries.^1-3 The population of the region is characterised by large family size, high maternal and paternal age, and a high level of inbreeding with consanguinity rates in the range of 25-60%.^{1 2 4 w1} Certain disorders are common throughout the Arab world, including haemoglobinopathies, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, different congenital malformations caused by recessive genes, and several metabolic disorders.^{1 2} Other recessive disorders cluster in certain groups and subpopulations.^{1 2 5} Genetic services vary in extent and coverage in different Arab countries, but mostly they remain patchy, selective, and inadequate.^{2 5 6}

We present the magnitude of the problem and the currently available genetic services in Arab countries, together with recommendations for developing strategies for prevention. In view of the good coverage of primary healthcare systems in most Arab countries, community genetic services that include screening programmes . . . [Full text of this article]

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