UAE: Air pollution causes 4,000 preventable deaths each year, study finds
The Health Inclusivity Index, developed by Haleon in partnership with Economist Impact and launched this week in Abu Dhabi, reveals that lowering PM2.5 particulate matter to the recommended limit of 5µg/m³ would not only prevent thousands of deaths but also result in $596 million in economic gains each year — with the lowest-income groups benefiting the most.
'Within each country it's different — there are different sources of air pollution,' said Gerard Dunleavy, senior consultant at Economist Impact. 'Whether that's having older cars on the road or measures to capture PM2.5 using greener technologies to reduce it, there's a range of different aspects that need to be done.'
The UAE currently exceeds WHO-recommended thresholds for air pollution, according to the report. Although efforts are underway to transition to greener technologies, experts say more urgent interventions are required to reduce health risks associated with prolonged exposure to fine particulate matter.
High costs of low health literacy
Another key finding of the report highlights the massive economic burden of low health literacy, which is linked to 2.8 times higher healthcare costs per person. If the UAE were to reduce the prevalence of low health literacy by just 25 per cent, the estimated annual national savings could reach $2.3 billion.
'This report is confirming what we all know,' said Dr Omniyat Al Hajeri, Executive Director of the Community Health Sector at Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre. 'A lot of the diseases and the expenses from the health sector are 100 per cent preventable by doing the right actions at the right time and as early as possible.'
Dr Al Hajeri explained that simple, everyday behaviours — such as oral hygiene — can significantly affect long-term health outcomes. 'Learning and teaching your children dental hygiene at a very early stage can save them from related diseases, from pain, absenteeism, and huge consequences that don't only affect the health sector.'
Dunleavy noted that the primary drivers of increased healthcare costs among those with low health literacy include prescription medications, emergency room visits, and poor adherence to treatment.
'There are a lot more costs beyond that,' he added. 'If people have lower health literacy, they're going to have longer stays in hospital, they're less likely to adhere to their medication, and they're going to have other health issues. It impacts their ability to work.'
UAE ranks first in health outreach, but gaps remain
The UAE ranked first globally in the index's pillar on community participation and outreach in health policy, and among the top five for person-centred healthcare experiences. However, it placed only tenth in health literacy, underscoring a persistent disconnect between policy-level engagement and population-level knowledge.
"From the outreach perspective, we were looking for evidence of initiatives that demonstrate efforts to meet people where they are,' Dunleavy explained. 'There are programmes targeting senior citizens, school-based education on oral health and obesity, and efforts to improve digital health literacy.'
Dr Al Hajeri described the centre's life-course approach to community health promotion, starting from early childhood. 'The real target is having people reach the maximum health potential that they can achieve based on their genetic composition, surrounding environment, and available awareness and education services,' she said.
Abu Dhabi has already rolled out several targeted initiatives to reach vulnerable populations. 'Our campaigns are actually targeting the whole community,' she said. 'We have school-based health-promoting schools policy, workplace wellness programmes, and specific campaigns for blue-collar workers.'
She cited recent efforts like the 'Heat Aware' campaign, which addresses seasonal risks for labourers, and noise protection and height safety initiatives for those in high-risk industries. 'We also do regulation. We have a lot of policies that get implemented in workplaces to ensure the safety and health of all parts of the community,' she said.
Women's health: A costly blind spot
The index also found that 24.3% of women of reproductive age in the UAE suffer from anaemia. Achieving a 50% reduction — as targeted by the UN Sustainable Development Goals — would save the country $336 million annually through lower healthcare costs and improved productivity.
'This is exactly the kind of issue our 'In Her Hands' campaign is addressing,' said Arda Arat, General Manager of GNE at Haleon. 'Women have a big role within family health management, although not always said. We can celebrate this but also leverage it.' Arat explained that Haleon's focus is on enabling better self-care through digital literacy tools, inclusive system design, and greater access to pain management resources. 'Our ambition is to empower 50 million people every year to take charge of their own health,' he said.
The report also flagged musculoskeletal conditions and osteoporosis as high-cost burdens in the UAE, particularly among women aged 15+ and adults aged 50+. Better prevention and management of these conditions could yield $160 million and $170 million in annual savings, respectively. Reducing hip fractures by 30 per cent and spinal fractures by 20 per cent could alone save an additional $62 million per year.
The next step?
The study is based on data collected from over 42,000 people across 40 countries, including both online and face-to-face surveys in the UAE. Dunleavy noted that a follow-up health literacy study is under discussion between Haleon and Economist Impact to dive deeper into local drivers and policy gaps.
"There's no global database for health literacy right now, and countries are measuring it differently,' he said. 'What was unique here is we had a common survey instrument across all 40 countries.' Arat added, 'What's next is collaboration. I think the intentions we saw today are aligned. Now it needs to go into learning from benchmarks and echoing what the UAE is already trying to do. We'll sit down with Dr Omniyat and put a clear action plan forward. That's the idea.'
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