Genetic testing as part of pre-marital examinations for citizens is mandatory from January

The Ministry of Health and Community Protection announced the start of the mandatory implementation of genetic testing within the pre-marital screening program for all citizens about to get married nationwide, starting from the beginning of January 2025. This is based on the decision of the Emirates Genome Council, which came within the annual meetings of the UAE government.

The Ministry stressed that this decision represents a pioneering move for the country in promoting the health of generations and providing a future in which the Emirati family enjoys sustainable wellness and a healthy quality of life. It also places the country’s health sector in a distinct competitive position in the field of developing medical personnel, building research capabilities to prevent genetic diseases and reproductive medicine solutions, and expanding the scope of benefiting from genomic science by consolidating partnerships between medical institutions locally and internationally.

One national team

The Ministry explained that it is working within one national team in an integrated manner, in cooperation with the relevant authorities, to implement genetic testing for those approaching marriage, by providing medical personnel, specialized competencies, manuals, and technical infrastructure, based on the National Genome Strategy, which aims to build an integrated national genetic data system. This helps proactively identify genetic diseases for each citizen to enable early medical intervention. Stressing that implementing this decision contributes to bringing about a qualitative transformation of the healthcare sector and the use of future technology in the country, to ensure sustainable development and quality of life, in response to the aspirations of the UAE Centennial Vision 2071.

Preventive genetic testing

Genetic testing as part of pre-marital examinations is a preventive health measure that allows those about to get married to undergo genetic tests to determine whether they carry common genetic mutations that they may pass on to their offspring in the future, and which may cause their children to prevent hereditary diseases.

The genetic test covers 570 genes for more than 840 medical conditions. It is considered an extremely important procedure as it helps those about to get married assess their risks of having children with hereditary diseases, and supports them to make thoughtful and informed decisions when planning to start a family.

The program operates under the umbrella of the Ministry of Health and Community Protection, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, the Dubai Health Authority, the Emirates Health Services Corporation and Dubai Health, in addition to partner academic, medical and technological institutions.