Chapter 41 - A suggested regional newborn screening programme for the Arabian Gulf States, and ARAMCO newborn screening programme experience in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter presents comments on a suggested regional newborn screening program for the Arabian Gulf States and on the ARAMCO newborn screening program experience in Saudi Arabia. Developing countries lack newborn screening programs due to several factors. The control of infectious diseases, gastroenteritis, and malnutrition are top priorities in most of these countries. Some of the developing nations have changed their priorities following their great success in implementing immunization programs against childhood communicable diseases, such as measles, poliomyelitis, and diphtheria. Several of these countries have the economic resources to enable them to concentrate more on the quality of life of their population and to pay more attention to the less urgent problems. The populations of various Arab countries have a closely related genetic background, and various regional health organizations are in operation. The Arabian Gulf States have a cooperation council, The Gulf Cooperation Council, through which are implemented several projects of common interest. Planning for health services in the region is one of the major targets for these joint efforts. Several problems were encountered during the operation that required modifications to the program. The justification for a similar or modified program for all the Arabian Gulf States is similar to that of ARAMCO. Published data regarding the incidence and presence of the various metabolic and genetic diseases other than in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are very scarce, and this emphasizes the need for pilot screening programs in certain areas.