DOH Public Health & Preventive Medicine — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which non-communicable disease is identified as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Abu Dhabi's annual health statistics reports?
- Malaria
- Cardiovascular disease (Correct answer)
- Rabies
- Cholera
Correct answer: Cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease, strongly linked to the high prevalence of diabetes, obesity, and hypertension in Abu Dhabi's population, is consistently reported as the leading cause of death in the emirate.
Question 2: The Abu Dhabi 'Healthpoint' and 'SEHA' networks primarily serve which function in the public health system?
- Private insurance claims processing
- Provision of government-funded public healthcare services across Abu Dhabi (Correct answer)
- Medical tourism coordination
- Pharmaceutical regulation
Correct answer: Provision of government-funded public healthcare services across Abu Dhabi
SEHA (Abu Dhabi Health Services Company) operates the network of government hospitals and clinics, including Healthpoint, providing publicly funded healthcare to residents and nationals.
Question 3: According to the UAE National Immunisation Schedule, at what age is the first dose of MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine administered?
- At birth
- At 12 months (Correct answer)
- At 6 months
- At 2 months
Correct answer: At 12 months
The first dose of MMR vaccine is given at 12 months of age in the UAE National Immunisation Schedule, with a second dose at 18 months or school entry.
Question 4: Which screening programme does Abu Dhabi DOH mandate for all newborns to detect metabolic disorders early?
- Neonatal hearing screening only
- Newborn metabolic screening (NBS) panel including phenylketonuria and hypothyroidism (Correct answer)
- Neonatal cardiac MRI
- Neonatal retinal screening
Correct answer: Newborn metabolic screening (NBS) panel including phenylketonuria and hypothyroidism
DOH mandates a Newborn Screening (NBS) programme that tests for a panel of metabolic and endocrine disorders (including PKU, congenital hypothyroidism, and others) using a heel-prick blood sample.
Question 5: Heat-related illness is a significant public health concern in Abu Dhabi. Which intervention is legally mandated to protect outdoor workers during summer?
- Indoor cooling allowances only
- A midday work ban for outdoor workers (typically 12:30–15:00) during June, July, and August (Correct answer)
- Unlimited sick leave provision
- Mandatory sunscreen distribution
Correct answer: A midday work ban for outdoor workers (typically 12:30–15:00) during June, July, and August
The UAE Ministry of Human Resources mandates a midday outdoor work ban (12:30–15:00) during the hottest summer months (June–August) to protect workers from heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
Question 6: What is the primary vector responsible for transmitting dengue fever, a notifiable disease in the UAE?
- Anopheles mosquito
- Aedes aegypti mosquito (Correct answer)
- Culex mosquito
- Sandfly
Correct answer: Aedes aegypti mosquito
Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of dengue fever; its presence in the UAE and the movement of viraemic travellers make dengue a notifiable public health concern.
DOH Public Health & Preventive Medicine
Which non-communicable disease is identified as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Abu Dhabi's annual health statistics reports?