Health System Ready for New Disease Threats

Authorities track emerging diseases as kingdom builds on Covid-era readiness 

Bahrain has no cause for alarm over Hantavirus, a senior Shura Council member has said, as health authorities watch emerging diseases and draw on lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Jameela Al Salman, Head of the Shura Council’s Services Committee, said there were no signs of a direct health threat to the kingdom.

She said Bahrain was tracking infectious diseases with the World Health Organisation and regional health bodies, with stronger surveillance, laboratories and emergency planning put in place after Covid-19.

The pandemic had also shown the need for laws that can keep pace with new health risks, she said, describing Parliament and the Government as ‘two wings of the nation’. 

Dr Al Salman also supported tougher penalties for unlicensed medical practice, saying patients must be treated only by qualified and licensed staff.

Bahrain is also preparing for an ageing population, with older people expected to account for about 20pc of residents by 2030.

Artificial intelligence, drug-resistant infections, chronic illness, mental health, emerging diseases and climate-related health risks will be among the main tests for the health system over the next decade, she said.

Dr Al Salman said medical tourism could grow in fields including orthopaedics, heart care, fertility treatment, eye care, dentistry and rehabilitation. 

She also described Bahrain’s use of CRISPR gene editing to treat sickle cell disease as a turning point, shifting care from treating symptoms towards tackling inherited illness at its genetic root.

Wider access to gene therapy, she said, would require more spending on research, medical facilities, specialist training, rules and funding.