New Family Health Model Rolls Out Across Abu Dhabi
The model combines preventive screening, genetic testing, primary care and digital health services across over 3,800 facilities.
A new family health model is being rolled out across more than 3,800 healthcare facilities in Abu Dhabi, placing prevention, precision care and genetic screening at the centre of long-term care.
Introduced by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, the model is built around four pillars: prevention and proactive healthcare, quality of care, innovation, and preparedness and response. It is designed to follow patients across different stages of life rather than treating individual health issues in isolation.
Preventive services include family-health screenings beginning from age 18, with reproductive health checks for young men and women. Premarital screening for Emirati couples also includes genetic testing covering more than 570 genes associated with over 840 medical conditions.
After birth, newborn genetic screening covers more than 815 treatable genetic conditions. Postnatal care is supported through home visits, teleconsultations and outpatient services for mothers and infants.
Primary care is delivered through a network of 818 family physicians working across 237 facilities, providing vaccinations, routine screenings, health education, psychological support and chronic disease management.
Abu Dhabi is also expanding specialised treatment capacity through designated Centres of Excellence in areas including adult and paediatric cardiac surgery, bone marrow transplantation, multi-organ transplantation, burns care and stroke treatment. A specialised city focused on women’s and children’s health is also under development.
Digital systems are intended to support continuity of care. Malaffi, Abu Dhabi’s health information exchange, gives physicians access to patient records and incorporates pharmacogenomics reports and AI-generated risk profiles for chronic disease. The Sehhatna app offers appointment booking, teleconsultations, medical records and linked family profiles, and is integrated with the TAMM platform.
Emergency readiness is supported through round-the-clock services and a Unified Medical Operations Centre that coordinates resources and responses across healthcare providers.
