Kuwait

Obesity prevalence

Overweight/obesity by age

Overweight/obesity by region

Insufficient physical activity

Average daily frequency of carbonated soft drink consumption

Estimated per-capita fruit intake

Prevalence of less-than-daily fruit consumption

Prevalence of less-than-daily vegetable consumption

Average weekly frequency of fast food consumption

Estimated per-capita processed meat intake

Estimated per-capita whole grains intake

Mental health - depression disorders

Mental health - anxiety disorders

Oesophageal cancer

Breast cancer

Colorectal cancer

Pancreatic cancer

Gallbladder cancer

Kidney cancer

Cancer of the uterus

Raised blood pressure

Raised cholesterol

Raised fasting blood glucose

Diabetes prevalence

Health systems

Health systems summary

Kuwait has a state-funded health system that is ‘free at the point of entry’ for Kuwaiti nationals. Non-citizens who are resident in Kuwait are entitled to a health insurance card for which they pay an annual fee. The state system provides primary, secondary and tertiary care, though these state services often have long waiting times. As a result, state hospitals are understood to discourage expatriates – who make up approximately two thirds of the Kuwaiti population - from attending, to take the pressure off waiting times. It is mandatory for expatriates to have private healthcare, and so they are encouraged to visit private hospitals.

Historically, the Government were prepared to pay for the cost of overseas medical treatment if treatment were not available locally. This was open to abuse and so recent austerity measures have reduced the numbers obtaining approval for treatment abroad payed for by the government.

Summary of stakeholder feedback

Kuwait’s health system is said to be suffering some challenges, including poor cross-departmental working and long waiting times between appointments. For obesity specifically, stakeholders suggest that Kuwait needs better cooperation between healthcare departments and more usage of multidisciplinary teams. Where there are obesity clinics, treatment is said to be frequently out- dated, with staff unfamiliar with contemporary treatment strategies.

There are no clear treatment guidelines or protocols for patients with obesity in Kuwait, and stakeholders reported that there were no clear treatment pathways. Resultantly, there was a lack of consensus on the BMI required for treatment and use of treatment appeared irregular. For example, it was reported that Kuwaiti citizens expect pharmaceutical intervention regardless of efficacy, with herbal supplements being particularly popular. Similarly, stakeholders claimed there was excess emphasis on surgery in Kuwait, partly driven by desire for profit rather than health.

Stakeholders reported that obesity in children and adolescents was particularly difficult to treat as parents routinely failed to acknowledge the need for professional care. Stakeholders suggest that healthcare professionals are not trained appropriately, and so often do not know the best ways to approach the parents and how best to treat children and adolescents.

Stakeholders called for more government funding for obesity education for the public and healthcare practitioners, and to ensure that appropriate treatments are available.

Based on interviews/survey returns from 6 stakeholders

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We are currently finalising our data for this section. It will be available from late 2020.