Qatar

Obesity prevalence

Overweight/obesity by age

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

Qatar has a national health insurance scheme for its citizens, with Hamad Medical Corporation being the main healthcare provider in the country. Citizens and residents apply for a health card to access Hamad Medical Corporation’s healthcare facilities or hospitals for free or at a nominal cost. Consultations and non-emergency treatments are often paid for out-of-pocket, but these are significantly subsidised. Cardholders are also eligible for subsidised medications when prescriptions are filled at government-run pharmacies. Expatriates are required to have either employer-provided health insurance or private insurance.

The government is said to be moving towards private healthcare funding mechanisms such as insurance for all its citizens, but this is not yet in place.

Summary of stakeholder feedback

Stakeholders reported that the Qatari government have been proactive in educating the population on appropriate diet and lifestyle. Still, it is felt that given the high prevalence of obesity in Qatar, more prevention efforts are needed.

In the public system, it has been suggested that patients enter the system in one of two ways. Either they diagnosed with obesity during a routine assessment or they are advised to address their obesity because of a comorbidity e.g. sleep apnoea or infertility. At first, they may be sent to a wellness centre or lifestyle clinic where there are dieticians, but later those that meet the criteria are generally referred to the National Obesity Treatment Centre. Patients are eligible for general referral at BMI ≥ 30 kg/m², and bariatric referral at BMI ≥ 40 kg/m² or BMI ≥ 35 kg/m² + co-morbidities (there is an exception for patients with BMI ≥ 32 kg/m² with severe uncontrolled diabetes). It appears that the government delivers a range of treatment at a subsidised cost for Qatari nationals, but like much of the region, surgical intervention is very popular.

For those that use the private sector or who have insurance, stakeholders report that they go straight to the private hospital without referral.

The health system is said to lack suitably trained specialists such as dieticians, physicians and psychologists. At present, there is considered to be limited appropriate training available in Qatar, all training available is delivered by the tertiary obesity centre. There is a bariatric medicine fellowship, but intake is small. There is also a one-day obesity management programme for primary healthcare physicians and another for nurses. One for dieticians is being currently developed.

There are government guidelines for treatment of adults living with obesity.

Based on interviews/survey returns from 3 stakeholders

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