Emirati divorce rate is highest in the Gulf

Divorce rates in the UAE is the highest in Arab Gulf states, according to a study by the UAE Women's Federation.

At about 40 per cent, divorce rate in the Emirates poses a serious challenge to the government as it negatively impacts children and family bonds, it said.

The study was prepared under the patronage of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Supreme Chairperson of Family Development Foundation and President of the UAE Women's Federation. It was implemented in cooperation with Unicef and the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.

The study will help in maintaining a database, which will go a long way in assisting and analysing child growth in the UAE. It will also help decision makers and government officials implement development programmes and uplift society.

According to the study, the UAE has made significant progress in reducing maternal mortality rates. National awareness campaigns, setting up of health centres such as hospitals and clinics, female education drive, medical attention for pregnant women, have contributed to the improvement in healthcare. In fact, there has been no reported maternal death since 2004, said the report.

At present 99.9 per cent of births are supervised by qualified  doctors, which is considered the highest rate in the world. The UAE, thus, has achieved one of the Millennium Development Goals, related to maternal health.
 
However, anaemia, obesity and osteoporosis continue to pose a challenge on the health front. The study reported that 22 per cent of pregnant women in the UAE suffer from diabetes, while 80 per cent of UAE women are at risk of osteoporosis.

Similarly, caesarean births rose to 18.2 per cent in 2007. The infant mortality rate was about 7.7 per cent in 2005, and mortality rate for children under-five years of age declined from 14 in 1990 to 9.9 in 2005.

Meanwhile, iodine deficiency disorders in the UAE is negligible, according to the WHO. The problem of aneamia is because of malnutrition among children under five years of age. However, tobacco consumption among children and adolescents need attention.