Preventive Health & Public Health Campaigns in Dubai

Dubai is strengthening its focus on prevention and early detection rather than only treatment, through several large-scale public health programmes. One of the main initiatives is Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC), a city-wide campaign to encourage physical activity and healthier lifestyles. In 2024, DFC saw a dramatic surge: enrollment rose by 206% compared to earlier years, reflecting growing public interest in fitness and wellness.

Beyond fitness events, health authorities in Dubai and the UAE are ramping up early-detection efforts for chronic diseases. Under the 2025 national campaign around World Diabetes Day, screening initiatives target diabetes and heart disease: for example, a recent cardiovascular campaign plans to screen 10,000 individuals for heart disease risks and diabetes, checking blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, and lifestyle factors.

According to the latest health-survey results (2024), these preventive efforts are showing early success. The overall diabetes prevalence in Dubai dropped from 13.7% in 2019 to 12.9% in 2024. Childhood obesity also saw a modest decrease (from 17.3% to 16.9%), while the share of residents engaging in regular physical activity nearly doubled – rising from 19.9% in 2019 to 36.9% in 2024.

In addition to general physical health, mental health and community well-being are receiving more attention. Under the Dubai Health Authority (DHA)’s new “Mental Wealth” framework (launched 2024), programmes are being rolled out to train general practitioners to recognise common mental health issues early, offer employer-based anti-burnout sessions, and expand psychiatric care capacity – with plans to significantly increase psychiatric beds by end-2025.