A large-scale premarital genetic screening programme in the United Arab Emirates has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, adding to international evidence on how countries identify inherited disease risk before conception.
The New England Journal of Medicine has posted correspondence detailing a large-scale premarital genetic screening (testing people for inherited gene variants before they marry) programme run in the United Arab Emirates. The piece was shared by the journal’s official account.
Premarital genetic screening programmes aim to identify whether couples carry gene variants linked to inherited conditions — such as sickle cell disease or thalassaemia (a blood disorder affecting haemoglobin) — before they start a family. The UAE has run such schemes at national scale, and this correspondence documents findings from that effort.
The research sits within a broader public health conversation. Several countries in the Middle East and North Africa have introduced mandatory or voluntary premarital screening, given higher rates of certain inherited blood disorders in those populations. The NEJM correspondence does not appear to report a Kent or UK-specific finding.
But the topic is relevant to NHS genetic services more broadly. NHS England offers carrier testing and genetic counselling to individuals and couples with a family history of inherited conditions. Anyone concerned about inherited disease risk can speak to their GP, who can refer them to a regional genetics service.
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*For questions about inherited conditions or genetic testing, contact your GP or call NHS 111. The NHS genetic counselling service is available on GP referral.*
Source: @NEJM