Dubai: When it comes to genetic disorders, Arabs have the highest prevalence rate, according to geneticists.
Realising this, the UAE is spearheading efforts to address the issue by holding the 1st Pan Arab Human Genetics conference, which will feature members of the Human Genome Organisation (HUGO).
Dr Najeeb Al Khaja, president of CAGS, said the Pan Arab Human Genetics conference was a sign of the region's increasing awareness of genetic disorders existent in the Arab world, as listed in the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database.
"Arabs have the highest rate of genetic disorders with over 1,000 genetic disorders listed and many not listed yet," he said.
"It is a very big field that has not been fully explored," he added.
The Centre of Arab Genomic Studies (CAGS), part of the Shaikh Hamdan Award for Medical Sciences, is organising the conference from April 4 to 6 this year at Al Bustan Rotana Hotel.
