Publications by authors named "Ejlal F Alalawi"
Background: The Kingdom of Bahrain has reported more than 696,000 cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and 1548 associated deaths as of December 26, 2022.
Objectives: To better inform responses to future public health threats, this narrative review documents the challenges and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Methods: A PubMed search was conducted focusing on severe acute respiratory syndrome or COVID-19 in Bahrain.
Background: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries relied, until recently, solely on import duties for tobacco products. The agreement for the introduction of an excise and value added tax (VAT) in 2016 and 2017, respectively, in most GCC countries, was a major breakthrough for public health. There is, however, ample room for improvement.
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- The paper estimates the economic costs associated with smoking and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, revealing that the total cost was approximately PPP$ 34.5 billion in 2016, which is about 1.04% of their combined GDP.
- Smoking predominantly impacts men and middle-aged individuals, with chronic respiratory diseases and type 2 diabetes as primary contributors to morbidity costs, while cardiovascular diseases were the major contributor to mortality costs.
- Though the estimated economic cost in the GCC is lower than in other high-income countries, the authors emphasize that implementing effective anti-tobacco policies is crucial to prevent a potential tobacco epidemic and its adverse effects on health