Saudi Arabia COPD Index
Rank
(out of 24 countries)
13
Index Score
(out of 100)
65.12
Deaths
(as a % of overall deaths)
1.8%
Smoking Rate
14.3%
Societal Costs
(cost per person)
$308
Above average performance
Average performance
Below average performance
Saudi Arabia scores above average in the Policy Context category, with relatively good adherence to COPD care guidelines and tobacco control policies
Saudi Arabia scores above average in the Policy Context category, with relatively good adherence to COPD care guidelines and tobacco control policies, despite the lack of a comprehensive COPD strategy. Saudi Arabia has an average Health System Characteristics category score due in part to a low number of primary care physicians. Saudi Arabia has the highest score in the Disease Burden category, due to a low estimated societal cost of COPD, a low rate of COPD-related disability-adjusted life years, low rate of COPD deaths, and low COPD prevalence. Saudi Arabia scores below average in the Access and Care Coverage category, with a need for stronger care referral pathways and universal health care service coverage, although it has relatively good conditions for diagnosis and treatment access. Saudi Arabia is the third-lowest scorer in the Environmental Factors category due to the highest levels of particulate matter and environmental exposure to COPD risk factors.
How does Saudi Arabia perform in each category?
Provides further insights into how Saudi Arabia scores across each Index category
COPD Index Key Takeaways
Data from the COPD Index revealed the following takeaways regarding COPD care in Saudi Arabia.
Lowest prevalence of COPD, highest performance in disease burden category
Development of a national strategy for COPD would significantly improve Saudi Arabia’s approach to COPD care and management
Highest level of particulate matter exposure in the COPD Index
Best Practices for COPD Care
Data from the COPD Index revealed the following best practices regarding COPD care in Saudi Arabia.
Medication availability, including triple inhaler and biologics
Excellent health care infrastructure in terms of health care access and availability of ER and pulmonary clinics
Challenges for COPD Care
Data from the COPD Index revealed the following challenges regarding COPD care in Saudi Arabia.
Lack of awareness of COPD among health practitioners and policymakers, leading to wrongful diagnosis
Lack of adherence to national COPD guidelines
Limited access to diagnosis (i.e. spirometry) and pulmonologists in general
Opportunities for COPD Care
Data from the COPD Index revealed the following opportunities regarding COPD care in Saudi Arabia.
Implementation of smoking cessation programs, especially due to increased smoking rates over the past decade
Care clinics with PFT labs to diagnose COPD
Priorities for COPD Care
Data from the COPD Index revealed the following priorities regarding COPD care in Saudi Arabia.
Address the lack of registries in order to examine the current burden of COPD in Saudi Arabia
Address the poor recognition of COPD in Primary Health Care and ER departments, as well as the lack of referral to appropriate pulmonary clinics
Compare Saudi Arabia to other countries
Select different countries to see how they scored across each of the 5 categories and overall
Sources
You can view the data sources for this country HERE