Muscat – The Directorate General of Health Services in Dhofar governorate officially launched the ‘National Survey of Non-Communicable Diseases’ project on Sunday at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex for Culture and Entertainment in Salalah.

The event was held under the patronage of H H Sayyid Marwan bin Turki al Said, Governor of Dhofar.

The launch featured two key presentations. The first outlined the objectives and scope of the national survey, while the second focused on the methodology behind the survey, including the use of geographic information systems (GIS) to organise the data and the essential role of field teams in the survey’s first phase.

Dr Hamoud bin Said al Fazari, Director of the Primary Care Department in Dhofar, highlighted the project’s importance, describing it as a critical national initiative aimed at improving community health and strengthening Oman’s healthcare system through evidence-based approaches.

The survey will cover all citizens and residents in Oman aged 15 and above to collect comprehensive data on the prevalence NCDs, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancer – conditions that pose significant health challenges globally and locally. It will focus on identifying key risk factors related to these diseases, particularly those linked to unhealthy lifestyles.

This exercise will be conducted in two phases – with the first one focused on field visits to update residential maps and gather demographic data on the population.

In the second phase, field teams will visit homes in various governorates to collect health data, conduct physical assessments, and administer questionnaires to residents.

Dr Fazari added that the data gathered from this survey will be essential in shaping health policies and programmes aimed at preventing NCDs and mitigating the associated health and economic impacts.

“The findings will provide a scientific basis for targeting future interventions in the country’s healthcare system.” The National Survey for NCDs was first launched in Muscat governorate in December 2024. It will now expand to include all governorates across Oman, the official added.

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