Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – Genetic defects are a leading cause of disorders in the Kingdom, particularly mental handicap in children and birth defects in newborns, according to professor of medical genetics Jumana Al-Aama who heads the Princess Aljohara Center of Excellence in Hereditary Disorders at King Abdulaziz University. Several genetic diseases are prevalent in Saudi Arabia, including heart and gastrointestinal diseases. "However, blood diseases and metabolic diseases are more common in Saudi Arabia than Western countries because of marriage between relatives," Al-Aama told Saudi Gazette. The research center recently held an event on DNA Day in partnership with the Genetics Department of the Medical College at King Abdulaziz University to raise awareness about genetic diseases. The latest research among over 60 publications last year has shown that 3 percent of newborns have birth defects. Researchers also discovered new gene mutations causing sudden death. Asked about the awareness level of Saudis on genetic diseases, Al-Aama said the increased general education level of citizens and exposure to media have led to improvement but it "still needs more work." One obstacle still remaining is the social tradition of marriages between cousins. Another is the high cost of testing for genetic diseases before marriage. Over 300 medical students were invited to learn about the role of DNA in evolving medicine via stations where they extracted DNA, learned about its history and examined chromosomes. Al-Aama added, "Genetics is relatively new in the medical field, so not all students know the importance of developing research and findings that could prevent a significant amount of hereditary diseases in the future."
