{
  "abstract": "Introduction and Objectives: Despite low alcohol consumption across most MENA countries, the burden and management challenges of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) remain poorly characterized. This study assessed healthcare providers’ perceptions, clinical experiences, and barriers to ALD care in the region. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to clinicians involved in liver disease management in MENA. The survey explored perceived ALD prevalence, diagnosis patterns, clinical practices, access to services, and sociocultural barriers. Selected variables were compared across three subregions (Gulf, North Africa, and Levant & Turkey). Results: A total of 286 providers from 16 MENA countries participated. ALD prevalence was perceived as low or moderate by most respondents, and 52.1% reported an increase in ALD case numbers over the past five years. ALD was commonly diagnosed during routine assessments or at advanced stages. Only 12.9% reported existing national ALD guidelines, and 28.3% had access to specialized clinics. Medical management and nutritional support were widely available, whereas liver transplantation was accessible to 54.5%. Stigma (76.6%) and limited treatment facilities (46.9%) were major barriers. Conclusions: This region-wide assessment highlights major gaps in ALD recognition, clinical pathways, and policy infrastructure. Reducing stigma, strengthening provider training, and developing region-specific guidelines are essential to improve ALD care in culturally sensitive settings.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Endemic Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Capital University (Formerly Helwan University), Cairo, Egypt; Steatotic Liver Diseases Study Foundation in Middle East and North Africa (SLMENA), Cairo, Egypt; Corresponding author.",
    "Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt",
    "Tropical Medicine and Gastroenterology Department, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt",
    "Steatotic Liver Diseases Study Foundation in Middle East and North Africa (SLMENA), Cairo, Egypt; Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize, Turkey",
    "Steatotic Liver Diseases Study Foundation in Middle East and North Africa (SLMENA), Cairo, Egypt; Department of Gastroenterology ''A,'' Rabta Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia",
    "Steatotic Liver Diseases Study Foundation in Middle East and North Africa (SLMENA), Cairo, Egypt; Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Medical City for Military and Security Services, Muscat, Oman",
    "Steatotic Liver Diseases Study Foundation in Middle East and North Africa (SLMENA), Cairo, Egypt; Gastroenterology Section, Department of Medicine, King Abdulaziz Medical City, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Ministry of National Guard - Health Affairs, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia",
    "Steatotic Liver Diseases Study Foundation in Middle East and North Africa (SLMENA), Cairo, Egypt; Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department, Jaber AlAhmad Hospital, Kuwait City, Kuwait",
    "Steatotic Liver Diseases Study Foundation in Middle East and North Africa (SLMENA), Cairo, Egypt; Hepatology Department, Mustapha Bacha University Hospital, Algiers, Algeria",
    "Steatotic Liver Diseases Study Foundation in Middle East and North Africa (SLMENA), Cairo, Egypt; Medical Department, Central Hospital, Tripoli, Libya",
    "Steatotic Liver Diseases Study Foundation in Middle East and North Africa (SLMENA), Cairo, Egypt; Hepatogastroenterology Department, Rabat International University, Rabat, Morocco",
    "Steatotic Liver Diseases Study Foundation in Middle East and North Africa (SLMENA), Cairo, Egypt; Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department, Hotel-Dieu de France University Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon",
    "Endemic Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Capital University (Formerly Helwan University), Cairo, Egypt; Steatotic Liver Diseases Study Foundation in Middle East and North Africa (SLMENA), Cairo, Egypt",
    "Internal Medicine Department, Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Manama, Bahrain; Internal Medicine Department, Qena University, Quena, Egypt",
    "Steatotic Liver Diseases Study Foundation in Middle East and North Africa (SLMENA), Cairo, Egypt; Hepatology Department, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shebeen ElKom, Egypt",
    "Steatotic Liver Diseases Study Foundation in Middle East and North Africa (SLMENA), Cairo, Egypt; Department of Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation and College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar",
    "Department of Health Promotion and Education, College of Public Health & Health Informatics, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia",
    "Steatotic Liver Diseases Study Foundation in Middle East and North Africa (SLMENA), Cairo, Egypt; Liver Disease Research Center, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia",
    "MASLD Research Center, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA; Departamento de Gastroenterologia, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile",
    "Departamento de Gastroenterologia, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, USA",
    "The Global NASH/MASH Council, Washington DC, USA; Beatty Liver and Obesity Research Program, Inova Health System, Washington DC, USA",
    "Gastroenterology Department, Tripoli central hospital, Tripoli, Libya",
    "Gastroenterology, Central Hospital, Tripoli, Libya",
    "Medicine, Medical Intensive Care Unit, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar",
    "GIM, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar",
    "Internal medicine, Nizwa Hospital, Nizwa, Oman",
    "Gastroenterology and Hepatology, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia",
    "Medical Department/Gastroenterology Unit, King Abdulaziz Medical City, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia",
    "Medicine, Medical City for Military and Security Services, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman",
    "Internal medicine, Medical City Hospital for Military and Security Services, Muscat, Oman",
    "Internal Medicine, King Hamad University Hospital, Muharraq, Bahrain",
    "Gastroenterology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar",
    "Gastroenterology, King Abdullah medical city, Makkah, Saudi Arabia",
    "Gastroenterology, Farwaniyah hospital, Kuwait, Kuwait"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 272,
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      "name": "Abdullah Khathlan"
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      "name": "Abdullah S Alghamdi"
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      "name": "Majed Almaghrabi"
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      "name": "Mohammad Saud Numan"
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      "name": "Mohammed A Baseer"
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      "name": "Saad Aldosari"
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      "name": "Waleed Alshumrani"
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      "name": "Abdullah Humaid Alkalbani"
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      "name": "Badriya Saleh Al farsi"
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      "name": "Bola Rajendra Kamath"
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      "name": "Halima Hamed Al Shuaili"
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      "name": "Hassan Abdullah Alqartoobi"
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      "name": "Imad Mohammad Abumallouh"
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      "name": "Khaled Mohammed Hamad"
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      "name": "Abdulnasser Said Aladawi"
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      "name": "Ruchir Kumar Bichu"
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      "name": "Abdulrahman M. Barakat"
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      "name": "Jenan Ebrahim Obaid"
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      "name": "Abdulwahab Hamid"
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      "name": "Ahmed Mohamed Badi"
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      "name": "Ali Ibrahim Rahil"
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      "name": "Arshad Muneerudeen"
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      "name": "Joe Varghese Mathew"
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      "name": "Monder Mustafa Jebril Karayem"
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      "name": "Taha M H Abulghasm"
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        32
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        32
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      "name": "Fahd Almalki"
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      "name": "Mohammed Saeed Khan"
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  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f0wqy455z65jb.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1016/j.aohep.2026.102253",
  "fulltext_url": "http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1665268126000736",
  "id": "f0wqy455z65jb",
  "issns": [
    "1665-2681",
    "2659-5982"
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  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aohep.2026.102253",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "lcc",
      "RC581-951"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2734|Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects"
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  "openalex": "W7164897794",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-07-01",
  "publisher": "Elsevier",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f0wqy455z65jb.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T13:43:39Z",
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      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aohep.2026.102253"
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  "subjects": [
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      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2734|Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects",
      "subfield": "general"
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  ],
  "title": "Alcohol-associated liver disease in the MENA region: A 16-country survey of healthcare provider perspectives",
  "title_text": "Alcohol-associated liver disease in the MENA region: A 16-country survey of healthcare provider perspectives",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T13:43:39Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f0wqy455z65jb",
  "venue": "Annals of Hepatology",
  "versions": []
}