Alcohol-associated liver disease in the MENA region: A 16-country survey of healthcare provider perspectives

@article{elkassas2026alcoholassociated,
  title = {{Alcohol-associated liver disease in the MENA region: A 16-country survey of healthcare provider perspectives}},
  author = {Mohamed El-Kassas and Abeer Awad and Mohammed A. Medhat and Yusuf Yilmaz and Asma Labidi and Khalid M. AlNaamani and Faisal M. Sanai and Maen Almattooq and Nabil Debzi and Ali Tumi and Mustapha Benazzouz and Cesar Yaghi and Mohamed Elbadry and Mohamed Alsenbesy and Imam Waked and Abdel-Naser Elzouki and Mohamed O. Nour and Khalid A. Alswat and Luis Antonio Diaz and Juan Pablo Arab and Zobair M. Younossi and Abdalaziz Omar Adali and Abdalraouf Ammar Abdulsalam and Abdalrazig Elsadig FadlElmula and Abdul Aziz Zafar and Abdulatif Alsuleimani and Khadidja Saidani and Abdullah Khathlan and Abdullah S Alghamdi and Majed Almaghrabi and Mohammad Saud Numan and Mohammed A Baseer and Saad Aldosari and Waleed Alshumrani and Abdullah Humaid Alkalbani and Badriya Saleh Al farsi and Bola Rajendra Kamath and Halima Hamed Al Shuaili and Hassan Abdullah Alqartoobi and Imad Mohammad Abumallouh and Khaled Mohammed Hamad and Abdulnasser Said Aladawi and Hour AlKaabi and Husna Omran and Mohammed Raziuddin Shajee and Ruchir Kumar Bichu and Abdulrahman M. Barakat and Jenan Ebrahim Obaid and Abdulwahab Hamid and Ahmed Mohamed Badi and Ali Ibrahim Rahil and Arshad Muneerudeen and Joe Varghese Mathew and Monder Mustafa Jebril Karayem and Taha M H Abulghasm and Zubair Anwer and Adnan Alzanzagi and Fahd Almalki and Mohammed Saeed Khan and Ahmad Alhouti},
  journal = {Annals of Hepatology},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.1016/j.aohep.2026.102253},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aohep.2026.102253},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Alcohol-associated liver disease in the MENA region: A 16-country survey of healthcare provider perspectives
AU  - Mohamed El-Kassas
AU  - Abeer Awad
AU  - Mohammed A. Medhat
AU  - Yusuf Yilmaz
AU  - Asma Labidi
AU  - Khalid M. AlNaamani
AU  - Faisal M. Sanai
AU  - Maen Almattooq
AU  - Nabil Debzi
AU  - Ali Tumi
AU  - Mustapha Benazzouz
AU  - Cesar Yaghi
AU  - Mohamed Elbadry
AU  - Mohamed Alsenbesy
AU  - Imam Waked
AU  - Abdel-Naser Elzouki
AU  - Mohamed O. Nour
AU  - Khalid A. Alswat
AU  - Luis Antonio Diaz
AU  - Juan Pablo Arab
AU  - Zobair M. Younossi
AU  - Abdalaziz Omar Adali
AU  - Abdalraouf Ammar Abdulsalam
AU  - Abdalrazig Elsadig FadlElmula
AU  - Abdul Aziz Zafar
AU  - Abdulatif Alsuleimani
AU  - Khadidja Saidani
AU  - Abdullah Khathlan
AU  - Abdullah S Alghamdi
AU  - Majed Almaghrabi
AU  - Mohammad Saud Numan
AU  - Mohammed A Baseer
AU  - Saad Aldosari
AU  - Waleed Alshumrani
AU  - Abdullah Humaid Alkalbani
AU  - Badriya Saleh Al farsi
AU  - Bola Rajendra Kamath
AU  - Halima Hamed Al Shuaili
AU  - Hassan Abdullah Alqartoobi
AU  - Imad Mohammad Abumallouh
AU  - Khaled Mohammed Hamad
AU  - Abdulnasser Said Aladawi
AU  - Hour AlKaabi
AU  - Husna Omran
AU  - Mohammed Raziuddin Shajee
AU  - Ruchir Kumar Bichu
AU  - Abdulrahman M. Barakat
AU  - Jenan Ebrahim Obaid
AU  - Abdulwahab Hamid
AU  - Ahmed Mohamed Badi
AU  - Ali Ibrahim Rahil
AU  - Arshad Muneerudeen
AU  - Joe Varghese Mathew
AU  - Monder Mustafa Jebril Karayem
AU  - Taha M H Abulghasm
AU  - Zubair Anwer
AU  - Adnan Alzanzagi
AU  - Fahd Almalki
AU  - Mohammed Saeed Khan
AU  - Ahmad Alhouti
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/01
JO  - Annals of Hepatology
DO  - 10.1016/j.aohep.2026.102253
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aohep.2026.102253
AB  - 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.
SN  - 1665-2681
SN  - 2659-5982
ER  -