Some arguments for establishing a database and bio-bank for the screening of immigrant workers in the United Arab Emirates

This paper proposes a plan to establish a database together with an associated bio-bank on the basis of the regular screenings that expatriate workers have to undergo in order to obtain and renew their visas in the United Arab Emirates. The database should be expandable and will provide a basis for quality control of screenings, and disease and injury surveillance. It will also establish one of the largest cohort studies in the world and provide the infrastructure for extensive epidemiological research.