Legislation Details
- Full Title: Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases
- Law Type: Federal Law
- Law Number: (14) of 2014
- Issued Date: 20 Nov 2014
- Effective Date: 30 Dec 2014
- Official Gazette: No. 572
- Sector: Healthcare
- Status: Active
- Number of Articles: 99
- Chapters/Parts: 6
- Amendments: 0
Summary
This Federal Law regulates the control and prevention of communicable diseases in the United Arab Emirates. Its purpose is to protect public health by promoting the UAE's strategy for controlling communicable diseases and preventing their spread, while balancing public health requirements with individual rights. The law imposes reporting obligations, control measures, rights and duties of infected persons, inspection powers, and penalties for non-compliance. It is an important piece of legislation for healthcare providers, businesses, and individuals in the UAE to understand and comply with. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 1-3)
What is the scope and purpose of this law?
The law applies to every person residing in the UAE and covers all communicable diseases. Its purpose is to protect public health by promoting the UAE's strategy for controlling communicable diseases and preventing their spread, while balancing public health requirements with individual rights in accordance with international health regulations. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 2-3)
What are the key definitions under this law?
The law provides the following key definitions:
- State: United Arab Emirates
- Ministry: Ministry of Health
- Minister: Minister of Health
- Health Body: Any federal government or local body having competence over health affairs in the UAE
- Concerned Department: Department of Preventive Medicine at the Ministry or the equivalent department in other Health Bodies
- Communicable Disease: An infectious disease resulting from the transmission of a pathogenic agent or its toxic products or secretions either directly or indirectly to another person
- Pathogenic Agent: The agent causing the Communicable Disease
- Carrier of the Pathogenic Agent: A person who has the Pathogenic Agent in their body without showing signs and symptoms of the disease
- Epidemic: A health emergency represented by the emergence of cases of a disease that spread among a population group in a certain geographical area within a certain period at a marked increase from normal expectations
- Contamination: The presence of an infectious agent from the Pathogenic Agents or those causing the Communicable Disease in a body, tool or material
- Disinfection: The utilization of chemical, physical or other approved methods to eliminate the largest proportion of the agents causing the Communicable Disease
- Endemic: A disease which is constantly present in a certain geographic area or population group
- Infected: A person infected with the Pathogenic Agent or its toxic products or secretions, whether or not the signs and symptoms of the disease have appeared
- Suspected: A person concluded to bear the Pathogenic Agent from their medical history or signs that appear on them
- Contact: A person who has been in contact with an Infected or Carrier of the Pathogenic Agent in a manner that enables transmission of infection
- Isolation: The separation of the Infected or Suspected from healthy persons, either willingly or forcibly, for the incubation period of the disease
- Quarantine: The restriction of the activities of healthy people or animals that have been exposed to a Pathogenic Agent during disease spread for a period equivalent to the longest incubation period
- Involuntary Hospitalization: Forcing a patient to stay in a health facility for a certain period to receive prescribed treatment
- Surveillance: The constant inspection of all aspects of the occurrence and spread of Communicable Diseases through data collection, comparison and analysis for public health purposes
- Immunization: Protecting individuals from Communicable Diseases that can be prevented by administration of vaccines, serums or preventive medications
- Facility: A shop, factory, company or any other place where a number of people work
- Health Facility: A Facility where a health activity is practiced regardless of the number of workers
- Voluntary Anonymous Testing: Testing that grants the person strict confidentiality, enabling them to hide their identity when undergoing testing for communicable diseases
(Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 1)
What are the main obligations and requirements?
The law imposes the following key obligations: 1. Physicians, pharmacists, and other medical practitioners in the government and private sectors must immediately notify the relevant body if they become aware of or suspect a person is infected or has died from a communicable disease listed in Group A of Schedule 1. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 4) 2. Adult contacts, supervisors, transport operators, facility managers, and criminal investigators must immediately notify the Ministry or nearest Health Body if they become aware of or suspect a person is infected or has died from a communicable disease listed in Group A of Schedule 1. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 4) 3. The Ministry, Health Bodies, and private health facilities must notify the Concerned Department immediately (within 24 hours) of any discovered infections with communicable diseases listed in Group A of Schedule 1, and within 7 days for diseases listed in Group B. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 5) 4. Any person who becomes aware of or suspects an animal they own or supervise is infected with a communicable disease transmissible to humans (listed in Schedule 3) must immediately inform the governmental veterinary body. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 6)
What communicable disease control measures are specified?
The law outlines several key control measures: 1. The Ministry and Health Bodies must take necessary measures and coordinate with relevant bodies to prevent the spread of and treat patients for outbreaks of diarrhea, abnormal vomiting, suspected food/beverage poisoning, or undiagnosed fever cases. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 7) 2. The Ministry and Health Bodies must establish health units at border crossing points to control and prevent the spread of communicable diseases. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 8) 3. The Ministry and Health Bodies are responsible for surveillance of communicable diseases in all health facilities and other facilities, places and gatherings. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 9) 4. Upon being informed of an infected or suspected person, the Ministry and Health Bodies must take actions including investigation, isolation, testing, and referral for treatment. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 10) 5. The Ministry and Health Bodies can issue decisions for involuntary hospitalization to treat those infected with diseases in Schedule 1 who refuse prescribed treatment. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 11) 6. Managers of educational institutions and other facilities must refer suspected infected persons for examination, isolate or quarantine infected and contact persons, and only allow return of infected persons after meeting conditions prescribed by authorities. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 12) 7. The Ministry and Health Bodies can order disinfection of international transport, quarantine of geographical areas, and disinfection of internal transport, buildings and property to prevent or limit disease spread. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 13) 8. The Ministry and Health Bodies can grant sick leave to infected or suspected persons if their continued activity would prejudice others' health. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 14)
What are the penalties for non-compliance?
The law specifies the following penalties for non-compliance: 1. Imprisonment for a period not exceeding 6 months and/or a fine not exceeding AED 50,000 for any person who fails to report a communicable disease as required under the law. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 36) 2. Imprisonment for a period not exceeding 1 year and/or a fine not exceeding AED 100,000 for any person who fails to comply with a decision of involuntary hospitalization. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 37) 3. Imprisonment for a period not exceeding 6 months and/or a fine not exceeding AED 50,000 for any person who fails to comply with a decision of isolation or quarantine. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 38) 4. Imprisonment for a period not exceeding 1 year and/or a fine not exceeding AED 100,000 for any person who fails to comply with a decision of disinfection or decontamination. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 39) 5. Imprisonment for a period not exceeding 6 months and/or a fine not exceeding AED 50,000 for any person who fails to comply with a decision to grant sick leave. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Art. 40)
How does this law interact with other UAE legislation?
The law references and interacts with the following other UAE federal legislation: - Federal Law No. (1) of 1972 concerning the Competencies of Ministries and Powers of Ministers - Federal Law No. (6) of 1973 on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners - Federal Law No. (7) of 1975 on the Practice of Human Medicine Profession - Federal Law No. (8) of 1980 Regulating Labor Relations - Federal Law No. (27) of 1981 on the protection from Communicable Diseases (which this law repeals) - Federal Law No. (5) of 1984 on the Practice of some Medical Professions by Persons other than Physicians and Pharmacists - Federal Law No. (5) of 1985 promulgating the Civil Transactions Code - Federal Law No. (3) of 1987 promulgating the Penal Code - Federal Law No. (11) of 1992 promulgating the Civil Procedure Code - Federal Law No. (35) of 1992 promulgating the Criminal Procedure Code - Federal Law No. (10) of 2002 on the Practice of Veterinary Profession - Federal Law No. (10) of 2008 on Medical Liability - Federal Law No. (11) of 2008 on Human Resources in the Federal Government - Federal Law No. (8) of 2013 on Protection from Infectious and Epidemiological Livestock Diseases and Control thereof (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Preamble)
When did this law come into effect?
This Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases was issued on 20 November 2014 and came into effect on 30 December 2014, as published in Official Gazette No. 572. (Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases, 2014, Issued Date, Effective Date)
Source Documents
This article analyses Federal Law on Control of Communicable Diseases for legal research and educational purposes. For the purpose of interpretation and application, reference must be made to the original Arabic text. In case of conflict, the Arabic text prevails. This does not constitute legal advice.