UAE - Mubasher: The UAE has been placed among the top three most positive markets out of the 21 in the global health and well-being index, according to the annual Cigna 360° Well-Being Survey launched by the global health services company Cigna Corporation.

The UAE ranked third in the well-being index after Saudi Arabia, with an overall well-being score of 66.2 points amid the high resilience across five key indices comprising physical, family, social, financial, and work.

The UAE has witnessed a rise in overall well-being scores compared to early 2020 in the latest study in March-April 2021 due to the successful rollout of the vaccination programme.

The seventh annual global study was based on the responses of 18,043 individuals aged 18 and above worldwide and 2,508 in the Middle East. 

The survey showed that the UAE’s health and well-being outlook is stronger than in the global markets, with a decrease in the fear of contracting the pandemic among people from 37% in December 2020 to 22% in March-April 2021.

However, the rankings of individuals, aged 35 – 59 years, on the financial well-being index have decreased to lower than pre-pandemic levels from 57.1 in January 2020 to 55.1 in March-April 2021.

The CEO of Cigna MEA and SEA, Jerome Droesch, said: "The survey shows a positive correlation between vaccination rates and people’s well-being across markets, where the UAE ranks highest globally."

Droesch added: "Yet, there is much work to be done. People have consistently suffered from overwork, which has led a half of the UAE’s working population to consider leaving their jobs. There is a wide gap in the workplace wellness of the country’s citizens and residents, who are among the most stressed in the world."