Towards a National 2030 Strategy to Improve Community Awareness of Gene Therapies in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The study was carried out to demonstrate the level of gene therapy awareness within Saudi society. This would be in the context of the existing cultural and hereditary genetic disorders. The study was done through an online questionnaire in line with the knowledge, attitude, and practice model (KAP). The participants in the survey were from different areas, and the results obtained were analyzed descriptively. The researchers in addition to the SWOT and PESTEL strategic models and the Balanced Scorecard applied participated in the determination of the outcomes that could be linked to the defined targets of the study. The result of this research was the gap of knowledge that was evidently big, with 56% of the participants who are not aware of ’gene therapy’, and the majority of them being the imposition of unreliable media as a source, while the other 68% was for the government implementing the initiatives if the information is accurate. The study promotes the internet-based educational programs that cover the genetics concepts and their applications on several issues, taking into account that it is caused by the absence of a physical example, the constraints of the distance of impact, and self-bias source of information.