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Economic Times
24-06-2025
- Health
- Economic Times
Rewriting the health playbook: How Abu Dhabi is scaling AI and digital care
In April 2025, global health leaders, policymakers, innovators, and researchers convened for Abu Dhabi Global Health Week (ADGHW)—a flagship initiative of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH). Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, the year-round global platform advances transformative solutions across health and life sciences. Health doesn't operate in a silo; it calls for critical thinking and collaboration among practitioners, policymakers, pharmaceutical leaders, researchers, and frontline healthcare workers accelerating shared health ambitions worldwide. ADVERTISEMENT The 2025 theme, 'Towards Longevity: Redefining Health and Well-being,' mirrors ADGHW's ambition: shifting from episodic treatment to continuous, preventive, and personalised care. The promise of digital health and AI One pressing theme that has dominated the public health discourse in the past few years is digital health and artificial intelligence (AI). Advanced technologies are unlocking new frontiers by improving access, enhancing clinical outcomes, and supporting more resilient health systems. From remote monitoring, AI-diagnostics, to telemedicine and predictive analysis, Abu Dhabi is reimagining care pathways to deliver personalised treatment while empowering providers with real-time, data-driven insights. H.E. Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi According to H.E. Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, 'Digital health allows us to tailor care to the needs of each individual while improving access across diverse communities. Whether through telemedicine platforms or data-enabled prevention strategies, our focus is on strengthening system resilience and enhancing patient outcomes.' Abu Dhabi's growing trust-based health data and technical infrastructure presents a fertile ground for innovation. Initiatives such as Malaffi, the region's first Health Information Exchange, and the Emirati Genome Program are central to this vision. While the former facilitates real-time data sharing among care providers, the latter creates a unique dataset to analyse genetic predispositions to build better individual and population-level responses in health management. India's interest in scaling population health genomics (through initiatives such as the Genome India project, which aims to map the genetic diversity of the Indian population) aligns with such frameworks in Abu Dhabi. Data governance, ethical AI usage, and consent frameworks are some of the fronts where cross-border collaboration could be envisioned. ADVERTISEMENT Innovation Through Strategic InitiativesInitiatives announced at ADGHW 2025 reflect Abu Dhabi's role as a global health innovation leader, unveiling a suite of bold new initiatives that move digital health from concept to execution. ADVERTISEMENT Notably, the launch of the Health, Endurance, Longevity, and Medicine (HELM) Cluster—a partnership between the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, and Hub71—signals a bold step toward advancing health life sciences, R&D, and building a robust ecosystem for medical innovation, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and biotechnology. The Startup Zone and Smart Health Hackathon spotlighted emerging innovators tackling real-world health challenges through AI-powered and digital-first approaches. The inaugural ADGHW Innovation Awards were also introduced, recognising breakthroughs that are driving meaningful improvements in patient outcomes, healthcare accessibility, and system efficiency. ADVERTISEMENT A human-centred approach to innovation However, digital transformation in healthcare transcends the technological realm. It must be rooted in the realities of patients and on-ground experiences that have emerged from years of clinical practice. Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, Executive Director of the of the Health Life Sciences Sector at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, underscores its impact; 'The future of health is patient-centred. Technology is a powerful enabler, but the true impact comes when innovations align with human need.'Technologies shown at ADGHW are shifting health towards proactive and predictive models of care, helping individuals manage chronic conditions, while algorithms interpret patient data to identify health risks before they escalate. ADVERTISEMENT Building a future-ready healthcare workforceThe success of this transformation depends equally on human capital. As AI and digital tools become more embedded in health workflows, there is a growing need for skilled professionals who can operate in hybrid, tech-enabled environments. 'Investing in workforce development is key to realising the benefits of digital health,' notes Dr. Rashed Obaid Al Suwaidi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC) . 'Our role is to ensure that future clinicians and allied health professionals are equipped with both clinical and digital competencies, ensuring a seamless integration of innovation into care delivery.'This is true in the context of India as well, as it seeks to upskill its healthcare workforce to adopt emerging technologies. Abu Dhabi's initiatives present a model for India's academic and public-private institutions. The focus is on supporting the development of an AI-trained workforce capable of advancing both diagnostic precision and operational efficiency. Public health, equity, and global collaboration ADGHW 2025 also steered conversations on policy innovation, to drive an actionable agenda across global collaborators. A major milestone was the launch of a Global Declaration on Longevity and Precision Health, outlining an actionable agenda to extend both lifespan and healthspan through international cooperation and innovation, placing longevity at the heart of global health priorities. The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) also signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which focuses on advancing precision medicine and genomics in oncology, rare genetic disorders, and metabolic diseases, leveraging AI and collaborative research to pioneer new treatment pathways. This multi-stakeholder partnership included PureHealth, M42, Illumina, Khalifa University (KU), New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), and the Institute for Healthier Living Abu Dhabi (IHLAD). In a world-first, Abu Dhabi unveiled the AI-powered Population Health Intelligence Framework—a learning health system designed to continuously predict, prevent, and respond to public health challenges through AI and real-time analytics.'Public health must be inclusive, data-informed, and anticipatory,' says H.E. Dr. Rached Obaid Al Suwaidi, Director-General of Abu Dhabi Public Health Center (ADPHC). 'Through ADGHW, we are advocating for integrated approaches that connect population health strategies with emerging digital tools.'This intersection of innovation and inclusion is critical as healthcare systems globally face challenges of scale, access, and sustainability. Through these measures, Abu Dhabi is positioning itself as both a contributor and convener in shaping the global health agenda. Infrastructure for impact Technology alone does not deliver transformation, it must be embedded within systems designed for agility, interoperability, and scale. Ibrahim Al Jallaf, Division Director of Digital Health at DoH, underscores that 'Our focus is on integrating digital health tools into a unified ecosystem. Whether it's through regulatory frameworks, investment incentives, or data platforms, we are building the infrastructure to support sustained impact.'ADGHW also provides the economic foundation for this transformation. By 2045, Abu Dhabi's life sciences sector is projected to contribute over AED 94 billion to GDP and generate more than 30,000 jobs. This economic vision is tightly interlinked with the health innovation agenda, making the Emirate a compelling hub for Indian health tech startups seeking Middle East expansion. From Abu Dhabi to the world As a year-round platform, ADGHW fosters a strategic bridge between global health priorities and local capacity, creating a space where data, expertise, and ambition leaders across government, academia, industry, and civil society, it presents an opportunity to co-create solutions that resonate far beyond borders, enhancing health outcomes not only for individuals but for entire communities and nations. Disclaimer: This content was authored by the content team of the ET Spotlight team. The news and editorial staff of ET had no role in the creation of this article. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (This article is generated and published by ET Spotlight team. You can get in touch with them on etspotlight@
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Rewriting the health playbook: How Abu Dhabi is scaling AI and digital care
In April 2025, global health leaders, policymakers, innovators, and researchers convened for Abu Dhabi Global Health Week (ADGHW)—a flagship initiative of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH). Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, the year-round global platform advances transformative solutions across health and life sciences. Health doesn't operate in a silo; it calls for critical thinking and collaboration among practitioners, policymakers, pharmaceutical leaders, researchers, and frontline healthcare workers accelerating shared health ambitions worldwide. The 2025 theme, 'Towards Longevity: Redefining Health and Well-being,' mirrors ADGHW's ambition: shifting from episodic treatment to continuous, preventive, and personalised care. The promise of digital health and AI One pressing theme that has dominated the public health discourse in the past few years is digital health and artificial intelligence (AI). Advanced technologies are unlocking new frontiers by improving access, enhancing clinical outcomes, and supporting more resilient health systems. From remote monitoring, AI-diagnostics, to telemedicine and predictive analysis, Abu Dhabi is reimagining care pathways to deliver personalised treatment while empowering providers with real-time, data-driven insights. ET Spotlight H.E. Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi According to H.E. Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, 'Digital health allows us to tailor care to the needs of each individual while improving access across diverse communities. Whether through telemedicine platforms or data-enabled prevention strategies, our focus is on strengthening system resilience and enhancing patient outcomes.' Abu Dhabi's growing trust-based health data and technical infrastructure presents a fertile ground for innovation. Initiatives such as Malaffi, the region's first Health Information Exchange, and the Emirati Genome Program are central to this vision. While the former facilitates real-time data sharing among care providers, the latter creates a unique dataset to analyse genetic predispositions to build better individual and population-level responses in health management. Live Events India's interest in scaling population health genomics (through initiatives such as the Genome India project, which aims to map the genetic diversity of the Indian population) aligns with such frameworks in Abu Dhabi. Data governance, ethical AI usage, and consent frameworks are some of the fronts where cross-border collaboration could be envisioned. Innovation Through Strategic Initiatives Initiatives announced at ADGHW 2025 reflect Abu Dhabi's role as a global health innovation leader, unveiling a suite of bold new initiatives that move digital health from concept to execution. Notably, the launch of the Health, Endurance, Longevity, and Medicine (HELM) Cluster—a partnership between the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, and Hub71—signals a bold step toward advancing health life sciences, R&D, and building a robust ecosystem for medical innovation, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and biotechnology. The Startup Zone and Smart Health Hackathon spotlighted emerging innovators tackling real-world health challenges through AI-powered and digital-first approaches. The inaugural ADGHW Innovation Awards were also introduced, recognising breakthroughs that are driving meaningful improvements in patient outcomes, healthcare accessibility, and system efficiency. A human-centred approach to innovation However, digital transformation in healthcare transcends the technological realm. It must be rooted in the realities of patients and on-ground experiences that have emerged from years of clinical practice. Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, Executive Director of the of the Health Life Sciences Sector at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, underscores its impact; 'The future of health is patient-centred. Technology is a powerful enabler, but the true impact comes when innovations align with human need.' Technologies shown at ADGHW are shifting health towards proactive and predictive models of care, helping individuals manage chronic conditions, while algorithms interpret patient data to identify health risks before they escalate. B uilding a future-ready healthcare workforce The success of this transformation depends equally on human capital. As AI and digital tools become more embedded in health workflows, there is a growing need for skilled professionals who can operate in hybrid, tech-enabled environments. 'Investing in workforce development is key to realising the benefits of digital health,' notes Dr. Rashed Obaid Al Suwaidi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC) . 'Our role is to ensure that future clinicians and allied health professionals are equipped with both clinical and digital competencies, ensuring a seamless integration of innovation into care delivery.' This is true in the context of India as well, as it seeks to upskill its healthcare workforce to adopt emerging technologies. Abu Dhabi's initiatives present a model for India's academic and public-private institutions. The focus is on supporting the development of an AI-trained workforce capable of advancing both diagnostic precision and operational efficiency. Public health, equity, and global collaboration ADGHW 2025 also steered conversations on policy innovation, to drive an actionable agenda across global collaborators. A major milestone was the launch of a Global Declaration on Longevity and Precision Health, outlining an actionable agenda to extend both lifespan and healthspan through international cooperation and innovation, placing longevity at the heart of global health priorities. The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) also signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which focuses on advancing precision medicine and genomics in oncology, rare genetic disorders, and metabolic diseases, leveraging AI and collaborative research to pioneer new treatment pathways. This multi-stakeholder partnership included PureHealth, M42, Illumina, Khalifa University (KU), New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), and the Institute for Healthier Living Abu Dhabi (IHLAD). In a world-first, Abu Dhabi unveiled the AI-powered Population Health Intelligence Framework—a learning health system designed to continuously predict, prevent, and respond to public health challenges through AI and real-time analytics. 'Public health must be inclusive, data-informed, and anticipatory,' says H.E. Dr. Rached Obaid Al Suwaidi, Director-General of Abu Dhabi Public Health Center (ADPHC). 'Through ADGHW, we are advocating for integrated approaches that connect population health strategies with emerging digital tools.' This intersection of innovation and inclusion is critical as healthcare systems globally face challenges of scale, access, and sustainability. Through these measures, Abu Dhabi is positioning itself as both a contributor and convener in shaping the global health agenda. Infrastructure for impact Technology alone does not deliver transformation, it must be embedded within systems designed for agility, interoperability, and scale. Ibrahim Al Jallaf, Division Director of Digital Health at DoH, underscores that 'Our focus is on integrating digital health tools into a unified ecosystem. Whether it's through regulatory frameworks, investment incentives, or data platforms, we are building the infrastructure to support sustained impact.' ADGHW also provides the economic foundation for this transformation. By 2045, Abu Dhabi's life sciences sector is projected to contribute over AED 94 billion to GDP and generate more than 30,000 jobs. This economic vision is tightly interlinked with the health innovation agenda, making the Emirate a compelling hub for Indian health tech startups seeking Middle East expansion. From Abu Dhabi to the world As a year-round platform, ADGHW fosters a strategic bridge between global health priorities and local capacity, creating a space where data, expertise, and ambition converge. For leaders across government, academia, industry, and civil society, it presents an opportunity to co-create solutions that resonate far beyond borders, enhancing health outcomes not only for individuals but for entire communities and nations.
Mint
23-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Indias biotech sector grew nearly fivefold in past decade: DBT Secretary
New Delhi, Jun 23 (PTI) India's biotechnology sector has expanded rapidly in the past decade, with its bioeconomy growing from USD 35.5 billion in 2014 to USD 165.7 billion in 2024, according to Rajesh S Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (DBT). He said the sector is now aiming for a USD 300 billion target by 2030, as scientific advances begin to translate into industrial and public health gains. "Biotechnology is no longer a fringe discipline, it's now a strategic driver for India's economic and health priorities," Gokhale said at a press conference highlighting 11 years of DBT's achievements. Among the standout initiatives is GenomeIndia, a nationwide effort to sequence the genomes of 10,000 individuals from 99 population groups, he said. The data, released earlier this year, is expected to inform personalised medicine and help researchers develop diagnostics tailored to Indian populations. Gokhale also highlighted India's first in-human gene therapy trial using a lentiviral vector for Severe Hemophilia A. India's vaccine response, Gokhale said, demonstrated the capacity of the DBT-backed innovation ecosystem. Under "Mission COVID Suraksha", five COVID-19 vaccines developed with DBT support received emergency approvals, including GEMCOVAC-19, the world's first thermostable mRNA vaccine. Other products include the intranasal COVID-19 vaccine and CERVAVAC, India's first indigenous quadrivalent HPV vaccine, now part of the National Immunization Programme, according to document shared at the briefing. Indian scientists contributed to decoding the complex genome of bread wheat, a global staple crop, and published a reference genome with 94 per cent coverage. Other research showed how Mycobacterium tuberculosis can infect liver cells and undermine TB treatment efficacy, while a study on taurine levels suggested amino acid may influence aging. Gokhale said India's biotech startup landscape has changed dramatically, with over 10,000 startups now in the sector, up from a few hundred a decade ago. Over 800 biotech products have emerged in this period. Through BIRAC, DBT has helped set up 95 bio-incubators across 21 states. Infrastructure investments include India's first dedicated biomanufacturing institute in Mohali and vaccine testing labs notified as Central Drug Laboratories. Speed breeding facilities have also been established to accelerate the development of climate-resilient crops. The BioE3 policy, approved by the Cabinet in 2024, is aimed at fostering high-performance biomanufacturing aligned with Net Zero targets.
The Hindu
26-04-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
No phenotype data details in GenomeIndia's proposal call
On January 9, 2025, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) called for proposals on 'Translational research using genomeIndia data' from scientists based in India. On February 20, eight days before the February 28 deadline for submitting proposals, DBT extended the deadline till March 31, 2025. The 10,000 human genome project had collected blood samples and associated phenotype data from over 20,000 individuals representing 83 population groups — 30 tribal and 53 non-tribal populations — spread across India. Of the 20,000 individuals, preliminary findings based on the genetic information of 9,772 individuals were published in the journal Nature Genetics as a Comment on April 8. The Comment article clearly listed the phenotype data collected from over 20,000 people, including height, weight, hip circumference, waist circumference and blood pressure. From blood samples collected, complete blood counts as well as biochemistry data such as glucose measurements, lipid profiles, and liver and kidney function tests were measured and are available along with genome data of 9,772 individuals. Surprisingly, neither the first proposal call nor the addendum extending the deadline for submitting the proposals listed what phenotype data were available to researchers. Even the GenomeIndia website does not have that information. The first time that information became public was when the Comment article was published on April 8. But the deadline for submitting the proposals was March 31. 'The anthropometric and blood biochemistry data were only collected to ensure that the samples covered under the GenomeIndia project were from healthy individuals,' says a DBT spokesperson in an email to The Hindu. 'The GenomeIndia project has not published a data dictionary nor released detailed information on the available phenotype metadata of the genotyped samples in the project. A Commentary in the Nature Genetics journal has been the first and only public communication about the details of phenotype metadata in the project, till date. Even before the publication of this article, DBT has completed a proposal inviting researchers for utilising the GenomeIndia data,' says Dr. Padmanaban V, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at CMC Vellore. Incidentally, the addendum published on February 20 extending the deadline to March 31 noted that DBT had 'received many queries regarding the type of data that will be released'. Despite saying 'relevant phenotype data (as per request)' will be provided under Controlled (Managed) Access, what phenotype data that were available was not provided. 'Despite admitting that there have been many queries related to the data, there still wasn't any information on the list of available phenotypes that researchers can request even in this document,' says Dr. Padmanaban. Also, the Comment piece published in the journal, which is the only place the phenotype data is collected and available, was mentioned, is behind a paywall, thus restricting some researchers from reading it. The spokesperson points out that the One Nation One Subscription scheme will provide access to research articles and journal publications to students, faculty and researchers. However, the One Nation One Subscription scheme currently provides free access to journal papers to researchers and students only from public institutions. While researchers from 20 institutions involved in the GenomeIndia project would be aware of the phenotype data available, others would be unaware of it. 'Researchers who were not part of the GenomeIndia project team did not have information on the available phenotype metadata,' says Dr. Padmanaban. 'Not only GenomeIndia data but any biological data available at IBDC can be accessed by researchers as per provisions in Biotech PRIDE Guidelines and FeED Protocols, which are in harmony with practices followed by international databases,' the spokesperson says.
