Latest news with #IbrahimAlJallaf
The National
24-04-2025
- Health
- The National
Digital health and AI empower patients and physicians toward longevity
Artificial intelligence and digital health are playing transformative roles in the way health care is delivered in Abu Dhabi while improving patient care. And as the UAE capital puts itself front and centre of this digital age revolution, Abu Dhabi Global Health Week has again placed that progress in the spotlight. On the sidelines of the second health week, Ibrahim Al Jallaf, executive director of digital health at the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, revealed how Abu Dhabi's embracing of and taking forward the potential impact of AI and digital health was already bringing results. He defined digital health as the application of digital analytics and AI into the healthcare space and said it should complement and build 'on top of the existing system'. While AI is potentially impacting almost every aspect of human life, Mr Al Jallaf said that within the healthcare segment is where the effects could perhaps be felt most potently. 'AI has been there for quite a few years. However, more recently it's spiked in terms of prevalence and use, and that's the real game changer,' he told The National. 'The question that we're being asked quite a bit is how can AI positively impact healthcare. And the biggest benefit we're seeing is on enabling the shift from healthcare to health; how do we improve the healthy average life expectancy of the population?' 'Now, with artificial intelligence, we're starting to see a lot of solutions drive towards that, which is very impactful.' Mr Al Jallaf explained that everything done in digital health anchors on pillars such as whether it will drive a healthy population and improve healthy average life expectancy, improve accessibility or quality of care, and drive a resilient, innovative healthcare system that can handle future shocks, such as Covid, alongside long-term healthcare system sustainability. 'We look globally for advancements, and over the past few years, AI has become a lot more relevant,' he said. 'So where we find success cases and potential for innovation, we bring them to the UAE, and we grow some of them out of the UAE to then drive a healthier population.' Some innovations are experienced daily, while the impact of medical advances may be seen in the long term with better life quality and expectancy. 'The advantage of digital products and artificial intelligence, typically, is in scaling,' Mr Al Jallaf said. 'The opportunity to scale to millions, population-wide, and have scaled impact is where digital products and AI really kicks into gear and becomes extremely powerful. Our priority is the population, and the way to benefit the entire population is through these channels.' He gives the Sahatna app - 'our gateway to health' - as an example, as every Abu Dhabi individual has access. During Abu Dhabi Global Health Week, the DoH revealed Sahatna AI. 'It's a large language model with medical guardrails, fine-tuned for medical responses. It's all in-country, dealt with at the highest levels of patient privacy…connected to Malaffi, your health information exchange, and you can ask anything.' A user can, for example, check what medication they have been prescribed and why, simplifying the process of understanding. 'One of the things in Sahatna we're very passionate about is building out a significant wellness module, with the objective of improving the healthy average life expectancy,' Mr Al Jallaf continued. 'The focus is on the next best action for you as an individual to extend your lifespan. This really becomes your tailored health guide. And we don't just leave it at the patient level. We want to complement the ecosystem.' 'It's brilliant that the population is able to see this - giving a bit more control and oversight over their health care is important.' He explained that Malaffi is connected to all hospitals and clinics, so they all have 360-degree patient health records. 'They can ensure that they take the best care of you…that's incredible impact in action. Now, your physician and you both have the same 360-degree record, giving the patient more control, but also empowering the physician. This connected ecosystem has enabled us to do so much more.' This also better optimises the use of time and resources and can give a patient answers about a health issue without necessarily leaving home for a clinic waiting room, thereby improving care accessibility. 'How do you optimise population and patient experience? This is what we're seeing. And the benefits only increase from here,' said Mr Al Jallaf, expanding on how AI and digital fit in. 'It's a lot of AI-assisted care. We've rolled out numerous AI use cases and digital products to physicians. ' 'We have the patient risk profile, over 14 AI risk models. Each covers the probability of an individual getting a condition, such as diabetes or breast cancer, all based on their entire medical health record. 'In the AI models, there is explainability; if the physician clicks on it, they can see the different visits and lab test results this patient went through and they can then incorporate that into their care plans. 'This is live across 100 per cent of hospitals and clinics in Abu Dhabi, with over 70 per cent of physicians as active users. This is impact…and we're seeing a lot of success cases.' Some of the consequences of earlier work in the digital space are also being felt. Mr Al Jallaf said it will become more 'exponentially evident' but that health officials were already seeing positive changes in population health metrics and quality of care. 'Now the question is, how much further? The Department of Health will always strive to push the bar; the reality is, this is people's health care…the bar is always higher. There is no 'good enough' healthy average life expectancy, no 'good enough' quality of care, so we consistently strive to push the bar.' 'The obsession we have is, how do you drive the right impact? This is where we search the world for impact cases, because we're obsessed with success. 'We want to make sure all the initiatives and projects we do drive an increase in healthy average life expectancy, an increase in best class care, so we have conversations based on what's been successful and what we could do successfully. Which set of projects can we do to drive the highest impact?' Hosting an event such as Abu Dhabi Global Health Week enables collaboration and information sharing to take the broader health agenda forward, said Mr Al Jallaf. 'We consider ourselves one of the globally leading governments in health tech. There are other global health leaders that inspire us, and we leverage opportunities such as Abu Dhabi Global Health Week to spark these conversations. 'The fact that we have some great examples of impact puts us on the table to spark even greater conversations, because they see inspirational stories come out of us, and they bring their own inspirational stories. 'So we're now having conversations that are incredibly impactful because some other global leaders are excited to have a conversation with us, which only sparks further innovation. 'We're constantly looking for the next best innovation to move the needle on.' Mr Al Jallaf said that Abu Dhabi Global Health Week also gave exposure to new apps, AI use cases, and concepts that can be related to the UAE. 'The global perspective from leading AI experts is that healthcare is one of the fundamental sectors that will experience a significant amount of benefit from AI,' he added. 'The level of conversation and the excitement I hear from different leaders in healthcare is very strong. When you tell a leading health expert that they can improve the lives of a million people, the inspiration and the excitement are unlimited.' This page was produced by The National in partnership with Abu Dhabi Global Health Week.
Mid East Info
21-04-2025
- Health
- Mid East Info
Department of Health – Abu Dhabi signs a Memorandum of Understanding with Microsoft to create an AI-powered Population Health Intelligence framework
Abu Dhabi, UAE: Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the emirate, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Microsoft to co-develop an advanced 'Population Health Intelligence' framework – a world's first true learning health system. Signed at Abu Dhabi Global Health Week (ADGHW), the framework aims to create a true learning health system capable of continuously predicting, preventing, and responding to public health challenges. The MoU was signed by H.E. Ibrahim Al Jallaf, Executive Director of Digital Health at DoH and Naim Yazbeck, Country General Manager from Microsoft UAE. Around the world, fragmented data systems and reactive models are failing to meet the rising demands for treating complex chronic conditions. As health systems worldwide focus towards shifting from reactive to predictive models, Abu Dhabi is taking a bold step forward, turning billions of data points into life-changing insights driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced analytics into actionable interventions at the individual and population level. The 'Population Health Intelligence' framework is built on two interconnected pillars: Predict: Establish a digital twin of Abu Dhabi that consolidates clinical, behavioural, environmental and demographic data into a unified view, enabling AI to proactively detect and address health anomalies for early investigation. Prevent and Act: Deploy AI-powered, context-aware recommendations tailored to population, district, and individual levels; simulate the future impact of interventions; and enable coordinated response based on real-time feedback. In line with its commitment to ensuring the highest standards of data protection, DoH guarantees that all patient data will be handled with the utmost confidentiality and security. This initiative adheres to robust privacy regulations, ensuring that sensitive information is safeguarded against unauthorized access and breaches. By embedding intelligence into every layer of the health system, the framework supports Abu Dhabi's objective to shift from reactive care to proactive healthspan for all. Commenting on the announcement, H.E. Ibrahim Al Jallaf said: 'Our mission goes beyond delivering healthcare, we are shaping a new era of longevity, where data, prevention, and innovation come together to empower healthier lives. Through advanced technologies, global collaboration, and bold policy thinking, we are building a resilient health ecosystem that anticipates needs, addresses disparities, and unlocks the full potential of every individual. Abu Dhabi is proud to lead the charge in redefining what health systems can achieve when informed by data-led insights, and driven by purpose.' Through this collaboration, DoH will leverage Microsoft's trusted and secure cloud platforms and AI technologies to span multiple workstreams, including concept and prototype development, value assurance, integration of the framework into Abu Dhabi's existing digital health ecosystem, and knowledge-sharing in the public domain through conferences and global reports. Commenting on the intent of this partnership, Mr. Yazbeck said: 'This collaboration reflects the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and cloud technologies in solving some of the world's most pressing healthcare challenges. By enabling secure, real-time insights across population-level data, we are partnering with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi to build the digital foundations of a more predictive, personalised, and resilient healthcare system. Together, we are driving innovation that places data and intelligence at the heart of proactive care.' The 'Population Health Intelligence' framework will focus on key population health challenges including chronic disease prevention, early detection, and health equity. Reflecting Abu Dhabi's commitment to global impact, DoH will share relevant insights and innovations from this collaboration in the public domain, supporting the development of similar models worldwide. ADGHW is a major government initiative from DoH and serves as a platform for innovation and collaboration under the theme 'Towards Longevity: Redefining Health and Well-being.' It places a strong emphasis on community-driven health and well-being, with a proactive approach centred around preventive, personalised, and holistic care. Four core themes guided discussions and initiatives: Longevity and Precision Health; Health System Resilience & Sustainability; Digital Health & AI; and Investment in Life Sciences. By convening diverse stakeholders from around the world, ADGHW is a community without borders that seeks to advance the future of health and well-being. About Abu Dhabi Global Health Week: Abu Dhabi Global Health Week (ADGHW) is a major government-led initiative by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH). It drives transformative innovation and collaboration under the theme 'Towards Longevity: Redefining Health and Well-being'. ADGHW serves as a year-round 'always-on' platform with a proactive approach centred around preventive, personalised, and holistic care. Held with and for the world, ADGHW is a platform for open, inclusive exchange, and joint action. ADGHW welcomes entrepreneurs, policymakers, researchers, innovators, and investors to transform ideas into action, and collaborate around topics like advancing precision care and building a resilient technology-driven ecosystem. ADGHW 2025 proudly collaborates with key strategic partners, including Foundation Partner, M42 and Global Health and Longevity Champion, PureHealth. Additional exhibitors and sponsors include Burjeel, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Lilly, Microsoft, Novo Nordisk, Viatris, Novartis, Roche, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Deloitte, Gilead, Juvenescence, NYU Abu Dhabi and Pfizer, united in their commitment to advancing the future of healthcare and life sciences.
Zawya
21-04-2025
- Health
- Zawya
UAE: Department of Health, Microsoft to create AI-powered Population Health Intelligence framework
ABU DHABI -- Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Microsoft to co-develop an advanced 'Population Health Intelligence' framework - a world's first true learning health system. The framework aims to create a true learning health system capable of continuously predicting, preventing, and responding to public health challenges. The MoU was signed by Ibrahim Al Jallaf, Executive Director of Digital Health at DoH, and Naim Yazbeck, Country General Manager from Microsoft UAE. Around the world, fragmented data systems and reactive models are failing to meet the rising demands for treating complex chronic conditions. Therefore, Abu Dhabi is taking a bold step forward, turning billions of data points into life-changing insights driven by AI and advanced analytics into actionable interventions at the individual and population level. The 'Population Health Intelligence' framework is built on two interconnected pillars: First is 'Predict' by establishing a digital twin of Abu Dhabi that consolidates clinical, behavioural, environmental and demographic data into a unified view, enabling AI to proactively detect and address health anomalies for early investigation. Second is 'Prevent and Act' by deploying AI-powered, context-aware recommendations tailored to population, district, and individual levels; simulate the future impact of interventions; and enable coordinated response based on real-time feedback. DoH guarantees that all patient data will be handled with the utmost confidentiality and security against any unauthorised access and breaches. Commenting on the announcement, Al Jallaf said, 'Abu Dhabi is proud to lead the charge in redefining what health systems can achieve when informed by data-led insights, and driven by purpose.' Yazbeck stated, 'This collaboration reflects the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and cloud technologies in solving some of the world's most pressing healthcare challenges. By enabling secure, real-time insights across population-level data, we are partnering with the DoH to build the digital foundations of a more predictive, personalised, and resilient healthcare system.' DoH will share relevant insights and innovations from this collaboration in the public domain, supporting the development of similar models worldwide.
Khaleej Times
21-04-2025
- Health
- Khaleej Times
Abu Dhabi's ‘digital twin' to detect, address health crises
In a major leap toward proactive healthcare, Abu Dhabi is building a first-of-its-kind system designed to continuously predict, prevent, and swiftly respond to public health challenges in real time. The Department of Health, Abu Dhabi (DoH) has teamed up with Microsoft to co-develop an advanced 'Population Health Intelligence' framework, to create a digital twin of the emirate, described as the world's first true learning health system. Focus areas The system is set to address key population health challenges, including chronic disease prevention, early detection, and promoting health equity. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. With health systems globally struggling under the weight of fragmented data and reactive care models, Abu Dhabi's initiative marks a shift towards data-led, AI-powered interventions. As nations move from reactive to predictive healthcare, the UAE capital aims to lead the charge by transforming billions of data points into life-saving insights and tailored public health strategies. How it works The Population Health Intelligence framework operates on two main pillars: Predict: A digital twin of Abu Dhabi will be created, integrating clinical, behavioural, environmental, and demographic data into a unified model. AI will use this to proactively identify health anomalies and trigger early interventions. Prevent and act: AI-powered recommendations will be generated at the individual, district, and population levels. These context-aware suggestions will guide healthcare decisions, simulate future outcomes of potential interventions, and enable real-time, coordinated responses. In line with strict data privacy standards, the DoH has assured that all patient data will be managed with the highest levels of confidentiality and security, in compliance with robust privacy regulations. This initiative embeds intelligence into every layer of the health system supporting Abu Dhabi's goal to move from reactive care to a proactive healthspan for all. How data-driven partnerships revolutionize public health Ibrahim Al Jallaf, Executive Director of Digital Health at DoH, emphasised the transformative vision behind the project, said, 'Our mission goes beyond delivering healthcare, we are shaping a new era of longevity, where data, prevention, and innovation come together to empower healthier lives. Through advanced technologies, global collaboration, and bold policy thinking, we are building a resilient health ecosystem that anticipates needs, addresses disparities, and unlocks the full potential of every individual. Abu Dhabi is proud to lead the charge in redefining what health systems can achieve when informed by data-led insights, and driven by purpose.' Microsoft will bring its cloud and AI capabilities to the table, helping DoH build, integrate, and scale the framework within Abu Dhabi's existing digital health ecosystem. The partnership will also fuel knowledge exchange through global reports and conferences, enabling other health systems to adopt similar models. Naim Yazbeck, Country General Manager at Microsoft UAE, said, 'This collaboration reflects the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and cloud technologies in solving some of the world's most pressing healthcare challenges. By enabling secure, real-time insights across population-level data, we are partnering with the Department of Health -- Abu Dhabi to build the digital foundations of a more predictive, personalised, and resilient healthcare system. Together, we are driving innovation that places data and intelligence at the heart of proactive care.'
Al Etihad
21-04-2025
- Health
- Al Etihad
Department of Health, Microsoft to create AI-powered Population Health Intelligence framework
21 Apr 2025 12:24 ABU DHABI (WAM) Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Microsoft to co-develop an advanced 'Population Health Intelligence' framework - a world's first true learning health framework aims to create a true learning health system capable of continuously predicting, preventing, and responding to public health MoU was signed by the Executive Director of Digital Health at DoH, Ibrahim Al Jallaf, and Country General Manager from Microsoft UAE, Naim the world, fragmented data systems and reactive models are failing to meet the rising demands for treating complex chronic conditions. Therefore, Abu Dhabi is taking a bold step forward, turning billions of data points into life-changing insights driven by AI and advanced analytics into actionable interventions at the individual and population level. The 'Population Health Intelligence' framework is built on two interconnected pillars: First is 'Predict' by establishing a digital twin of Abu Dhabi that consolidates clinical, behavioural, environmental, and demographic data into a unified view, enabling AI to proactively detect and address health anomalies for early is 'Prevent and Act' by deploying AI-powered, context-aware recommendations tailored to population, district, and individual levels; simulate the future impact of interventions; and enable coordinated response based on real-time guarantees that all patient data will be handled with the utmost confidentiality and security against any unauthorised access and on the announcement, Al Jallaf said, 'Abu Dhabi is proud to lead the charge in redefining what health systems can achieve when informed by data-led insights, and driven by purpose.'Yazbeck stated, 'This collaboration reflects the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and cloud technologies in solving some of the world's most pressing healthcare challenges. By enabling secure, real-time insights across population-level data, we are partnering with the DoH to build the digital foundations of a more predictive, personalised, and resilient healthcare system.' DoH will share relevant insights and innovations from this collaboration in the public domain, supporting the development of similar models worldwide.
