Interview: Mansoor Al Mansoori
What are the key propositions that differentiate Abu Dhabi as a health care destination and an in-cubator of life science innovation?
MANSOOR AL MANSOORI: Our emirate is on the cusp of what we see as the data intelligence revolution – the extensive use of data is allowing us to significantly enhance our health services. A prime example of this is Malaffi, the region’s first health information exchange platform. Through Malaffi, we have established a secure and reliable means to link all of Abu Dhabi’s hospitals to more than 47,000 users from more than 2700 health care facilities on a unified platform. Malaffi now connects 2bn unique medical records from more than 7m patients who have received treatment in Abu Dhabi.
As part of this data intelligence revolution, we have been seeking international partnerships to strengthen our position as a leading health care destination. We are improving local and global research and innovation capabilities in life sciences, digital health and supply chains with key players in the biopharmaceutical industry. These collaborations facilitate knowledge exchange and research, ensuring access to global expertise.
Additionally, Abu Dhabi is home to the world’s biggest genomics programme, which has analysed data from more than 440,000 citizens. The Emirati Genome Programme is already making a tangible impact on local residents and, looking beyond our borders, we see its clear potential as a facilitator for global discovery.
Where do you identify priorities for the develop-ment of health care in Abu Dhabi, and what roles does advanced technology play in this regard?
AL MANSOORI: We have identified several priority areas. Among these are primary care, personalised medicine, mental health, and women’s and children’s health. At DoH, we realise that the future of health care lies in innovation and its implementation. It is important not only to find solutions and technological advance-ments, but also to embed them within our health care system while securing a highly skilled workforce to ensure the longevity and sustainability of the sector.
A good indicator of our commitment to this approach is our artificial intelligence policy, which was developed in 2018. Since then, we have explored and refined clear use cases and accelerated our capabilities in fields such as robotic surgery and genomics, all while enhancing our infrastructure and upskilling our workforce. Abu Dhabi is also committed to precision medicine. Thanks to the extensive use of big data and digital infrastructure – as well as our many international partners – we have made notable strides in this area. We are currently working on developing individualised treatment plans based on a patient’s genetic makeup, capable of reducing adverse reactions and optimising outcomes.
How is DoH supporting start-ups to transform the emirate’s health care sector?
AL MANSOORI: DoH nurtures start-ups. It is our long-held belief that small businesses and start-ups hold the potential to enrich the health care sector with their ingenuity and expertise. By acting as a guide from concept to global expansion, we currently offer our support to over 70 licensed start-ups and engage with more than 450 disruptor companies worldwide. One marker of success here is a 46% increase in local job creation within health start-ups between 2019 and 2022. As we strive to enhance the quality of health care services provided in Abu Dhabi, we have identified primary care as an area that would greatly benefit from investment. We welcome start-ups and partnerships from inter-national collaborators that will allow us to build our primary care offering, while supporting further clinical research and trials within the UAE as a whole.
From genomics to translational research, we are uniquely positioned to act as both an accelerator and a platform for innovation. Together with our partners, we hope to deliver breakthroughs that will benefit patients and communities by the world, for the world.
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