Majlis Mohamed bin Zayed lecture explores future of health, wellness

The lecture took place in the Majlis Mohamed bin Zayed venue at Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It was delivered by Lucien Engelen, a global healthcare innovation strategist and expert in digital health.

Engelen began the lecture by asking the audience to consider what would happen if we could "lower the pressure on healthcare, increase the economic return of every dollar spent on healthcare, and create 4 per cent economic growth". He suggested that the world is at an interesting moment in time where such things might happen.

The health expert, said healthcare was all about human interaction, but this was dwindling because of the "staggering" pressure on healthcare caused by fewer people entering the medical profession.

Healthcare was now facing "a plumber's problem," Engelen explained, meaning we wait until there's a problem and then people come to fix it, but meanwhile, the healthcare system is facing constant and increasing pressures. Examining the factors that contribute to people's health and wellbeing, he revealed that traditional healthcare accounts for only 6%, but consumes 90% of budgetary spending. The solution, he said, is to add more 'health', not more 'healthcare.'

He went on to explore the importance of adopting a broader societal approach to health and wellness that goes beyond the current healthcare offerings, and also highlighted the role that technology and AI will play in providing personalised healthcare and ultimately 'personalised health.'

Examples of innovations in this field include self-measurement kiosks that record vital signs, health-monitoring facilities within retail environments, and digital pharmacists that can speak 14 languages. The goal, Engelen explained, is to use this data and technology to predict health conditions and intervene before they happen.

The lecture was moderated by Thekra Al Zaabi, a Research Specialist at the Public Health Research Center, New York University Abu Dhabi. It featured pre-recorded contributions from Ahmed Al Khazraji, Acting Director General, Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre; Laila Al Jassmi, Founder and CEO, Health Beyond Borders; Khawla Hammad, Founder and CEO, Takalam; Tina Wadhwa, Associate Dean of Students, Director of Student Persistence, Well-being and Residential Life, NYU Abu Dhabi; and James Wilcox, Consultant, Sports Medicine and Family Medicine, Specialized Rehabilitation Hospital.

'Wellness in the Future: A Holistic Approach to Healthcare' will be broadcast on Saturday, 2 November at 5pm UAE standard time on UAE's local TV networks and will be available to watch afterwards on the Majlis Mohamed bin Zayed YouTube channel (youtube.com/@MajlisMohamedbinZayed). (ANI/WAM)