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UAE: Global rising costs may soon deprive majority of healthcare; AI a top solution, say experts
'Economic losses due to illness may cost about $50 trillion to the society', according to one expert
- PUBLISHED: Wed 16 Apr 2025, 1:58 PM
Despite rising life expectancy, access to healthcare is diminishing for much of the global population, particularly as ageing demographics strain existing systems, according to experts. On the second day of Abu Dhabi Global Health Week, experts emphasised that technology remains the key solution.
Health advocates, speaking during a session titled “21st Century Health Systems,” highlighted how the global healthcare landscape is undergoing a major shift.
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With rising costs and a growing shortage of healthcare workers, the burden on care providers is intensifying, Mansoor Al Mansoori, Abu Dhabi Executive Council member and Chairman of the Department of Health said.
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One emerging solution lies in the rise of ‘patient health literacy’, which is improving steadily thanks to advancements in technology. As patients become more informed and empowered, they are increasingly asking complex questions – a development that, while positive, presents new challenges for healthcare professionals.
AI literacy among caregivers
“Healthcare providers are now expected not only to deliver care, but to engage with more educated patients,” Al Mansoori noted. “This shift is pushing the industry toward a new standard, where trust between provider and patient will hinge on technological competence and AI literacy among caregivers.”
He pointed out another critical trend is the need to rethink healthcare’s traditional business models.
Mansoori argued that the roles of insurance companies, pharmaceutical firms, and healthcare providers must be re-evaluated under new governance structures to ensure sustainability and efficiency.
“Globally, disparities in healthcare access will remain a challenge,” Al Mansoori said. “But the most promising solutions will come from technology and artificial intelligence. That’s where international collaboration is key – countries must take initiative, build infrastructure, and scale innovations collectively.”
Echoing this sentiment, Shaista Asif, co-Founder and group CEO of PureHealth, stressed the looming crisis of healthcare inaccessibility and inaffordability, warning that a significant portion of the population may soon be deprived of essential services. Rural populations, aging communities, and the under-insured are increasingly marginalised.
She reinforces the idea that technology — particularly AI — stands as the only viable solution to overcome these mounting challenges.
Asif said, “We're facing a future where the majority of the population will be deprived." There is a need for affordability, and technology will be one of the solutions, she added.
As healthcare costs continue to spiral, from high-cost cancer treatments to unaffordable mental health care, affordability is quickly becoming the need of the hour. Specialists noted that nations with the most advanced care often see the greatest inequality in who can actually access it.
“We see that AI and these new high-tech solutions are not only true for patients’ early diagnosis, finding risks, or treatment alone. We need to have these in building future health systems to have time-sensitive solutions,” said Anahit Avanesyan, Minister of Health, Republic of Armenia.
Economic losses due to illness
Michel Demare, chair of board of AstraZeneca, said, “The biggest risk is really, indeed, the resilience of healthcare systems. As you go back to Covid periods, all the healthcare systems around the world have got extremely fragile financially into this period, and since then, the challenges have kept upon. The fact also we have 3 billion people on the side of individuals with chronic disease, with cancer or rare disease … there's an estimate that this is going to cost about $50 trillion to the society in terms of economic losses due to illness.”
Additionally, experts weighed in on the idea that cross-border cooperation and digital transformation are indispensable to reshaping healthcare systems worldwide.
Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, founder and chairman of Burjeel Holdings, said, “We are integrating technology in a way that enhances, not replaces, the expertise and empathy of our clinicians. Our AI-assisted tools and digital health systems are designed to support care, not overshadow it. We deploy technology to serve patients, not the other way around.
“What sets us apart is our patient-centric vision, which influences every decision we make. From building adaptable infrastructure that can respond to crises, to expanding specialised care into underserved communities, we’re creating a resilient health system that stands ready for the seen and the unforeseen."
Doctors pointed out that a society that prepares for a health span-driven model invests in prevention, early intervention, and lifestyle medicine. One that defaults to the liability model braces for soaring costs, overburdened systems, and social inequity.
Vayalil added, “Our company’s collaboration with Caring Cross to localise CAR-T cell therapies is a powerful example of this philosophy in action. It’s not just about innovation; it’s about ensuring that life-saving treatment reaches those who need it most. Ultimately, future-ready healthcare isn’t defined by the sophistication of tools, but by the strength of response to human needs.”
