UAE Government discusses ensuring country's health for next 50 years

Dubai - Ministers have held a variety of meetings about the future of health and medical services.

Upon the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to chart a comprehensive development plan for the next 50 years the UAE Government have held consultation meetings about the future of health and medical services.

The meetings are part of the initiatives of the 50-year Development Plan Committee, led by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, to deliver the future of vital national sectors.

The meetings, which were attended by over 100 ministers and officials from federal and local authorities, discussed the future of the country’s healthcare sector and ways of developing an advanced healthcare system based on providing smart medical services.

Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, stated that the working teams of the ministry intensified their efforts to form a future roadmap for the UAE’s health sector, by predicting relevant global changes, along with involving the community in this process through considering their feedback and propositions on the future of healthcare services.

"The teams identified five key objectives: establishing a healthy and active Emirati community; achieving leadership in the healthcare sector; developing a smart treatment system; shifting from a traditional healthcare model to building a personalised healthcare model; promoting mental health; and developing a preventive healthcare system that considers the development of diseases and pandemics."

He also pointed out that the ministerial plans for the next 50 years are based on launching innovative projects largely focused on the Industry 4.0 and AI, with an emphasis on 24-7 preventive healthcare and smart services without human intervention.

The meetings also discussed ways of consolidating integration and cooperation between federal and local health authorities, to create an integrated government model of comprehensive health services, set to improve the efficiency of the healthcare sector and support the national efforts to prepare for the next 50 years.

The meeting also tackled the direct impact of the health sector on the economy and environment, as well as the country’s achievements, the efforts to increase its competitiveness, and the resulting advancement in global health indexes, including the Prosperity Index.

The meeting’s participants highlighted the importance of updating health legislation and drafting policies and strategies that will keep pace with global developments and future changes, as well as creating comprehensive national health frameworks and adopting best international practices.

• Dubai