Conversation with Health Dept Chairman HE Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori | Middle East & Africa Summit

Core Philosophy & Strategic Vision

• Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DOH) posits that healthcare manages only 20% of health determinants, while 80% derive from external lifestyle factors (air, diet, mental health, sleep, exercise).
• The strategy shifts focus from a reactive "sick care" system to a proactive, intelligent "health" system designed to prevent and personalize care to extend healthy lifespans.
• The vision rests on three pillars: individual health consciousness powered by AI and data; best-in-class service delivery across primary, tertiary, and center-of-excellence levels; and resilience through innovation.

Technological Infrastructure & Data Integration

• Deployment of "Malafi," a unified medical information system connecting 100% of clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies within a single data lake.
• Creation of "population health intelligence" by integrating phenotypic data with municipal information to create a "digital twin" of the population, enabling targeted intervention for specific risk factors (e.g., obesity, cardiovascular disease).
• Launch of the Emirati Genome Program (2019) to sequence one million population members using Oxford Nanopore and Illumina technologies for 30x genomic intelligence.
• The genomic program specifically targets identification of BRCA1/BRCA2 gene mutations and over 1,500 cardiovascular genes to facilitate early prediction and lifestyle intervention.

Workforce & Education Initiatives

• Implementation of a continuous AI training program via Mohammed Bin Zayed University of AI, educating approximately 300–350 doctors and nurses weekly on AI use cases.
• Introduction of licensed health coaches, life science medicine, and exercise coaches to shift public engagement from sick-care to optimization at the population's biological optimum.

Operational Metrics & Evidence-Based Approach

• Adoption of "real-world evidence" frameworks to measure the impact of interventions (medicines, treatments, lifestyle changes) rather than relying on sample sizes.
• Establishment of a dedicated unit under the DOH Chairman to coordinate cross-government initiatives focused on physical activity, diet, and population-wide healthy living.
• Authorization of the world's first licensed longevity clinic to manage health from birth to death with a focus on functional and lifestyle medicine.

Challenges & Implementation Context

• Acknowledgment of systemic friction and struggle as necessary components of innovation and progress within legacy systems.
• Identification of global healthcare challenges including workforce shortages, slow technology adoption, and the rapid rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
• Secured leadership support from UAE presidency (Sheikh Mohammed, Crown Prince) to cascade innovation culture from government to population.

Future Outlook & Personal Insights

• Strategic direction emphasizes personalization and tailoring care to individual biology to reduce long-term interaction with the 20% sick-care sector and increase overall productivity.
• Chairman Al Mansouri advocates a holistic personal health approach encompassing sleep, diet, spiritual well-being, and physical activity.
• The department aims to outperform budget expenditures through long-term productivity gains derived from extended healthy lifespans.