World Health Day, marked annually on April 7, serves as an important platform to shed light on pressing health concerns of global significance.
As nations consider the future, it also provides an opportunity to delve into the continued evolution of the healthcare landscape.
The healthcare sector is being propelled by the burgeoning field of medical technology, or MedTech, whose value is projected to reach a staggering $610.2 billion worldwide by 2024 according to Statista Market Insights.
MedTech refers to the technologies and devices used by healthcare systems to diagnose, treat and improve the health of patients.
As technology assumes an increasingly integral role in our daily lives, it has changed not only healthcare delivery but also the perception and management of wellness worldwide.
Here are the tools shaping and changing the health industry:
Robotic surgeries
Robotics and automation are revolutionising various facets of healthcare delivery.
Using technology such as the Da Vinci Robot, surgeons can perform complicated procedures through tiny incisions, resulting in minimal scarring and less invasive surgery.
These systems can enhance surgeons' precision, adaptability, and command over procedures.
Last year, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, a member of the M42 network, collaborated with colleagues from Cleveland Clinic in the US to perform robot-assisted kidney transplants, marking a notable achievement for the healthcare sector in the UAE.
Artificial intelligence
Like many industries globally, the emergence of artificial intelligence is transforming healthcare.
With AI-driven diagnostic tools, detecting diseases is becoming more accurate, faster, and more efficient than ever.
Machine-learning algorithms also help healthcare professionals make informed decisions and improve patient outcomes through analysing vast data sets.
IBM showed the superior speed and efficiency of its AI system when it managed to detect acute myeloid leukaemia from blood samples in under four hours.
This is in contrast with human experts, who require 10 days to reach the same diagnosis.
Dubai diabetes centre GluCare became the first in the Middle East to use AI-assisted ultrasound technology, which improves the diagnosis accuracy of sonographic calcifications of thyroid nodules within a single visit.
Unlike the traditional approach which relies on physicians’ assessment alone, this approach decreases the need for unnecessary procedures by about 50 per cent.
Dr Shanila Laiju, the group chief executive of Medcare hospitals and medical centres, said that AI not only increases the capacity for medical practitioners to care for a larger number of patients simultaneously, but also holds the potential to enhance preventive nature of healthcare.
Telemedicine and telehealth platforms
Telemedicine allows doctors to speak with patients and recommend treatment online, eliminating the need for a drive to the physician's office.
The technology is helping tens of thousands who would otherwise have limited access to medical care because they live in remote locations, lack transportation options, or are unable to walk.
Proximie, founded by Lebanese plastic surgeon Nadine Hachhach-Haram, is a global health tech company that has created an augmented reality platform.
This platform allows surgeons to communicate during an operation by sharing a live video stream, including multiple camera views and medical scans, along with a computer-generated overlay for drawing instructions on the shared screen.
Medcare centres carry out about 54 teleconsultations every day, said Dr Laiju.
3D printing
3D printing technology is driving innovation in patient-specific medical devices, prosthetics, and tissue engineering.
By enabling the rapid prototyping of complex body parts, 3D printing allows customised treatment solutions, enhancing patient comfort and clinical outcomes.
Dubai Health Authority's Primary Healthcare Centre and Rashid Hospital collaborated with 3D printing healthcare start-up Sinterex in 2019 to save the jaw of a 17-year-old girl who had an aggressive tumour.
With the help of digital planning and 3D printing, they created a patient-specific solution that included a surgical guide and titanium implants, demonstrating the importance of 3D printing for complex medical procedures.
The UAE government's portal predicts that the value of 3D-printed medical products, including teeth, bones, organs, devices, and hearing aids, in Dubai will reach $462.9 million by 2025.
Also in 2020, surgeons in Abu Dhabi saved the life of a boy suffering from complex congenital heart abnormalities using a 3D model of his failing organ.
The paediatric cardiac team at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City created a 3D printed model to plan a lengthy and intricate surgery on six-year-old-today Adam Sadlah to correct multiple major malformations.
These technological innovations represent on a glimpse into the transformative potential of technology in healthcare, driving progress towards a future where healthcare is not only more efficient and accessible but also more personalised and effective in safeguarding global health and well-being.
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
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England squad
Joe Root (captain), Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Gary Ballance, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes (vice-captain), Moeen Ali, Liam Dawson, Toby Roland-Jones, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, James Anderson.
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
HAJJAN
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
