DUBAI, (Pakistan Point News - 12th Apr, 2021) Dubai Future Academy, the capacity-building arm of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), has announced the launch of the Future of X, a series of workshops to discuss emerging trends and their impact in vital sectors.
The first session, "Future of Health", hosted prominent health officials, executives, and specialists from the UAE and abroad.
Dr. Maddalena Campioni, Senior Faculty Member at Dubai Future Academy, moderated the workshop. Speakers included Dr. Mohammad Al Redha, Director of the Project Management Office, Informatics and Smart Health at the Dubai Health Authority, Dr. Sameh El Saharty, Program Leader for Human Development at the World Bank, Professor Baron, Director of the London school of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and Othman Chiheb, Product Marketing Lead – Mixed Reality/HoloLens at microsoft.
The participants saw that post COVID-19 era calls for enhanced cooperation between governments and international organisations, as well as building synergies among healthcare sectors. They recommended implementing comprehensive global strategies to help countries develop their healthcare capabilities to improve quality of life.
The experts highlighted the significance of supporting healthcare systems in overcoming the challenges posed by the pandemic through fast-tracking the adoption of advanced technologies and digitisation and providing remote health services in compliance with medical data privacy and security standards.
The speakers stressed the need for proactivity in responding to health crises. This can be achieved by raising public awareness about health and well-being and individual responsibility to follow a healthy lifestyle.
The participants cautioned that the world must prepare for new global health emergencies similar to COVID-19. They also highlighted the importance of assisting innovators, scientists, and researchers in devising new treatment methods and using state-of-the-art technologies to develop precision medicine that enables personalised diagnosis and therapy.
Further recommendations included introducing more flexible healthcare legislation, establishing international open-source frameworks for sharing expertise and data, and upgrading medical facilities in line with the health systems' requirements.
To highlight the objective of the series, Saeed Al Gergawi, Head of Dubai Future Academy, said, "The Future of X seeks to support national and global efforts in designing the future, and to explore the views of leading international specialists on opportunities, challenges and best practices in their fields of expertise. Through our workshops, we aspire to provide a holistic view of the future of humankind that will form our decisions and strategies."
Dr. Al Redha said, "We must focus on innovative thinking to shape the future of our vital sectors, prepare for the next phase, adopt new unconventional ideas, exchange knowledge, experience and best practices among government and private sector entities, and provide funding to advance scientific research and technological innovation."
Dr. Al Redha also addressed the pivotal role of emerging technologies, such as AI, precision medicine, and machine learning, in analysing symptoms, diagnosing diseases, selecting the most appropriate treatment and medication course, and indicating future susceptibility to various conditions. He noted that the healthcare sector's ongoing digital transformation has been instrumental in providing support, especially in emergencies.
For his part, Dr. El Saharty said, "The population in the region is poised to increase significantly during the next decade, especially in major cities, which will aggravate health and environmental issues. Therefore, we must leverage innovation in urban planning that takes into account health and safety requirements and protects community members from risky health behaviours."
In addition, he spoke about designing new global healthcare models with a focus on providing inclusive services to all segments of society, especially children and the elderly, expanding social security, health insurance and pension systems, and engaging young talent.
Professor Piot warned that the world would see more new zoonotic diseases in the coming decades and called for establishing a fast and efficient response system to face such crises. He said that while assessing health risks and planning future mitigation strategies, leaders must also consider other global challenges, such as climate change, illegal wildlife trade, population growth, poverty, war and conflicts, displacement, and food insecurity. He also urged developed countries to cooperate in providing medical aid and equipment to communities in need.
The Dubai Future academy was established in 2017 under the directive of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to equip future leaders with the skills necessary to keep up to date with the latest technology developments and global trends.
