Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
The UAE will begin issuing personalised genetic risk reports to consenting participants in its national genome programme, which has covered nearly 920,000 people, Minister of Health and Prevention Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh announced on Tuesday.
Participants whose reports identify potential health risks will receive tailored action plans and referrals to their primary care or family doctors for follow-up testing and preventive measures, he said during a panel discussion at the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit 2026.
The initiative marks a shift towards using genetic data to identify individuals at greater risk of developing certain diseases, allowing doctors to intervene earlier rather than relying solely on treatment once an illness develops.
“This is where the future is heading. It's heading towards a personalised approach to each one of us,” the minister said, adding that delivering this approach would require both data and resources as well as new approaches to financing the sector.
Al Sayegh also announced that the UAE is developing a national public health and wellbeing strategy under an initiative called Healthy UAE, which aims to bring healthcare and other sectors together to address the wider factors influencing people's health.
Healthy UAE will focus on prevention across different aspects of daily life, including how people live and work, rather than limiting the response to healthcare services, Al Sayegh explained.
The initiative comes in response to the directives from President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to develop a fully integrated healthcare model that improves the efficiency and sustainability of UAE health services, makes better use of healthcare resources and strengthens the sector’s readiness in line with international best practices and global standards.
