M42 CEO Hasan Jasem Al Nowais Calls for a Global Shift Toward Preventative Healthcare

At the 7th Annual Longevity Forum in London, Hasan Jasem Al Nowais, Managing Director and Group CEO of M42, delivered a keynote urging global leaders to embrace a preventative model of healthcare.

Highlighting the unsustainable burden of the current reactive “sickness model,” Al Nowais framed the challenge as a global crisis requiring collaboration across healthcare, technology, and academic sectors.

“Humanity is facing severe threats to health,” Al Nowais stated, emphasizing that global healthcare spending is projected to reach $10 trillion by 2026. “The message is clear: the future of the world is in healthcare, and the future of healthcare is prevention, and the future of prevention is collaboration.”

Hasan Jasem Al Nowais, Managing Director and Group CEO of M42, delivers his keynote speech at the 7th Annual Longevity Forum in London

AI and Genomics: Cornerstones of Prevention

Al Nowais underscored the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) and genomics in achieving this preventative vision.

“With AI, we’re increasingly able to take vast amounts of data — from patient records, lifestyle factors, and genetic information — and use it to identify high-risk individuals long before symptoms arise.”

He detailed several AI-driven initiatives:

• AI-Powered Chest X-Rays: Utilizing AI algorithms for early detection of tuberculosis, enabling timely intervention.
• AI-Enabled Endoscopic Colon Screening: Algorithms analyze endoscopic images and videos to identify abnormalities, lesions, and potential signs of cancer, helping doctors create personalized treatment plans and remove precancerous polyps.
• Med42: An open-access clinical large language model developed to advance medical research and patient care.

On genomics, Al Nowais hailed it as “the most transformative development in preventative medicine,” pointing to its ability to tailor interventions based on an individual’s unique DNA. He shared a case study of a 36-year-old woman whose genetic testing revealed a BRCA1 gene mutation associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Due to early detection, the patient is now receiving increased monitoring and risk-reducing interventions. “The key here is early detection and diagnosis, and then prevention,” Al Nowais said.

M42’s Global Initiatives in Precision Medicine

Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, M42 is a global health company powered by AI and technology, operating in 26 countries with over 20,000 employees and more than 450 facilities. The company combines data-centric technologies with world-class, human-centric patient care with the goal to transform healthcare delivery.

A key initiative is M42’s Omics Centre of Excellence, the largest outside the United States, which facilitates research and sequencing for the Emirati Genome Programme (EGP) in collaboration with Khalifa University. Joint efforts have led to the collection of almost 600,000 genome samples, advancing the understanding of genetic factors in disease and enabling more personalized preventative care.

A Call for Global Collaboration

Building on technological innovations, Al Nowais emphasized the urgent need for global collaboration to tackle systemic healthcare issues. He highlighted the necessity of working across borders and sectors, uniting efforts to share resources and expertise in areas such as genomics, AI-driven care models, and the modernization of healthcare systems.

Al Nowais also underscored the importance of ensuring that advancements in healthcare are accessible to everyone, irrespective of their location or economic circumstances. He advocated for equitable access to preventative care, framing it as a universal human right and a key to addressing global health disparities.

Al Nowais framed prevention as the essential battleground for addressing rising global health threats. He urged leaders to recognize that the stakes extend beyond national borders:

“Prevention is the battleground where diseases must be fought if we are to have any chance of transforming healthcare and benefiting humanity. I ask you to join the fight!”

As the Longevity Forum explored new technologies and models for healthcare, Al Nowais’s speech served as a rallying cry for global leaders to prioritize prevention, invest in innovation, and work together to create a more sustainable and equitable healthcare future.

Topics: Bioeconomy & Society