- Abu Dhabi advances a new model of care focused on earlier detection, prevention and population health insight
- Five global finalists selected from 393 submissions across 68 countries
- The finalists will present at the World Health Assembly in Geneva on 19 May 2026
Abu Dhabi, UAE, 08 April 2026: As health systems worldwide face rising pressure from chronic disease, ageing populations and limited access to early detection, Future Health – A Global Initiative by Abu Dhabi has announced five global finalists for the Future Health Challenge, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s role in driving a shift toward anticipatory, data-driven models of care.
Launched by Future Health and delivered in collaboration with MIT Solve, the Challenge attracted 393 submissions from 68 countries, reflecting strong global alignment with Abu Dhabi’s vision for the future of health.
The Future Health Challenge, themed “Building Anticipatory Health Systems through Population Sensing”, was designed to identify solutions that enable earlier detection of health risks, support continuous understanding of population health, and grow and scale prevention-led approaches to good health.
Following a multi-stage evaluation process, including live presentations from ten semi-finalists, five finalists were selected for their ability to translate data into actionable insights and deliver real-world impact across different healthcare settings.
The selected finalists are:
- SOIK Corporation (Japan), SPAQ, a community-led model using AI to detect maternal risk in fragile settings
- Huna (Brazil), Huna Cancer Navigator, applying AI to routine blood data to support early cancer detection and patient engagement
- ThinkMD (Australia), a digital platform enabling better frontline care and generating real-time public health intelligence
- Vector Control Innovations (United States), VectorCam, an AI-enabled mosquito surveillance system supporting predictive response in low-resource settings
- Arkangel AI (Colombia), Unread Signal, software transforming clinical notes into early warning signals across more than 300 hospitals in 11 countries
The finalist teams will present their solutions at a live global pitching session during the World Health Assembly in Geneva on 19 May 2026, where an overall winner and two runner-up teams will be selected. The Challenge will award a USD 200,000 grand prize, alongside two USD 50,000 runner-up awards as well as access to a global network of policymakers, investors and health leaders.
Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, Executive Director of the Health and Life Sciences Sector at the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi, said: “These finalists reflect the direction Abu Dhabi is advancing, a healthcare system that moves beyond treating illness to understanding risk earlier and acting sooner.
She added: “Abu Dhabi is building an integrated, intelligence-led health ecosystem that brings together data, technology and policy to deliver better outcomes for communities. Through Future Health’s year-round programme of activities, we are creating the pathways that connect global innovation to real-world implementation, ensuring that high-potential solutions can be tested, scaled and embedded within health systems.”
Hala Hanna, Executive Director of MIT Solve, said: “The scale and diversity of submissions reflect a shared global momentum to rethink how health systems detect and respond to risk. These finalists demonstrate how locally grounded solutions can translate into real-world impact and inform the future of health systems globally.”
The collaboration with MIT Solve forms part of Future Health’s broader year-round programme of activities, which convenes stakeholders across innovation, policy, and investment to advance collaboration and co-create the future of health. Future Health supports the development and scaling of new approaches to health systems, with additional initiatives and opportunities for global engagement to be introduced throughout the year.
The following semi-finalist teams are also recognised:
- Quantitative Engineering Design / QED.ai (Malawi), ScanForm
- Nabta Health (United Arab Emirates), Sovereign Workforce Health
- eSHIFT Partner Network (Switzerland), FacilityPulse
- The Antara Foundation (India), Anugami
- Environmental Women Organisation (Colombia), Ethnohealth AI
Ten Honourable Mention teams from Nepal, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda, the United States, India, Thailand, Kenya and the United Arab Emirates have also been recognised.
Representatives from semi-finalist and selected Honourable Mention teams will be invited to showcase their innovations at the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit from 20 to 22 October 2026, providing direct access to key decision-makers across the health and life sciences ecosystem.
Images – https://we.tl/t-uLgKL5aMs1ONFmOm
For more information, visit www.futurehealthinitiative.ae
About Future Health – A Global Initiative by Abu Dhabi
Future Health is a government-led initiative by the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.
It serves as a platform for global collaboration and transformative health innovation, anchored around four impact areas, longevity and precision medicine, health systems and sustainability, digital health and AI, and investment in life sciences.
Bringing together researchers, policymakers, healthcare leaders, investors and entrepreneurs from across disciplines and geographies, Future Health is designed to redefine what health systems can deliver for future generations, anywhere in the world.
Future Health collaborates with key partners including M42, PureHealth, the Institute for Healthier Living Abu Dhabi and Mubadala BIO as Founding Partners, Mediclinic as Strategic Partner and Burjeel as Associate Partner.
For more information, visit www.futurehealthinitiative.ae and follow Future Health on social media platforms.
For media inquiries, please contact [email protected]