The Department of Health in Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the Institute of Healthy Life, has hosted the first edition of the Innovation Forum on Healthy Longevity Medicine.

The event aims to create a transformative impact in the field of healthy longevity sciences and specialized healthcare, as part of efforts to redefine the future of healthcare and ensure that individuals have the opportunity for a long, healthy life.

The forum brought together a distinguished assembly of global experts, policymakers, and leaders in the healthcare sector.

Participants included representatives from the Department of Health, the Abu Dhabi Public Health Center, and members of the Institute's board of directors.

A detailed research session was led by Professor Sharukh Hashmi, Director of Medical Research and Development at the Department.

Notable speakers included Dr. Eric Verdin, President and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging; Professor Andrea Meyer, Co-Director of the Centre for Healthy Longevity at the National University of Singapore; and Professor Evelyn Bieskov, a professor of medicine at Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

They engaged in comprehensive discussions regarding recent discoveries in advanced healthy longevity medicine, digital biomarkers, and precision health practices, paving the way for scientific breakthroughs aimed at improving healthcare outcomes and quality of life for populations in Abu Dhabi and beyond.

A prominent theme that emerged during the forum was the shift from a disease-responsive healthcare model to a proactive approach that emphasizes health and wellness throughout life's span.

Discussions centered on building healthy longevity medicine on scientific foundations based on 'biological aging traits,' focusing on addressing the root causes of age-related decline instead of waiting for diseases to manifest.