Declaration on longevity and precision medicine launched

Under the desert sun and shimmering skyline of Abu Dhabi, something bold and quietly revolutionary took place: a collective of the world's leading minds came together to sign the Declaration on Longevity and Precision Medicine. The setting? Abu Dhabi Global Health Week. The mission? To rewrite the rulebook on how we age, live, and thrive in an era of exponential medical progress.

"This declaration unites global leaders to harness emerging technologies responsibly and deliver the benefits of precision medicine to all," said H.E. Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori, Chairman of the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi. And make no mistake — this isn't just lofty talk. It's a call to arms. One that could tilt the axis of global healthcare for good.

How does it work?

At its heart, the declaration lays out six rock-solid pillars to fast-track the rise of personalized healthcare and longevity science:

• Turbocharge research and innovation in diagnostics, therapeutics, and aging science.
• Build bridges through international collaboration and knowledge-sharing.
• Invest in people by upskilling the health workforce for a genomics- and AI-powered future.
• Shape smart policies that don't just allow innovation — they invite it.
• Hold the ethical line, ensuring new tech doesn't race ahead of human values.
• Talk to the people, because the public deserves to understand and influence where this is all headed.

PwC Middle East called it "a global blueprint" for merging AI, genomics, and personalized care into the daily pulse of medical practice. And with signatories like NYU Abu Dhabi, Illumina, PureHealth, and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, this isn't just another roundtable talk. It's an all-hands-on-deck moment.

Why does it matter?

Here's the rub: while we've gotten good at living longer, we haven't gotten good at living better longer. There's now a ten-year chasm between how long we live and how long we stay healthy — and it's growing.

The World Health Organization projects that by 2050, over 2.1 billion of us will be 60 or older. That's twice today's count. Add to that a booming precision medicine market — expected to more than double to $175 billion by 2030 — and you've got a clear signal: we can't keep doing healthcare the old way.

This matters because the stakes are global, personal, and urgent. If we get it right, we're not just talking about adding years to life — we're talking about adding life to years.

The context

This all unfolds against a backdrop where the UAE isn't just playing catch-up — they're writing the playbook. With the world's first licensed Healthy Longevity Medicine Centre, regulatory frameworks built for innovation, and a booming local market set to hit $32 billion by 2026, the UAE has positioned itself as a heavyweight in this race.

By leading this declaration, Abu Dhabi is planting a flag. It's saying: let's not wait for the future of health. Let's build it. Together.

And as Lina Shadid of PwC aptly put it, "The declaration... accelerates the adoption of life-changing medical innovations worldwide." Not someday. Now.