Future Health – A Global Initiative by Abu Dhabi has released a new whitepaper, co-authored with the McKinsey Health Institute (MHI) and Healthy Living at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, combining new global analysis with Abu Dhabi’s experience as a model of cross-government action to provide a practical blueprint for advancing healthy living at scale.
Released on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81), The Future of Healthy Living: A $16.4 Trillion Opportunity estimates that eliminating behavioural, metabolic and environmental risk factors could generate $16.4 trillion in annual global GDP uplift in 2050, equivalent to 9% of global GDP in that year. The publication comes as governments around the world look to translate the UN Political Declaration on Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, adopted in December 2025, into national action.
The analysis provides new evidence on the health and economic case for investing in healthy living, estimating that addressing these risks could avert 1.5 billion disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2050, equivalent to approximately 47% of projected global disease burden. However, as the publication notes, the opportunity differs considerably between countries, reflecting factors including demographics, dominant health risks and previous progress in reducing risks to health.
H.E. Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of Department of Health – Abu Dhabi said: “As people live longer and the burden of non-communicable diseases continues to rise, the way we think about health must evolve. The future of health cannot be built around treating illness alone, it requires a system that can anticipate risk, intervene earlier, and create the conditions for people to remain healthy throughout their lives.
Drawing on the analysis, the whitepaper sets out a five-step approach for governments: set a clear ambition; identify the greatest health and economic opportunities; design a coordinated portfolio of measures; implement and scale effective measures; and use data and feedback to learn and adapt.
Against this global backdrop, the whitepaper highlights Abu Dhabi’s Healthy Living approach, orchestrating efforts across government, the private sector and communities to embed prevention into the places where people live, learn, work and move—making healthier choices easier in everyday life.
More than 28 initiatives are being implemented across the everyday environments that shape health, including food environments, schools, workplaces, community infrastructure and opportunities for physical activity. Together, these initiatives support Abu Dhabi’s shift from reactive healthcare towards prevention by design, using coordinated, evidence-led action to make healthier choices easier and more accessible.
“In Abu Dhabi, we are progressing from a reactive model of care towards one that is proactive, predictive, and preventive. World-class clinical care remains fundamental, but the ambition extends beyond what happens when someone becomes unwell. It is about looking upstream at the factors driving health and addressing them before they translate into disease”. H.E. Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi continued.
Abu Dhabi’s experience reflects one of the whitepaper’s central findings: many of the conditions that shape health sit beyond traditional healthcare. Previous research from MHI shows that, of the 23 modifiable drivers of health identified in the paper, 19 sit outside the formal healthcare system, strengthening the case for coordinated action across government and society.
The whitepaper highlights tangible examples of this approach across the emirate. Newly launched standards are reshaping the choice environment across physical and digital supermarkets by changing how less healthy food and beverage products are placed and promoted in prominent locations, including entrances, checkouts and end-of-aisle displays. By changing the behavioural architecture around everyday purchases—while keeping all products available—the initiative makes healthier choices easier and more accessible.
This approach extends across other everyday settings. Healthy Living initiatives include responsible food advertising; support for physical activity and nutrition in schools; healthier dining; clearer nutritional information; and community programmes that make it easier for people to be active.
Healthy Living strategy and operations are enabled by a wide variety of data, reflecting the touchpoints with the food environment, physical activity and wellness. Underpinning all of this is a detailed understanding in the health of the population which guides initiative creation and reflects the impact of each targeted intervention. A solid foundation of technology platforms from Malaffi, Sahatna and disease registries manage and enable linking of signals to identify the most pressing challenges to solve.
H.E. Dr. Ahmed AlKhazraji, Executive Director of Healthy Living said: “Healthy Living is about turning people’s healthy intentions into everyday action. By bringing government, businesses and communities together, and using evidence and behavioural science to guide our approach, we are reshaping the environments where people live, learn, work and move so that healthier choices are easier and more accessible. Abu Dhabi’s experience shows that prevention works best when it is designed into everyday life and treated as a shared responsibility.”
Lars Hartenstein, Partner and Director of Longevity at McKinsey Health Institute said: “The opportunity to improve health outcomes at scale has never been greater. Our analysis demonstrates that addressing modifiable risk factors could add years of healthy life while strengthening economic participation and productivity. Achieving that impact will require coordinated action across sectors to address the wider factors that influence health every day, from where people live and work to how they learn and connect.”
Future Health – A Global Initiative by Abu Dhabi shares Abu Dhabi’s experience and convenes governments, healthcare leaders, researchers, innovators and industry through global dialogue focused on supporting longer, healthier lives.
The publication forms part of Future Health’s Abu Dhabi Blueprints, a series examining the future of health through areas of emerging expertise and innovation in Abu Dhabi. The themes explored in the whitepaper will be advanced through Future Health’s programme and at the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit, taking place from 20-22 October 2026.
