World Health Day: UAE universities take lead in early detection, AI tools and cancer research

Dubai: Every three seconds, someone in the world is diagnosed with dementia. Millions more live with conditions that could have been prevented or treated earlier with better access to care.

On World Health Day 2026, research coming out of Abu Dhabi shows how the UAE is stepping up to tackle exactly these challenges, from early disease detection to AI-powered healthcare access.

At the centre of this progress are Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) and New York University Abu Dhabi, where scientists are building tools that could transform how we detect, treat and even understand disease.

One of the most significant breakthroughs comes from MBZUAI, where researchers have developed an AI system capable of predicting Alzheimer’s disease up to 20 years before symptoms appear.

The system, known as MAGNET-AD, identifies subtle biological changes in the brain that traditional methods miss. A companion tool, ClinGRAD, analyses scans, genetic data and medical history together, achieving nearly 99% accuracy in classifying dementia types.

With global dementia cases expected to reach 152 million by 2050, early detection could be life-changing, giving patients and doctors more time to slow progression and plan care.

Another breakthrough focuses on something surprisingly simple: an eye scan.

Researchers at MBZUAI have shown that retinal imaging can detect early signs of diabetes, heart disease and even Alzheimer’s. The retina’s network of blood vessels reflects changes happening across the body, often before symptoms appear.

In a country where diabetes rates are among the highest globally, this kind of non-invasive screening could play a major role in early intervention. It is designed not to replace doctors, but to act as a digital second opinion that catches what might otherwise be missed. 

Access to healthcare is not just about hospitals, it is also about communication.

MBZUAI’s AI Arabic Doctor project is tackling this challenge with a multilingual medical assistant that provides reliable health information in Arabic, English and now Hindi. Built on the BiMediX model, the system can also interpret medical scans and support patient conversations.

With over 140,000 downloads and access via mobile apps and messaging platforms, it is designed to reach underserved communities and provide round-the-clock guidance.

Detecting birth defects early can make a critical difference, but it often depends on the expertise of the person performing the scan.

MBZUAI researchers have developed FetalCLIP, an AI system trained on over 210,000 ultrasound images, making it one of the largest datasets of its kind. It can detect fetal heart defects and provide precise measurements faster and more accurately than traditional methods.

A lighter version has also been created for low-resource settings, helping extend quality prenatal care to more communities worldwide.

In one of the most ambitious projects yet, MBZUAI researchers are building a digital simulation of human biology.

This “AI-driven digital organism” models how genes, proteins and cells behave, allowing scientists to test how drugs might work before they are physically created. The goal is to make drug discovery faster, cheaper and safer.

At NYU Abu Dhabi, researchers are taking a different but equally groundbreaking approach.

Scientists have developed smart molecules that can both detect and treat cancer at the same time. These molecules remain inactive in healthy tissue but activate in tumours, making them visible on MRI scans while simultaneously attacking cancer cells.

Crucially, they can cross the blood-brain barrier, opening new possibilities for treating aggressive brain cancers like glioblastoma, which is an extremely aggressive, fast-growing brain cancer that spreads like tiny roots into healthy tissue, making it very difficult to completely cure or remove.

Areeba Hashmi is a trainee at Gulf News.