GENEVA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2026--
Three global teams developing early detection and real-time population health monitoring solutions have secured a total of USD 300,000 on the sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly. The winning solutions address critical challenges in early detection, continuous population insight and more timely decision making, signalling a shift in health systems from late-stage treatment to earlier intervention.
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Selected from 393 submissions across 68 countries, the winning teams were recognised through the inaugural ‘ Future Health Challenge 2026: Building Anticipatory Health Systems through Population Sensing ’, delivered by Future Health – A Global Initiative by Abu Dhabi in collaboration with MIT Solve.
Health systems globally are facing rising costs and persistent delays in diagnosis, with many conditions still identified only after symptoms become severe. At the same time, access to prevention remains unequal, with underserved communities often facing the greatest barriers to early screening and timely care, as well as reliable health information. The Future Health Challenge focused on solutions designed to detect health risks sooner, monitor population-level data, and support faster decision-making by health authorities.
Five finalist teams presented their solutions to an international audience spanning global health, philanthropy, investment, technology and life sciences, with the judging team awarding prizes to the following teams:
Delivered in collaboration with MIT Solve, the Future Health Challenge is part of Future Health’s year-round programme of activities designed to identify and champion high-potential talent globally, connecting innovators with funding, partnerships and pathways to scale solutions that advance longer, healthier lives.
Dr. Jackie Rabec, Co-Founder of ThinkMD, said: “We are thrilled to be the recipients of this award, and we are excited to be able to use it to scale our impact. Our next stage of growth will be expanding in priority markets across Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda and Somalia, validating our next generation multimodal conversational interface and furthering our self-care product to deliver health intelligence into the hands of citizens.”
Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, Executive Director of the Health and Life Sciences Sector at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi said “Too often, health systems only detect risk once it has become illness, when treatment is more complex and outcomes are worse. Solutions from the Future Health Challenge are designed to identify risk earlier and support more timely decisions at a population level. The priority now is testing and scaling what works in real-world settings.”
Hala Hanna, Executive Director of MIT Solve, said: “The solutions emerging from this Challenge reflect both the urgency and the opportunity facing health systems globally. By bringing innovators together with policymakers, funders and implementers through platforms such as Future Health, we can help accelerate solutions that are locally grounded and capable of delivering impact at scale.”
MIT Solve has more than a decade of experience in delivering global innovation challenges across health, climate, learning and economic prosperity. To date, MIT Solve has mobilised over USD 80 million in funding for innovators worldwide, with supported solutions reaching more than 370 million lives.
The Challenge forms part of Future Health’s purpose to identify and support innovations that improve health outcomes. Beyond prize funding, participating teams will be connected to partners, investors and health authorities to support the next phase of development and adoption.
Representatives from finalist, semi-finalist and selected Honourable Mention teams will also be invited to showcase their innovations at the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit, taking place from 20 to 22 October 2026.
Future Health continues to advance a year-round programme across longevity and precision medicine, intelligent health and AI, health system resilience and sustainability, and investment in life sciences, to empower better health worldwide. The platform will continue to introduce new opportunities for global collaboration and discovery of impactful solutions throughout the year.
For more information about the Future Health Challenge and upcoming programme milestones, visit www.futurehealthinitiative.ae
Future Health Challenge Awards USD 300,000 to Early Detection and Population Health Sensing Tools on Sidelines of World Health Assembly
PARIS (AP) — Their legs don’t move as fast on the red clay. They recover more slowly. But the French public still loves them just as much.
Stan Wawrinka and Gael Monfils have been involved in some of the most memorable matches in recent Roland Garros history. The two veterans are back at the French Open for a final dance at the Grand Slam tournament after announcing they will retire at the end of the season.
Both players have slipped down the rankings. A three-time Grand Slam champion, the 41-year-old Wawrinka won the title in 2015 and is now ranked No. 119. Aged 39, Monfils reached the semifinals in Paris in 2008 and made it to the quarterfinals on three other occasions. He is No. 221 and has received a wild card to play in Paris.
Renowned for his spectacular style of play, fighting spirit and remarkable athleticism, Monfils is a crowd favorite at his home Grand Slam tournament, where, like Wawrinka, he debuted more than 20 years ago. “La Monf” has rarely disappointed his Paris fans, even if he's never matched the feat of Yannick Noah, the last Frenchman to win Roland Garros — in 1983.
“I was not strong enough to win a Grand Slam” Monfils told his fans during a tribute at Roland Garros this week. “But I perhaps won more. I won a career that I'm proud of.”
Since 2005, Monfils has amassed a 40-17 record at the clay-court tournament, which starts Sunday. He faces compatriot Hugo Gaston in the first round
Three years ago, he arrived in Roland Garros coming back from heel surgery, ranked No. 394 and without a Grand Slam match win in more than a year. He battled Sebastian Baez for nearly four hours on Court Philippe Chatrier before beating the Argentine in an epic first-round match.
The script was even more dramatic last year when he recovered from two-sets-to-love down against Hugo Dellien to become the player with the most five-set match victories on the clay courts of Roland Garros (12) in the Open era.
Ukrainian player Elena Svitolina, who married Monfils in 2021, expects her husband to relish his final outing at Roland Garros.
“For him having a French crowd is something that he always dreamed when he was a little kid to play the big matches, to play together,” Svitolina said. “They carry you through the matches. I think for the past years he experienced something amazing. He always remembers that. For him will be a lot of nerves, but I think he already settled (a) little bit down with it. Just going to enjoy and give it his best shot, the last one.”
Wawrinka, nicknamed “Stan the Man,” appeals to the French crowd in many ways. His down-to-earth, no-holds-barred way of speaking immediately resonates with the Parisian public — his native tongue is French — while his immaculate one-handed backhand still captivates the game’s purists.
“I grew up on clay, grew up watching clay-court specialists, I grew up watching Roland Garros dreaming about maybe playing one day. It is part of me,” Wawrinka said in an interview with French Open organizers.
Wawrinka is set for his 21st appearance at Roland Garros. He faces rising French star Arthur Fils, the 17th seed, in the first round.
Wawrinka's stunning 2015 run, when he defeated Novak Djokovic in the final after downing Roger Federer in the quarterfinals, is fondly remembered by tennis aficionados.
“Actually, I didn’t arrive that year confident, entering matches knowing I could win," said Wawrinka, the former world No. 3 who also reached the final in 2017. "On the court, I just stayed in the moment and found my best tennis. It couldn’t have been more special, especially with that level of play against Novak.”
His fans also did not forget the pink-checkered shorts he wore that year.
“It’s just like everybody talk about that shorts,” Wawrinka said after his win. “I quite like them. Apparently I’m the only one. They will be in the museum of Roland Garros. You will see my shorts every day if you want.”
Whether the (in)famous shorts make one final appearance on court this year remains to be seen.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Stan Wawrinka, from Switzerland, returns a ball to Alex Michelsen, of the United States, during a round of 16 match at the Geneva Open tennis tournament in Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)
FILE - Gael Monfils of France plays a forehand return to Dane Sweeny of Australia during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File)
Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland serves a ball during a training session at the ATP 250 Geneva Open tournament, in Geneva, Switzerland, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
