New Zealand to host first-ever country pavilion at Arab Health

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

New Zealand will host its first-ever country pavilion at this year’s Arab Health as regional interest in its world-class wellness and health tech innovations continues to grow. New Zealand’s decision to strengthen its presence at the Middle East’s leading healthcare event follows the success of previous market introductions held during Expo 2020 Dubai.

Led by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), the New Zealand Government’s international economic development agency charged with growing companies internationally, the New Zealand Pavilion will showcase how the country’s healthcare and wellness companies are delivering innovative, people-centred solutions to meet global health needs.

New Zealand’s healthcare system is considered among the best in the world. It is widely recognised as a healthcare industry pioneer with a strong reputation for its innovative approach and utilization of advanced science and technology. In 2021, New Zealand ranked 13th in the Global Health Security (GHS) Index, an assessment and benchmarking of health security and related capabilities across 195 countries.

The global rise of lifestyle-related diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease, pose challenges for future healthcare provision. Governments across the GCC have ambitions to develop world-class healthcare systems to meet these needs, and the industry is expected to attract significant public and private investments, particularly in health tech.

“The rapid transformation of healthcare services in the GCC countries is creating a wealth of opportunities in the health tech, medical devices, and wellness fields that New Zealand exporters are well placed to meet thanks to their fresh thinking, their commitment to putting the patient first, and their ability to think globally from the moment they start innovating.

“New Zealand is a natural partner for the Middle East when it comes to healthcare solutions. Our ecosystem of healthcare and wellness companies is built on strong research capabilities and scientific excellence, combining unconventional thinking with ground-breaking science and technology to develop products and services that change the lives and work of patients and healthcare specialists all over the world,” said Ahmad Zakkout, New Zealand’s Trade Commissioner for the Middle East and Africa, based in Dubai.

Health tech is now New Zealand’s largest and fastest growing tech subsector, employing close to 10,500 people globally. New Zealand health tech companies generated around US$1.82 billion in revenue in 2021, with nearly 91% of these technologies exported – almost double the previous year.[2] The health tech sector exports to more than 120 countries, navigating international regulatory requirements and complex privacy, security, and regulatory hurdles to deliver innovative people-centered solutions that meet global health needs.

At Arab Health, where the focus is on ‘Innovation and Sustainability in Healthcare”, nine New Zealand healthcare and wellness companies will present a diverse range of healthcare solutions including medical devices, software, digital health platforms and natural health products.

Participants include ADInstruments, a company that builds high-quality research software and hardware that equips teams with the power to innovate; health costing experts CBS, whose goal is to improve clients’ operational performance and maximise their funding and revenue opportunities; The Clinician, a health company that digitally informs, monitors and empowers patients along their healthcare journey from the comfort of their own homes; and Emergency Q, a proven software solution that helps hospital emergency departments better manage and control patient volumes.  

Virtual clinic platform provider GoWellHealth will demonstrate how its education, support and patient self-generated information-gathering portal, brings together healthcare providers, patients and their families as one team. Chnnl, the wellbeing governance app for frontline employee wellbeing and data-driven leadership, will also join the speaker line-up at Arab Health’s Innov8 Talks on 1 February.

Representing New Zealand’s medical device and diagnostic innovation at Arab Health 2023 are The Insides® Company, a leading designer and manufacturer of purpose-built chyme reinfusion solutions for patients with intestinal failure; and Toku Eyes, a company focused on developing AI-based tools to provide accessible and inexpensive diagnosis, monitoring and treatment for eye and cardiovascular diseases.