Our Scans · (LF.3) Good Health and Well-being · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

• [New] In Bangladesh, where roughly 17 million people live with some form of disability - a significant portion being visually impaired - the lack of Braille materials in schools and public libraries remains a wall between a talented individual and their potential. The Daily Observer
• [New] AI has particular potentially out-of-this-world transformative potential for the under-pressure healthcare system. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] AI has transformed diagnostics, but 2026 will mark the year healthcare leaders use it to tackle the most pressing operational challenges. Chief Healthcare Executive
• [New] In 2026 we will move from hype to substance when AI clinical agents will not just support clinicians, but force a reset in healthcare. Chief Healthcare Executive
• [New] In 2026, AI - from generative to agentic - will continue to evolve from being used primarily as a cost-cutting tool to increasingly becoming a strategic driver of innovation across the healthcare ecosystem. Chief Healthcare Executive
• [New] In 2026, healthcare will be forced to catch up as a patient-facing AI standard emerges - one that finally makes AI safer than what no-clinical-context LLMs can offer today. Chief Healthcare Executive
• [New] In 2026, AI will become the ultimate empathy engine across industries, not just in healthcare. Chief Healthcare Executive
• [New] In 2026, AI will play a significant role in digital health; streamlining clinical decision-making, freeing clinicians from repetitive tasks and providing more patient-focused care. Digital Health
• [New] The Pre-Series A funding will enable NABTA to accelerate its mission to deliver accessible, evidence-based women's healthcare and to expand its AI-powered hybrid model across the Middle East and Africa. Wamda
• [New] Body fat location, not just body weight, could put nearly 7 in 10 U.S. adults at higher health risk. ScienceDaily
• [New] A large comparative study published online in the open access journal BMJ Global Health has found that even low daily alcohol consumption is linked to a much higher risk of mouth cancer in India. ScienceDaily
• [New] In regions like Southern Europe, the Middle East, and parts of North America, January's unseasonable heat contributed to dangerously high temperatures, resulting in significant health risks for vulnerable populations. Electricity Today T&D Magazine
• [New] Achieving the World Health Organization End TB Strategy targets of a 95% reduction in TB mortality and a 90% reduction in TB incidence worldwide by 2035 remains a daunting task. PubMed
• [New] Treatment options for Multidrug-resistant TB are limited, and MDR-TB remains a public health crisis and a health security threat. Academic Medical Education
• [New] In 2026, cardiovascular care will undergo a major shift toward proactive, digitally enabled management as health systems respond to record cardiac demand and workforce shortages. Digital Health
• [New] In 2026, health and social care will lean more heavily into predictive workforce analytics and will seek AI models grounded in real operational data as leaders take action to deliver transformation, including change demanded by national policies, such as the 10 year health plan. Digital Health
• [New] Approximately 96 million U.S. adults plan to prioritize health, fitness or exercise in the new year. www.fox23.com
• [New] As cesarean delivery rates continue to rise worldwide, experts at NYU Langone Health are highlighting a surgical technique that may help lower the risk of long-term complications. News-Medical
• [New] AI is being used to help monitor for fires in the ACT, instead of exposing people to risk. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• Health inequities account for $320 billion in annual healthcare spending and if left unaddressed, could reach $1 trillion by 2040. Medical Guardian
• 62% of healthcare leaders say GenAI will hold the highest potential value in improving patient engagement. Medical Guardian
• In 2025, patient engagement will continue to be an area of focus for healthcare organizations and technology will play a vital role. Medical Guardian

Last updated: 05 January 2026