Roundtable held during UN General Assembly week examined how investment, technology, and new models of care can close the global women’s health gap
NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2026 — Global leaders from healthcare, investment, philanthropy, and government called for greater investment in scalable, integrated models of women’s healthcare at “The $1 Trillion Case for Women’s Health,” a high-level roundtable convened by Burjeel Holdings, a leading super-specialty healthcare services provider in the GCC.
Held on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, the discussion focused on the economic and clinical impact of the global women’s health gap, which the World Economic Forum estimates could exceed $1 trillion annually by 2040 if left unaddressed.
The roundtable, opened with a virtual address from HRH Ambassador Reema Bandar Al-Saud, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States, speaking about the need to take a more comprehensive approach to women’s health.
“It begins with knowledge and prevention,” said Princess Reema in her video address. “It begins with creating an environment where women feel comfortable speaking about their health and asking for the care they need. But today, that conversation has to go much further. We have to invest in women everywhere. Women’s physical and mental health and overall well-being are interconnected, and our approach to care has to be, too. No nation can ask half of its people to contribute to its future and then leave their healthcare to chance.”
Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Chairman, and CEO of Burjeel Holdings, continued the discussion with 23 leaders spanning health systems, investment, philanthropy, and multilateral organizations. He pointed out how Burjeel Holdings’ clinical experience serves as an example of targeted investment in women’s healthcare as a scalable action, already improving the future of women, evidenced by the decline in cervical cancer cases at Burjeel Cancer Institute in the UAE over the past two years.
The Group also previewed collaborative initiatives under development in Saudi Arabia, including an integrated model for women’s health delivery that could be adapted for other markets, including across Africa and the wider Global South.
“Women’s health has been under-researched, underfunded, and too often treated as episodic rather than lifelong,” said Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil during his opening remarks. “Prevention is key, alongside diagnostics, cardiovascular health, cancer, reproductive health, menopause and midlife care, and so much more. Any model implemented needs to be evidence-based, culturally relevant, with trusted, measurable success. Only then will progress be seen.”
Ms. Khadija Rejto, Chair of Global Health at the Atria Research and Global health Institute emphasized this point, sharing, “Investors have long treated women’s health as a niche despite it being one of the fastest growing sectors in the world.”
As conversation continued, participants discussed three critical requirements for closing the women’s health gap: a sustained investment in women’s health systems, broader adoption of technology across care delivery, and new models of care with a demonstrated record of results.
About Burjeel Holdings
Founded in 2007, Burjeel Holdings is a leading super-specialty healthcare services provider in the UAE and Oman, and it operates a growing specialized healthcare segment in Saudi Arabia. The Group operates an integrated and multi-brand healthcare ecosystem across primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary medical care, ensuring complex care delivery to patients across all socioeconomic groups. The network comprises 94 assets across the UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, including 20 hospitals, 44 medical centers and physiotherapy centers, 16 pharmacies, and 14 other allied services. Burjeel Holdings’ brands include Burjeel, Medeor, LLH, Lifecare, Alkalma, and Tajmeel.
SOURCE Burjeel Holdings
