Invitation to Register: AI for Health BCS London - 6 Nov 2026

Invitation to Register

AI for Health 2026
Friday 6 November 2026

British Computer Society London Office (near Moorgate Underground)

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) prioritising AI for health is crucial. The WHO also highlights that a healthy diet protects you against many chronic noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Quantum computing is gathering an enormous interest as a new paradigm of computing  (see Quantum for Good at https://quantumforgood.eu/), which is already making an impact across industries like health and life sciences (agriculture, food and health). Classical (or current) AI relies in classical computers based on binary bits (zeros and ones), while quantum AI relies in quantum computers based on quantum bits (qubits). Quantum AI could dramatically accelerate research that requires processing vast amounts of data, contributing to human health by accelerating drug discovery or enabling earlier diagnostics. Quantum AI could be also instrumental in identifying early signs of crop diseases or optimising water use.

AI for Health 2026 will have a morning session about AI for health, and an afternoon session about quantum technologies for health and food, including an introduction to quantum computing. Before lunch break, there will be a hands-on tutorial on low-code AI agents for health, farming, and food. Come along to AI for Health 2026 if you are interested in cutting-edge AI for Health, using latest technologies with a promise of high impact.

A full-day face-to-face event organised by the BCS SGAI with the following agenda:

09.30-10.00 Tea/coffee Welcome
10.00-10.45 Medical diagnosis after LLMs (keynote talk) by Prof Brendan Delaney (Imperial College London)
10.45-11.30 AI in Mental Healthcare by Mr Anirban Lahiri (Arndit Ltd. and Kainos Ltd., UK)
11.30-11.45 Tea/coffee Break
11.45-12.30 Demystifying AI regulation by Dr Marinos Ioannides (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, UK)
12.30-13.15 Hand-on tutorial: Low-Code AI Agents for Health, Farming, and Food
13.15-14.15 Lunch Break
14.15-15.00 Introduction to Quantum Computing and its Relevance for Biomedical Science by Dr Oliver Thomson Brown (University of Edinburgh)
15.00-15.45 Translating Quantum Food Futures by Dr Saihong Li (University of Stirling)
15.45-16.30 Emerging Opportunities for Quantum Technologies in Food and Health by Dr Aleksey Kozikov (Newcastle University)
16.30-16.45 Close

Further details at https://www.bcs-sgai.org/health2026/

There will be Certificates of Attendance for those who register and attend the event.

Registration on Eventbrite (includes refreshment and lunch!)
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ai-for-health-2026-tickets-1990787464898

My source: Dr. Mercedes Arguello Casteleiro (BCS SGAI)

Global Experts call for Paradigm Shift in Medicine, Health and Education to Save Lives and Fight escalating Health Crisis

ACCESS NEWS WIRE – for PRESS RELEASE on Tuesday, 28. April 2026

A global consortium of 64 experts (72 entities, 5 continents) unveiled two coordinated consensus plus policy brief reports, outlining a science‑driven roadmap to confront escalating health crises and to tackle the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs—including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, etc.: 75% of global deaths; 82% in low-/middle income countries; 90% of all death in European region).

The centerpiece is HEAL—Healthy Eating & Active Living, ideally whole‑food plant‑predominant/vegetarian-vegan diets & daily exercise outdoors/active mobility—as the minimum, first‑line standard in health and care. The authors urge immediate action on Prevention-over-Treatment and reforming education and human‑relevant science (drug failure rate from animal studies is 90-95%, and as high as 99.6% for Alzheimer disease), with a rapid shift from disease‑centered reaction to person‑centered, lifestyle‑first cure and care.

Figure 1. HEAL means choosing a whole-food, plant-predominant (ideally vegan) diets coupled with daily exercise outdoors/in nature to kick-start better health. Credit: iStock/LightFieldStudios.

“Sustainable health is for free but cannot be downloaded or prescribed—it must be lived daily and earned across lifetime through informed lifestyle choices, with HEAL as starting point. As childhood-entrenched health literacy lasts a lifetime; embedding HEAL from primary to tertiary education is the policy priority of our generation.” —Lead author Katharina Wirnitzer | PHT, University of Innsbruck & CCCTIM

Foto 2. Katharina Wirnitzer/Keynote on Vegan Diet in Sports. Credit: ©Katharina Wirnitzer.

Why change is imperative.

• The paradox: Despite rising health spending and scientific advances, public health gains lag while ever-growing NCDs. The expert panel offers 101 consensus statements and a 10‑step policy roadmap to act across the lifespan—from individual behavior to population‑level change.

• Why HEAL, and why now: HEAL combines Healthy Eating (whole‑food, plant‑predominant; preferably vegetarian/vegan) with Active Living (regular, ideally daily, including outdoor activity and active mobility). Evidence shows synergistic benefits beyond either alone, reducing reliance on drugs and surgery while improving resilience and sustainability of health systems.

• Prevention-First (3:1): The reports recommend prioritizing prevention, health maintenance, and health promotion over treatment by 3:1 (Figure 3), making healthy choices the easy, first‑line intervention and reserving medicalized treatment for specific indications.

• Education and workforce: Embed HEAL from primary through tertiary education and continuously upskill healthcare and education professionals to deliver evidence‑based lifestyle counseling, routine assessment, and monitoring. Improve meal standards and support active mobility in schools and public spaces.

• Human‑relevant science: Accelerate the transition to non‑animal, human‑relevant methods for basic and preclinical research and for efficacy, safety and toxicity testing through funding priorities, validation, and regulatory adoption.

• Policy roadmap: Apply Health in All Policies (HiAP) to link individual choices with systemic supports (Figure 4); invest in supportive defaults (healthy public catering, active transport, public‑space design, community HEAL programs); embed HEAL in curricula; and track outcomes with robust evaluation to scale what works.

“Every dollar/euro invested in evidence-based prevention saves multiples in treatment. HEAL is the smartest first investment a health system can make.” —Bernd Haditsch | ÖGK – Austrian Health Insurance Fund, Prevention Unit
“Obesity is a disease with powerful drivers. HEAL gives every patient a proven, first-line foundation to reclaim their health.” —Fatima Cody Stanford | Harvard Medical School & MGH
“A doctor who cannot counsel patients on the Power of Lifestyle, especially on food and movement, is only half-equipped. Lifestyle education in medical school is the missing foundation of modern medicine. Helping our patients to eat a more plant-strong diet is the most powerful healing medicine we can prescribe.”
—Michael Klaper | Moving Medicine Forward
„Plant-forward diets provide a powerful opportunity to concurrently improve health and wellbeing for people, farmed animals and the environment.“ —Andrew Knight | Griffith University

Figure 3. Four areas-of-action, balanced 3:1, to achieve lifelong health. Credit: ©Katharina Wirnitzer.

“Given its cost-effectiveness, Traditional, Integrative, and Complementary Medicine will be the evidence-based mainstream of tomorrow’s global healthcare.” —Tomáš Pfeiffer | ITCIM & SANATOR
“Treatment alone will not sustain health systems. HEAL connects prevention, lifestyle medicine and integrative care to advance salutogenesis on a planetary scale. We must invest far more in creating health.” 
—Georg Seifert | WHO CC & CCCTIM, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin

“The science clearly shows that, when it comes to human health, animal protection is a win-win.
Given human health’s complexity, and since animal testing virtually fails to cure human diseases, human-relevant methods already outperform animal experimentation and must therefore be implemented with priority in science, with funds going to human-focused research.
Citizens in the EU and US have spoken clearly in favor of this transition.
HEAL can prevent many diseases, avoiding the need for animal studies altogether.“
—Merel Ritskes-Hoitinga | Universities Aarhus & Utrecht; Doris Wilflingseder | Vetmed Uni Vienna, Aysha Akhtar | Center for Contemporary Sciences, Corina Gericke & Gaby Neumann | Doctors Against Animal Experiments

 

Figure 4. Systemic application of HEAL to reach target groups and improve personal and public health across micro (individuals/families), meso (communities), and macro (state/government/federal policy) levels, ensuring optimal vertical and horizontal permeability and integration. Credit: ©Katharina Wirnitzer.

Key Actions at a Glance.

• Make HEAL the universal starting point and minimum, first‑line prevention standard.

• Implement lifestyle‑first counseling before routine prescriptions.

• Prioritize Prevention-over-Treatment with an 3:1 balance.

• Mandate lifestyle education in schools; embed HEAL across tertiary programs.

• Continuously upskill professionals for evidence‑based lifestyle counseling and monitoring.

• Accelerate adoption of human‑relevant methods to end animal experiments in research, education and regulatory testing.

  
  

Figure 5. The Power of Lifestyle: Start with the dual HEAL approach across 6 interconnected areas to improve health and well-being. Credit: ©ACLM. Graphic modification: ©Katharina Wirnitzer (permission: 24.11.2021).

Contact for further information

Katharina C. Wirnitzer—Professor for Sports Public Health with a special focus on Child Public Health

Email: katharina@wirnitzer.at | Cell: +43 (650) 5901794

University College of Teacher Education Tyrol (PHT), Innsbruck, Austria

New cit.? "Toward a Roadmap for Addressing Today's Health Dilemma - The 101-Statement Consensus Report"

News - this morning brought provisional acceptance of a paper, and hence a potential new citation. I greatly appreciate being involved with this project. So, fingers-crossed even at this late stage ...

Title: Toward a Roadmap for Addressing Today's Health Dilemma -The 101-Statement Consensus Report 

Submitted By: Katharina C. Wirnitzer

Authors: Katharina C. Wirnitzer, Mohamad Motevalli, Derrick Tanous, Clemens Drenowatz, Maximilian Moser, Holger Cramer, Thomas Rosemann, Karl-Heinz Wagner, Andreas Michalsen, Beat Knechtle, Zlatko Fras, Merel Ritskes-Hoitinga, Adilson Marques, Nataša Fidler Mis, Fatima Cody Stanford, Christian Schubert, Nandu Goswami, Claus - Leitzmann, Per Morten Fredriksen, Gerhard Ruedl, Doris Wilflingseder, Rodrigo Antunes Lima, Christian S. Kessler, Michael Jeitler, Naim Akhtar Khan, Hassan Joulaei, Maryam Fatemi, Andrew Knight, Karl W. Kratky, Kara K Palmer, Bernd Haditsch, Bostjan Jakse, Walter Kofler, Tomas Pfeiffer, Kathya Lorena Cordova-Pozo, Patrizia Tortella, Simon Straub, Heidi Lynch, Manuel Schätzer, Anupama Krishnan, Shahnaz Fathima, Lukas Gatterer, Fabian Kriwan, Mittal Abhishek, Hemant Nandgaonkar, Shalaka Nandgaonkar, Abiola O. Adedara, Josep Maria Haro, Corina Gericke, Gaby Neumann, Aysha Akhtar, Amir Rashidlamir, Madan Thangavelu, Ngoumou Gonza, Éva Perpék, Michael Klaper, Bhaswati Bhattacharya, Werner Kirschner, Kathelijne Bessems, Peter Jones, Gregory E Peoples, Raul Bescos, Christina Duftner and Georg Johannes Seifert

Journal: Frontiers in Nutrition, section Food Policy and Economics

Research Topic: Sustainable Approaches to Public Health Via Food Policy Actions

Accepted on: 10 Sept 2025

I will (hopefully) be able to add more details (abstract - - formatted ...) as they become available. 

A Voyage in Cosmic Health ... loneliness

Individual

|

     INTERPERSONAL    :     SCIENCES               

HUMANISTIC --------------------------------------  MECHANISTIC      

SOCIOLOGY  :   POLITICAL 

|

Group

[2] 'Most pressingly, Voyager 1 has severe memory loss It stopped speaking clearly on November 14. All they received at JPL was a carrier signal. This was described to me in many ways: flatlining, an interstellar dial tone, useless ones and zeros, gibberish, no data. Imagine your friend is on a long journey and sends you a detailed letter every day, then, one day, empty envelopes start arriving. What happened to your friend? How do you help?' p.21.

[1] 'VOYAGER 1 SUFFERS MANY AILMENTS OF AGE. It has arthritis. During its planetary encounters, the team excitedly swung the camera and other instruments this way and that; this squeezed the lubricant out of the bearings of its articulated platform. Only painstakingly slow movements could loosen its joints. It also has heart disease, as Todd Barber, its propulsion engineer, explained. The arteries that deliver its propellant, which keeps it perfectly pointed at Earth, are partially clogged. Barber calls himself a space plumber and wore a shirt with flying saucers on it as we spoke in the Voyager office. He had considered all the usual cardiological remedies.  Diet: unfortunately, Voyager eats only the propellant hydrazine, total junk food.  Exercise: they haven't thought of a way to fire the thrusters to clear the blockage.  Medication: so they've relaxed its alignment a bit and fire its thrusters less often; in other words, Voyager is on beta blockers.' p.21.

My source - with thanks - brilliant writing! 

Roeder O. TERMINATION SHOCK. Last Days of a Lonely Interstellar Spacecraft. FT Magazine, August 3/4 2024. pp.18-27. https://www.ft.com/content/0f2dce04-ec78-4aeb-808c-cff5b5135699

https://www.ft.com/content/90b6aaaa-b192-48d9-bd43-e6f41978ad1c

NOT 'Nanny State': Protection & assurance of the quality of nutrition

The Government needs a plan to fix our broken food system and turn the tide on the public health emergency

24 October 2024

The House of Lords Food, Diet and Obesity Committee demands that the Government should develop a comprehensive, integrated long-term new strategy to fix our food system, underpinned by a new legislative framework. This is the key conclusion of the Committee’s report, ‘Recipe for health: a plan to fix our broken food system’.

Chair's comments

Baroness Walmsley, Chair of the Food, Diet and Obesity Committee, said:

“Food should be a pleasure and contribute to our health and wellbeing, but it is making too many people ill. Something must be going wrong if almost two in five children are leaving primary school with overweight or obesity and so many people are finding it hard to feed healthy food to their families. That is why we took a root and branch look at the food system and analysed what had gone wrong over the past few decades.

“Over the last 30 years successive governments have failed to reduce obesity rates, despite hundreds of policy initiatives. This failure is largely due to policies that focused on personal choice and responsibility out of misguided fears of the ‘nanny state’. Both the Government and the food industry must take responsibility for what has gone wrong and take urgent steps to put it right.

“We hope, given the recent comments from the Prime Minister, Lord Darzi and the Secretary of State for Health, that there is now an appetite to shift towards prevention of ill health. We urge the Government to look favourably on our plan to fix our broken food system and accept that not only is it cost-effective, but that it would lead to a lot less human misery.”

[My emphasis] 

About time! Real action please.

DO NOT DILUTE TO TASTE!

individual

|

INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES

humanistic ------------------------------- mechanistic

SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

|

group

Personal responsibility Educational determinants Health literacy My choices Role model Internal - Extrinsic motivation The life chances I am afforded impact my 'health career'.	Environmental/Physical determinants  Ultra Processed Foods Smoking Food & Nutrition Impacts of Obesity Child development Nutritional value of foods
Social determinants public (mental) health information Family economics Social values Sustainable Living	Political determinants 'Nanny State' (political rhetoric) Lobbying - (Food) Industry Business ethics Food poverty Advertising regulation Cost to Government, NHS, Society Security

Spiritual determinants: Values of society, governments, citizens, business . . .

Previously:

Jones P, Wirnitzer K. Hodges’ model: the Sustainable Development Goals and public health – universal health coverage demands a universal framework. BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health 2022;5: https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/5/2/358

'nutrition' on W2tQ

https://x.com/search?q=%40h2cm%20%27nanny%20state%27&src=typed_query&f=live

Gambling?

Salt Awareness Week

Individual

|

      INTERPERSONAL    :     SCIENCES               

HUMANISTIC  --------------------------------------  MECHANISTIC      

 SOCIOLOGY  :    POLITICAL 

|

Group

[My] attention, priorities, beliefs, mindset(s) .. Knowledge Health literacy (All literacies) Choices Decision making Motivation My health: Physical AND Mental Responsible for..?
Culture Lifestyle Friends - Family Dining custom & practice	Food Industry National - Global action Policy - Law Health Economics (Price of foods) Food labelling Impact of Climate Change

My source: Twi/X

Covid-19 survey: our selfcare and its effects

 Tell us about your experience during the Covid-19 pandemic!

Twelve universities in countries across the globe have come together to find out what works – and what doesn’t work – to prevent and treat Covid-19. This research is funded by the National Institute of Health Research in the UK and Antenna Foundation in Switzerland. We have no funding or links with private companies.

We need to learn from your experience!

We are interested in replies from people from all ages, whether you are at low risk or high risk from Covid-19, and whether or not you have had symptoms of Covid-19. Whatever age you are, whether or not you have any long-standing health problem, please complete the questionnaire.

What have you done to prevent yourself from catching Covid-19? Has it worked?

If you became ill, what did you do? Did it work? Whether you have used conventional medication, alternative medicines, herbs, vitamins, special diet, sports activity or no treatment, we are interested in your experience.

For more details and to take part ... 

 

See also (from the survey website link above):

United Kingdom

University of Southampton webpage about the survey.

Switzerland (French-speaking)

Écouter l'interview de Dr. Bertrand Graz au sujet de l'enquête dans l'émission Drôle d'été (RTS, 9 juillet 2020).

Lire l'article publié dans la Revue Médical Suisse.

La fédération des consommateurs de Suisse romande a relayé l'enquête.

L'émission 36.9 a relayé l'enquête sur Facebook (RTS, 13 septembre 2020).

Discussion: "Reflecting on Health, Well-Being and Staying Well"

c/o Josh Bailey, Bailey's Grill

6th February 2020 2pm
30-60 mins plus discussion

Bailey's Grill and Bar CIC
25 Heath Road
Ashton-in-Makerfield
WN4 9HH
United Kingdom

This interactive session will, with the audience, generate a framework to help us individually reflect upon our own health and the health of others, whether family members, or as a health / social care professional.

It might help (not essential) to bring a pen and some paper.

PRIMEtime CE: a multistate life table model for estimating the cost-effectiveness of interventions affecting diet and physical activity

When I saw Adam Brigg's tweet and thread the figure below stood out.

I have modelled some of the concepts using Hodges' model. I have added some additions, flagging gender* to highlight way this and other factors (often) need to be considered in a multicontextual manner.

There is a lot more of course, including the reference list; for example Squires, et al. which pose some interesting questions.

81. Squires H, Chilcott J, Akehurst R, Burr J, Kelly MP. A framework for developing the structure of public health economic models. Value Health. 2016;19:588–601.

Fig. 1 The PRIMEtime CE conceptual model

individual - self

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INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES

humanistic ----------------------------------------------- mechanistic

SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

|

group- population

Interventions over time individual behaviours motivation	model: outputs AGE, GENDER* Active People Survey DIET - PHYSICAL ACTIVITY cardio-vascular disease - heart disease,  stroke, diabetes,  liver disease, cancers, raised blood pressure, cholesterol, and body weight TIME: chronological-pathological PROCESS
PRACTICE behaviours - social over time social care socio -	population health POLICY health economics health care costs social care costs return on investment - economics

My source (and do follow Adam's full-thread):

2/
The first paper is here. It describes the PRIMEtime CE model.

This builds on @Pete_Scarbs and Linda Cobiac's work on the PRIMEtime model (and PRIME before then). My contribution was to add utilities + health & social care costs.https://t.co/B0Fu9uP4ru pic.twitter.com/aGaMcpwIks

— Adam Briggs (@ADMBriggs) July 17, 2019