What Will The Future Of Healthcare Look Like?

What Will The Future Of Healthcare Look Like
How long will the health tech boom last? – In 2020, venture funding for health tech innovators passed a record $14 billion dollars. But is this the beginning of a boom or a bubble? Join us as we discuss trends, opportunities, and predictions for the 2021 health tech market and beyond.

COVID-19 has revealed how vulnerable the health care industry is to change and its need for structural and technological transformation. In the future of health, we expect six key areas—data sharing, interoperability, equitable access, empowered consumers, behavior change, and scientific breakthrough—to collectively transform the existing health system from treatment-based reactionary care to prevention and well-being.

The traditional boundaries of the industry will dissolve and new roles will emerge in the future of health as exponential innovation propels the industry towards 2040.
Explore what the future of health could look like—a dramatic transformation driven by new business models, emerging technologies, and highly engaged consumers: To view this video, Fundamental shifts in innovation tend to occur in seven-year cycles.

And while it’s possible to foresee what could happen over the next one or two cycles, looking ahead to 2040 (three cycles from now) will likely reveal a completely different reality than what we can comprehend today. What will emerge in the next 21 years that will dramatically reshape the life sciences and health care industry? By 2040, health care as we know it today will no longer exist.

There will be a fundamental shift from “health care” to “health.” And while disease will never be completely eliminated, through science, data, and technology, we will be able to identify it earlier, intervene proactively, and better understand its progression to help consumers more effectively and actively sustain their well-being.

The future will be focused on wellness and managed by companies that assume new roles to drive value in the transformed health ecosystem. Driven by greater data connectivity; interoperable and open, secure platforms; and increasing consumer engagement, 10 archetypes are likely to emerge and will replace and redefine today’s traditional life sciences and health care roles to power,

Data and platforms: These archetypes will be the foundational infrastructure that form the backbone of tomorrow’s health ecosystem. They will generate the insights for decision making. Everything else will build off of the data and platforms that underpin consumer-driven health. Well-being and care delivery: These archetypes will be the most health-focused of the three groupings, made up of care facilities and health communities—both virtual and physical, and will provide consumer-centric delivery of products, care, wellness and well-being. Care enablement: These archetypes will be connectors, financers, and regulators that help make the industry’s “engine” run.

All three components need to be fully functioning and integrated for the future of health to come to life. Whether it’s just one or several of these archetypes, life sciences and health care organizations need to make choices now to decide which role(s) they want to play in the future.

Critical to this decision is understanding how multiple archetypes could fit together into a cohesive strategy and new business models required for success in the future.
What role will you play in the future of health? These archetypes fall into three distinct, but interconnected, categories.
Explore them below: Fullwidth SCC.

Do not delete! This box/component contains JavaScript that is needed on this page. This message will not be visible when page is activated. : The Future of Health

What is the future of care?

How do you want to redefine healthcare? – Future of Care is a group of young entrepreneurs, clinicians, and scientists bringing technological innovation to medicine. We host an annual, flagship conference as well as year-round networking events to connect different healthcare stakeholders in NYC.

What will the future of digital health look like?

The Future of Digital Health As we enter 2023, experts from BCG and BCG X—BCG’s new tech build and design unit—weigh in on the trends and opportunities they see ahead for digital health care, including the following:

New technologies will continue to improve both clinical and home-based health care.Digital tools will advance health equity by helping companies, payers, and providers reach underserved populations in ways that bridge care gaps and eliminate many geographic barriers.Retailers such as Walgreens and CVS will further develop their health care strategies as alternative-care models and new entrants in the health care space emerge Working with a community of partner companies will be increasingly important, including data, infrastructure, cloud, and device ecosystems as well as networks of providers, payers, and health systems.

We are excited to watch these themes as they emerge, evolve, and, in some cases, consolidate to create meaningful impact for patients, caregivers, and physicians. As we enter 2023, experts from BCG and BCG X—BCG’s new tech build and design unit—weigh in on the trends and opportunities they see ahead for digital health care, including the following:

We are excited to watch these themes as they emerge, evolve, and, in some cases, consolidate to create meaningful impact for patients, caregivers, and physicians. You may also be interested in: What Will The Future Of Healthcare Look Like January 30, 2023 The health care market has focused in recent months on how to, During the pandemic, digital health options led to great opportunities for physicians to reach patients through telemedicine and remote monitoring, and paved the way for new approaches to providing better care.

Unsurprisingly, investments flowed into digital health care as the pandemic spread. They began to slow in the second half of 2022, however, as investors’ focus gradually shifted from exciting new ideas to demonstrated outcomes and evidence, with startups being asked to show value and a business model out of the gate.

Even as the flow of investment into startups decelerated, several nontraditional players made significant moves into the health care market in 2022 (as we anticipated), partnering with traditional players in an effort to create new channels and markets and to advance the new environment.

As we enter 2023, many trends in digital health that the pandemic inspired and spurred on continue to gain traction, but other developments are beginning to play a role as well.
In this latest edition of “,” experts across BCG and —BCG’s new tech build and design unit—delve into what will define the space in the year ahead.

Home-based health care will keep gaining momentum after strong growth in 2022, due in part to the aging baby boomer population and to powerful technological advances—especially as the industry moves toward more “patient-led” delivery. We also expect alternative care models and new entrants in the health care space to emerge (watch for Microsoft and Apple), while retailers such as CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart further develop their health care strategies.

The women’s health arena will continue to attract attention, investment, and innovation in 2023.
We see exciting trends in fertility options, community-based care, and support for the underserved, among others.
Femtech products and solutions (technology that specifically addresses women’s health needs) will grow at a rapid pace, and femtech businesses will compete to develop hybrid, one-stop shops.

Tech advances in general will unlock many new opportunities in digital health. Virtual reality will offer new approaches for treating mental health conditions, and the will embrace more use cases for digital twins in clinical trials, hospital operations, and disease modeling.

We see a push for smarter clinical development, and organizations are already testing ChatGPT, the technology, in developing therapeutic ideas, analyzing medical data, and identifying patterns. We also expect more tech-related advances to focus on reducing consumers’ required out-of-pocket spending for health care.

Meanwhile, digital tools will improve health equity over the coming year by helping to bridge care gaps, expand access, enable more personalized treatment, and eliminate geographic barriers. Mental health services, in particular, will benefit, with more options becoming available to those seeking care.

The focus of digital-health investments will move from top-line growth to profitability, following the number of big bets made in recent years.Pharma IT will become more attractive to companies, given the current need for more comprehensive and industry-specific digital solutions.Strategic investments and M&A in the healthtech arena will increase even as financial investors pull back somewhat.

We are extremely excited about the ongoing evolution of digital health and—given the following developments and trends highlighted by our global team of experts—expect 2023 to be a transformative year. is the tech build & design unit of BCG.Turbocharging BCG’s deep industry and functional expertise, BCG X brings together advanced tech knowledge and ambitious entrepreneurship to help organizations enable innovation at scale.With nearly 3,000 technologists, scientists, programmers, engineers, and human-centered designers located across 80+ cities, BCG X builds and designs platforms and software to address the world’s most important challenges and opportunities.Teaming across our practices, and in close collaboration with our clients, our end-to-end global team unlocks new possibilities.

Together we’re creating the bold and disruptive products, services, and businesses of tomorrow.
Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities.
BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963.

Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholders—empowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact. Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change.

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Why is end of life care?

The goal of end-of-life care is to control pain and other symptoms so the patient can be as comfortable as possible. End-of-life care may include palliative care, supportive care, and hospice care. Also called comfort care.

What matters most in end of life care?

A person-centered approach – Our healthcare system is designed to treat illness and prolong life. But near the end of life, people generally benefit most from care that addresses their mind, body, and spirit. That can mean spending one’s final days at home rather than in a hospital.

It can include having a beloved pet by one’s side. It may mean seeing loved ones, doing a favorite activity, or visiting a special place. We all need to figure out what really matters to us at the end of life. We may also need to find creative ways to help a loved one achieve these desires. Research shows that people who are close to death prioritize the following needs, according to Dr.B.J.

Miller, who gave a renowned TED Talk on what really matters at the end of life:

Comfort Feeling unburdened A sense of peace Feeling wonderment and spirituality

Comfort, for example, can come in many forms, including physical, emotional, and spiritual. Physical comfort can be achieved through proper pain relief and help with personal care. It can come from a gentle touch, therapeutic massage, or the softness of a special blanket.

Emotional comfort can result from sharing thoughts and feelings, receiving support for worries and concerns, and planning for the future.
Spiritual comfort can involve visits from clergy, reading meaningful writings, spending time in nature, or focusing on spiritual objects.
To feel unburdened by worries, regrets, or guilt, people can share their concerns with a trusted loved one, a hospice social worker or spiritual support counselor, or other professional counselor.

Simply talking things through and expressing feelings can bring relief. A counselor may suggest certain actions that can help people unburden themselves. A sense of peace can also be achieved in many ways, depending on the individual. For example, peace can come from reflecting on one’s life, and both appreciating the good and forgiving the mistakes.

A social worker, spiritual counselor, or other trusted person can share in these conversations and offer support. Another way for people to find peace is by ensuring their affairs are in order and their loved ones will be taken care of after their death. Some people may want to write letters to their loved ones to share any final messages and leave a legacy of their love.

A sense of wonderment and spirituality can come from small moments. Sitting in a beautiful garden, hearing a bird singing, smelling cookies baking in the oven, or listening to special music are just a few of the kinds of experiences that can matter at the end of life.

Why is end of life care challenging?

Background – Effective communication is integral to the delivery of goal-concordant care for older adults as they progress throughout their illness to the end of life. Having goals-of-care discussions is one way to achieve goal-concordant care; this is part of the end-of-life communication process, which aims to create a shared understanding of an individual’s goals and values among patients, family members and clinicians,2015;49(6):1070–80 Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2014.12.007,” href=”https://localhost/articles/10.1186/s12904-019-0493-7#ref-CR1″ id=”ref-link-section-d64676384e578″>1 ]. However, evidence suggests that these important conversations occur infrequently for patients and caregivers,2013;173(9):778. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23545563%5Cnhttp://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?doi= https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.180 ” href=”https://localhost/articles/10.1186/s12904-019-0493-7#ref-CR2″ id=”ref-link-section-d64676384e581″>2 ]. For older adults with heart failure and other chronic conditions, the nature of illness underscores the need for earlier communication given the intermittent decline patients and families experience. Chronic heart failure is a progressive illness characterized by an uncertain clinical trajectory, and high risk of morbidity and mortality that affects over 8% of older adults over the age of 75, globally 2011;8(1):30–41. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/ https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2010.165 ” href=”https://localhost/articles/10.1186/s12904-019-0493-7#ref-CR3″ id=”ref-link-section-d64676384e587″>3 ]. Many patients experience interruptions to their quality of life given the high symptom burden such as edema, and fatigue,2002;325:929. Available from: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=130056&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract ” href=”#ref-CR4″ id=”ref-link-section-d64676384e590″>4, 5, 6, 7 ]. In older adults, understanding and management of illness are also challenged by the presence of frailty, multimorbidity, and polypharmacy. In the United States, patients with heart failure have, on average, 5 chronic conditions at a given time 2015;128(1):38–45. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2014.08.024 ” href=”https://localhost/articles/10.1186/s12904-019-0493-7#ref-CR9″ id=”ref-link-section-d64676384e599″>9 ], are prescribed up to an average of 11 medications, and up to 76% of older adults have been reported to be frail,2017;11(5):14. Available from: http://link.springer.com/ https://doi.org/10.1007/s12170-017-0539-4 ” href=”https://localhost/articles/10.1186/s12904-019-0493-7#ref-CR11″ id=”ref-link-section-d64676384e606″>11 ]. Therefore, the complexity of illness poses challenges for clinicians, patients and family caregivers to engage in end-of-life communication all the while highlighting the need for earlier end-of-life communication in older adults with heart failure. There are additional barriers of end-of-life communication in healthcare. At the system level, a lack of integration in clinical care and a lack of interoperability in electronic health records presents challenges for clinicians to collaborate in patient care,2016;176(9):1380. Available from: http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?doi= https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.3212 ” href=”https://localhost/articles/10.1186/s12904-019-0493-7#ref-CR12″ id=”ref-link-section-d64676384e612″>12, 13 ]. At the same time, clinicians lack clarity as to which provider in the patient’s care should engage in end-of-life communication, Despite recommendations from multiple medical associations in cardiology to integrate end-of-life communication early in the illness trajectory 2013;62(16):e147–e239. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2013.05.019 ” href=”#ref-CR16″ id=”ref-link-section-d64676384e621_1″>16, 17, 18 ], cardiologists often assign the responsibility of end-of-life discussions to other disciplines such as palliative medicine and primary care, in part because clinicians feel underprepared to initiate end-of-life discussions, Above all, clinicians have reported patient- and family- related factors to be the most important barriers of end-of-life communication, In a survey of clinicians in cardiology, You and colleagues reported difficulty with accepting prognosis and lack of understanding of end-of-life treatments among patients and family members as the most important barriers of goals-of-care discussions. Other studies have similarly reported lack of understanding of illness and prognosis, misaligned expectations of outcomes, and disagreement about goals of care among patients and caregivers as barriers of end-of-life communication,2017; Available from: HTTPS://AC.ELS-CDN.COM/S0885392417305936/1-S2.0-S0885392417305936-MAIN.PDF?_TID=F7DFA286-CE1A-11E7-B005-00000AAB0F26&ACDNAT=1511200268_8655141C4BB8ABCF197C2B94E2671954 ” href=”#ref-CR22″ id=”ref-link-section-d64676384e640″>22, 23, 24, 25 ]. Nonetheless, the perceptions of engaging in earlier end-of-life communication from the perspective of older adults with serious illness and their family caregivers remain poorly understood. If patient and caregiver- related barriers are the most important barriers, then, their perspectives can yield valuable insights to inform clinical approaches to improve the integration of end-of-life communication in serious illness. To address this gap, this study explores the challenges of end-of-life communication from the perspectives of older adults with heart failure and their family caregivers. This is a sub-study of a larger study that explored patient and caregiver perceptions and understanding of illness, goals of care, and engaging in end-of-life discussions in advanced heart failure.

Will digital replace physical?

Will Digital Replace Physical Showrooms? Augmented reality and digital platforms may augment dealership sales, but experts say they will not replace physical showrooms. IMAGE: Audi In 2019, Mercedes-Benz USA launched a fan experience at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, that used Augmented Reality (AR) to showcase its vehicles.

The experience ushered in what some have predicted could set a trend for automotive sales.
At this virtual “showroom,” sports fans could go on a joyride with Atlanta Falcon players by saying “Hey Mercedes” and let Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) technology handle the rest.
The virtual sports heroes showed consumers how to activate the vehicle’s back massage feature, alter the temperature, play favorite tunes and more.

Another AR display acquainted stadium visitors with the company’s line of electric vehicles. Fans could virtually hang out with an Atlanta Falcon while interacting with cutting-edge technology available in the Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle lineup. Monique Harrison, head of brand experience marketing, reported when the AR experience launched, that “This dazzling reimagining of the fan experience parallels the ever-evolving technological advances of Mercedes-Benz automobiles and offers fans an opportunity to interact with the brand in a fun new way.” Industry veteran Brian Benstock, general manager and vice president of Paragon Honda and Paragon Acura, reports seeing two simulators like the ones described above in an Atlanta mall.

“They had two simulators in a boutique with Mercedes-Benz clothing,” he says. He adds that using VR this way could change dealer showrooms in the future. “If we can combine VR experiences with retail, we will be in a good spot,” he says. He quickly notes leveraging technology will not change the purpose of the dealer showroom but might change how many cars they keep there.

“It would no longer be like stacking cords of wood, where you put in as many cars as you can,” he says. “Instead, you’d have fewer cars and a display that encourages interaction with the content.” Technology like this, he says, might even showcase engineering features.

For instance, visitors might interact with the engineer who designed the crumple zone for the vehicle.
The VR figure might say, “Hi, my name is Brian.
I engineered the crumple zone on this vehicle.
This feature could save your life, let me show you how.” Benstock recalls attending a show where an engineer explained how they designed the seats.

He noted how they explained how they selected the leather, stretched it, and other details. “I wanted to buy one after the presentation,” he says. “The automotive world needs more of this. Instead of saying, ‘Let me get you the best price,’ we’d work with customers to be more experiential and showcase the brand.” Digital and Technology Trends The industry recognizes Rockar for building the first e-commerce car buying platform in the world.

They did so by combining online and offline shopping into a single, seamless journey.
The company brought the showroom to customers with digitally enabled shopping center spaces.
In 2016, the company opened a store with Jaguar Land Rover in Westfield’s Stratford shopping center in Europe.
The store gives customers purchasing options.

They can complete the entire journey online from finding a new vehicle, configuring it to their needs, financing and delivery. Shoppers also can start online and finish in the store or shop in the store and finish online. And they can arrange test drives from shopping center stores, which are staffed by Rocker employees.

Audi Hong Kong opened a similar concept store known as the “Audi Innovative Space” before the pandemic.
The concept store in the Festival Walk shopping mall showcases future digital and technological innovations within an innovative retail experience.
Onsite Audi product specialists guide visitors as they preview future car concepts and create customized cars from over 40 Audi models.

Customers pick their body color, interiors and exterior modifications, then use an immersive AR experience to view every detail of their creation and even take their virtual vehicle for a spin. BYTON Place in Shanghai, China, also uses AR to help customers learn more about its vehicles and what it is like to drive one.

Visitors can even teleconference with the engineers who developed the vehicles to learn more about their inner workings.
The Case for Physical Showrooms The AR and digital tools described above may attract people’s attention, but an impressive physical showroom with high-end amenities can work just as well.

Holman Automotive, for example, one of the largest privately owned dealership groups in the United States, recently opened an all-new, state-of-the-art facility that will be home to Jaguar San Diego and Land Rover San Diego. The dealership offers world-class showrooms and an extensive service center that will deliver an extraordinary experience to customers throughout the region.

“The new Jaguar Land Rover dealership in San Diego is stunning and is an impressive showcase for these two iconic luxury brands,” said Brian Bates, CEO, Holman Automotive in a press release. “Customers can expect the same personalized attention and expertise that Holman is known for, in a spectacular retail environment that embodies the DNA of these distinguished vehicles.” The new 214,000-square-foot facility includes five floors of new and pre-owned vehicles from Jaguar and Land Rover as well as an innovative service center with an indoor service drive, two first-class customer lounges, and ample parking.

The dealership features Jaguar Land Rover’s sophisticated ARCH design styling, highlighted by simple elegance, contemporary colors, and rich wood tones. High-end, beautiful showrooms like the new one at Holman Automotive play into the emotional buying experience consumers’ desire, reports Brady Schmidt, president of National Business Brokers.

Though people have predicted AR and digital retail will replace the need for a showroom, Schmidt says they underestimate “how emotional the car buying experience can be.
It’s far more emotional than it is logical, right? Our senses drive our emotions.
We want to see, touch, hear or smell that vehicle.” He says car sales may become more difficult if dealerships remove those qualities and replace them with a digital experience.

“I’m in the market to buy a Mastercraft boat right now,” he says. “I went on their online portal and it’s a sophisticated portal where you can change almost every detail of that boat to build exactly what you want. I spent hours doing that, but I didn’t decide to buy until I went and saw the boat; sat on the cushions, in the driver’s seat and in the bow area; touched and felt it; and flipped up the engine cover to look at the engine.” The car buying process is similar.

He adds, “I think people enjoy the car buying experience emotionally because they fall in love with a car in the process. They like the new car smell. They like to sit in that car and envision themselves driving it. I get suspicious when people talk about these fabulous digital experiences and a future with a showroom that has one vehicle sitting in it.

You can kind of experience the vehicle this way, but it just doesn’t translate for me.” In short, technology can enhance the vehicle buying experience, but it is unlikely to replace it. Showrooms will remain—at least for the foreseeable future. : Will Digital Replace Physical Showrooms?

What are leading health indicators 2030?

Selection Criteria for Leading Health Indicators – LHIs were selected based on:

Recommendations from the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives for 2030 Recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine LHI Committee Input from subject matter experts and the Federal Interagency Workgroup

As a set, LHIs cover the life span, Based on the selection criteria, all LHIs:

Are core objectives Focus on upstream measures, such as risk factors and behaviors, rather than disease outcomes Address issues of national importance Address high-priority public health issues that have a major impact on public health outcomes Are modifiable in the short term (through evidence-based interventions and strategies to motivate action at the national, state, local, and community level) Address social determinants of health, health disparities, and health equity Have new data available periodically, preferably annually

What does Healthy People 2030 identify?

What is Healthy People 2030? – Healthy People identifies public health priorities to help individuals, organizations, and communities across the United States improve health and well-being. Healthy People 2030, the initiative’s fifth iteration, builds on knowledge gained over the first 4 decades.

What is the biggest health threat of 21st century?

Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Disorders – Dan Chisholm and Nick Banatvala Mental disorders and other noncommunicable diseases—mainly cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory illness—claim many lives prematurely, cause massive ill health, and compromise human and economic development. In 2011, about 15 million people died prematurely (before age 70) from such diseases, 85 percent of them in low- and middle-income countries.

Moreover, 80 percent of the years people live with disability are the result of noncommunicable diseases, especially mental and behavioral disorders.
Yet the associated health problems can be prevented or mitigated.
The mounting burden imposed by noncommunicable diseases and mental health problems has many causes, including aging populations, rapid and unplanned urbanization, and lifestyle choices such as consumption of unhealthful food (partly because of irresponsible marketing and low risk awareness).

Many people suffer from such diseases because of tobacco use and consumption of foods high in salt, fat, and sugar. And in urban areas changes in diet and physical activity, exposure to air pollution, and the widespread availability and consumption of alcohol are contributing factors.

Overwhelmed by such forces, few governments, let alone individuals, are keeping pace with the need for protective measures, such as smoke-free laws; regulations to discourage consumption of bad fats, salt, and sugar; policies to reduce harmful alcohol use; and better urban planning to promote physical activity.

Simply put, the odds are often stacked against good lifestyle choices. Noncommunicable diseases and mental disorders lead to increases in individual and household poverty and hinder social and economic development. About 100 million people in the world fall into poverty every year as a result of paying for health services they need.

In low-resource countries, treatment can quickly drain household resources. Businesses are hurt as well, through diminished labor supply and productivity. An analysis by the World Economic Forum (2008) estimated that Brazil, China, India, South Africa, and Russia—the biggest emerging market economies—lost more than 20 million productive life years to cardiovascular disease alone in 2000, a figure expected to rise by more than 50 percent by 2030.

If prevention efforts remain unchanged, the cumulative global economic losses over the next two decades from noncommunicable diseases and mental disorders could amount to $47 trillion. This exponential rise would hit emerging market economies increasingly hard as they grow (Bloom and others, 2011).

A separate study estimated that the global cost of dementia—which is also expected to rise exponentially—was $604 billion in 2010 (ADI, 2010). Prevention and care for people with these diseases come with a price tag, but a relatively small one compared with the projected costs of inaction. For example, the average yearly cost of implementing the most cost-effective interventions for the prevention and control of cardiovascular disease in all developing economies is estimated at $8 billion a year.

However, the expected return on such an investment—a 10 percent reduction in the mortality rate from coronary artery disease and stroke—would reduce economic losses in low- and middle-income countries by about $25 billion a year (WEF, 2011). Current investments are particularly meager for mental health; many low- and middle-income countries allocate less than 2 percent of their health budget to the treatment and prevention of mental disorders.

As a result, an enormous number of people are not treated for mental disorders—severe or common. Cost-effective, affordable, and feasible interventions include development of strategies to reduce tobacco and alcohol consumption, promotion of good lifestyle choices, measures to reduce dietary salt intake, treatment of common mental disorders in primary care, and management of people at risk for heart attack and stroke.

Together, these efforts could reduce premature death rates from noncommunicable diseases by at least 25 percent at an annual cost of just a few dollars a person. Such efforts call for political commitment, strong multisectoral partnerships, and reorientation of health care systems toward chronic (as opposed to acute) disease prevention and control. ■ Dan Chisholm is Health Systems Adviser and Nick Banatvala is Senior Adviser in the Noncommunicable Disease and Mental Health Cluster of the World Health Organization.

What is going to be a threat to human health?

The world is facing multiple health challenges. These range from outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and diphtheria, increasing reports of drug-resistant pathogens, growing rates of obesity and physical inactivity to the health impacts of environmental pollution and climate change and multiple humanitarian crises.

To address these and other threats, 2019 sees the start of the World Health Organization’s new 5-year strategic plan – the 13th General Programme of Work,
This plan focuses on a triple billion target: ensuring 1 billion more people benefit from access to universal health coverage, 1 billion more people are protected from health emergencies and 1 billion more people enjoy better health and well-being.

Reaching this goal will require addressing the threats to health from a variety of angles. Here are 10 of the many issues that will demand attention from WHO and health partners in 2019. Nine out of ten people breathe polluted air every day. In 2019, air pollution is considered by WHO as the greatest environmental risk to health, Microscopic pollutants in the air can penetrate respiratory and circulatory systems, damaging the lungs, heart and brain, killing 7 million people prematurely every year from diseases such as cancer, stroke, heart and lung disease.

Around 90% of these deaths are in low- and middle-income countries, with high volumes of emissions from industry, transport and agriculture, as well as dirty cookstoves and fuels in homes.
The primary cause of air pollution (burning fossil fuels) is also a major contributor to climate change, which impacts people’s health in different ways.

Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause 250 000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress. In October 2018, WHO held its first ever Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health in Geneva. Countries and organizations made more than 70 commitments to improve air quality. Noncommunicable diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease, are collectively responsible for over 70% of all deaths worldwide, or 41 million people. This includes 15 million people dying prematurely, aged between 30 and 69. Over 85% of these premature deaths are in low- and middle-income countries.

The rise of these diseases has been driven by five major risk factors: tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets and air pollution. These risk factors also exacerbate mental health issues, that may originate from an early age: half of all mental illness begins by the age of 14, but most cases go undetected and untreated – suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-19 year-olds.

Among many things, this year WHO will work with governments to help them meet the global target of reducing physical inactivity by 15% by 2030 – through such actions as implementing the ACTIVE policy toolkit to help get more people being active every day. The world will face another influenza pandemic – the only thing we don’t know is when it will hit and how severe it will be. Global defences are only as effective as the weakest link in any country’s health emergency preparedness and response system. WHO is constantly monitoring the circulation of influenza viruses to detect potential pandemic strains: 153 institutions in 114 countries are involved in global surveillance and response, More than 1.6 billion people (22% of the global population) live in places where protracted crises (through a combination of challenges such as drought, famine, conflict, and population displacement) and weak health services leave them without access to basic care. The development of antibiotics, antivirals and antimalarials are some of modern medicine’s greatest successes. Now, time with these drugs is running out, Antimicrobial resistance – the ability of bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi to resist these medicines – threatens to send us back to a time when we were unable to easily treat infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, gonorrhoea, and salmonellosis.

The inability to prevent infections could seriously compromise surgery and procedures such as chemotherapy.
Resistance to tuberculosis drugs is a formidable obstacle to fighting a disease that causes around 10 million people to fall ill, and 1.6 million to die, every year.
In 2017, around 600 000 cases of tuberculosis were resistant to rifampicin – the most effective first-line drug – and 82% of these people had multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Drug resistance is driven by the overuse of antimicrobials in people, but also in animals, especially those used for food production, as well as in the environment. WHO is working with these sectors to implement a global action plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance by increasing awareness and knowledge, reducing infection, and encouraging prudent use of antimicrobials. In 2018, the Democratic Republic of the Congo saw two separate Ebola outbreaks, both of which spread to cities of more than 1 million people. One of the affected provinces is also in an active conflict zone, This shows that the context in which an epidemic of a high-threat pathogen like Ebola erupts is critical – what happened in rural outbreaks in the past doesn’t always apply to densely populated urban areas or conflict-affected areas.

At a conference on Preparedness for Public Health Emergencies held last December, participants from the public health, animal health, transport and tourism sectors focussed on the growing challenges of tackling outbreaks and health emergencies in urban areas,
They called for WHO and partners to designate 2019 as a “Year of action on preparedness for health emergencies”.

WHO’s R&D Blueprint identifies diseases and pathogens that have potential to cause a public health emergency but lack effective treatments and vaccines. This watchlist for priority research and development includes Ebola, several other haemorrhagic fevers, Zika, Nipah, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and disease X, which represents the need to prepare for an unknown pathogen that could cause a serious epidemic. Primary health care is usually the first point of contact people have with their health care system, and ideally should provide comprehensive, affordable, community-based care throughout life. Primary health care can meet the majority of a person’s health needs of the course of their life.

Health systems with strong primary health care are needed to achieve universal health coverage. Yet many countries do not have adequate primary health care facilities. This neglect may be a lack of resources in low- or middle-income countries, but possibly also a focus in the past few decades on single disease programmes.

In October 2018, WHO co-hosted a major global conference in Astana, Kazakhstan at which all countries committed to renew the commitment to primary health care made in the Alma-Ata declaration in 1978. In 2019, WHO will work with partners to revitalize and strengthen primary health care in countries, and follow up on specific commitments made by in the Astana Declaration, Vaccine hesitancy – the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines – threatens to reverse progress made in tackling vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective ways of avoiding disease – it currently prevents 2-3 million deaths a year, and a further 1.5 million could be avoided if global coverage of vaccinations improved.

Measles, for example, has seen a 30% increase in cases globally. The reasons for this rise are complex, and not all of these cases are due to vaccine hesitancy. However, some countries that were close to eliminating the disease have seen a resurgence. The reasons why people choose not to vaccinate are complex; a vaccines advisory group to WHO identified complacency, inconvenience in accessing vaccines, and lack of confidence are key reasons underlying hesitancy.

Health workers, especially those in communities, remain the most trusted advisor and influencer of vaccination decisions, and they must be supported to provide trusted, credible information on vaccines. In 2019, WHO will ramp up work to eliminate cervical cancer worldwide by increasing coverage of the HPV vaccine, among other interventions.2019 may also be the year when transmission of wild poliovirus is stopped in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Dengue, a mosquito-borne disease that causes flu-like symptoms and can be lethal and kill up to 20% of those with severe dengue, has been a growing threat for decades. A high number of cases occur in the rainy seasons of countries such as Bangladesh and India.

Now, its season in these countries is lengthening significantly (in 2018, Bangladesh saw the highest number of deaths in almost two decades), and the disease is spreading to less tropical and more temperate countries such as Nepal, that have not traditionally seen the disease. An estimated 40% of the world is at risk of dengue fever, and there are around 390 million infections a year.

WHO’s Dengue control strategy aims to reduce deaths by 50% by 2020. The progress made against HIV has been enormous in terms of getting people tested, providing them with antiretrovirals (22 million are on treatment), and providing access to preventive measures such as a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP, which is when people at risk of HIV take antiretrovirals to prevent infection).

However, the epidemic continues to rage with nearly a million people every year dying of HIV/AIDS. Since the beginning of the epidemic, more than 70 million people have acquired the infection, and about 35 million people have died. Today, around 37 million worldwide live with HIV. Reaching people like sex workers, people in prison, men who have sex with men, or transgender people is hugely challenging.

Often these groups are excluded from health services. A group increasingly affected by HIV are young girls and women (aged 15–24), who are particularly at high risk and account for 1 in 4 HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa despite being only 10% of the population.

Is human health decreasing?

Loading. Just before Christmas, federal health officials confirmed life expectancy in America had dropped for a nearly unprecedented second year in a row – down to 76 years. While countries all over the world saw life expectancy rebound during the second year of the pandemic after the arrival of vaccines, the U.S.

Did not, Then, last week, more bad news: Maternal mortality in the U.S.
Reached a high in 2021,
Also, a paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association found rising mortality rates among U.S.
Children and adolescents.
This is the first time in my career that I’ve ever seen – it’s always been declining in the United States for as long as I can remember,” says the JAMA paper’s lead author Steven Woolf, director emeritus of the Center on Society and Health at Virginia Commonwealth University.

“Now, it’s increasing at a magnitude that has not occurred at least for half a century.” Across the lifespan, and across every demographic group, Americans die at younger ages than their counterparts in other wealthy nations. How could this happen? In a country that prides itself on scientific excellence and innovation, and spends an incredible amount of money on health care, the population keeps dying at younger and younger ages.

Will lifespan increase in the future?

What Will The Future Of Healthcare Look Like Share on Pinterest A recent statistical study forecasts the possible maximum age humans could reach by the year 2100. golubovy/Getty Images

The number of people living past 100 years of age is increasing. The scientific community is divided on the topic of the continually increasing maximum human life span. Statistical modeling shows that a life span of 130 years is a possibility by 2100.

Human life span significantly impacts society. An aging population affects healthcare planning and lifestyle decisions, as well as government and economic policies. Researchers at the University of Washington recently published a study in the journal Demographic Research, which shows a likely rise in human longevity by the end of this century.

While the number of people who live past the age of 100 has grown to half a million worldwide over the past several years, there are a few who are living to be 110 or even older. Those who have passed the 110-year mark are referred to as supercentenarians. Jeanne Calment of France is the oldest supercentenarian on record.

She had lived 122 years and 164 days at the time of her death, in 1997. The recent study concludes that longevity, such as Calment’s, may continue to rise slowly by the end of this century. Statistical modeling examining the extremes of human life shows that a life span of 130 years may be attained.