Cancer incidence is growing worldwide, putting financial pressure on health systems. In 2020 an estimated 18.1m new cancer cases were diagnosed.
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Value-based healthcare in Sweden: Reaching the next level
The need to get better value from healthcare investment has never been more important as ageing populations and increasing numbers of people with multiple chronic conditions force governments to make limited financial resources go further.
These pressures, along with a greater focus on patient-centred care, have raised the profile of VBHC, especially in European healthcare systems. Sweden, with its highly comprehensive and egalitarian healthcare system, has been a leader in implementing VBHC from the beginning, a fact that was underscored in a 2016 global assessment of VBHC published by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
This paper looks at the ways in which Sweden has implemented VBHC, the areas in which it has faced obstacles and the lessons that it can teach other countries and health systems looking to improve the value of their own healthcare investments.
Breast cancer patients and survivors in the Asia-Pacific workforce
With more older women also working, how will the rising trend of breast cancer survivorship manifest in workplace policies, practices and culture? What challenges do breast cancer survivors face when trying to reintegrate into the workforce, or to continue working during treatment? How can governments, companies and society at large play a constructive role?
This series of reports looks at the situation for breast cancer survivors in Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. It finds that while progress has been made, more needs to be done, particularly in South Korea, where public stigma around cancer remains high.
Cardiovascular diseases levy a substantial financial toll on individuals, their households and the public finances. These include the costs of hospital treatment, long-term disease management and recurring incidence of heart attacks and stroke. They also include the costs of functional impairment and knock-on costs as families may lose breadwinners or have to withdraw other family members from the workforce to care for a CVD patient. Governments also lose tax revenue due to early retirement and mortality, and can be forced to reallocate public finances from other budgets to maintain an accessible healthcare system in the face of rising costs.
As such, there is a need for more awareness of the ways in which people should actively work to reduce their CVD risk. There is also a need for more primary and secondary preventative support from health agencies, policymakers and nongovernmental groups.
To inform the decisions and strategies of these stakeholders, The Economist Intelligence Unit and EIU Healthcare, its healthcare subsidiary, have conducted a study of the prevalence and costs of the top four modifiable risk factors that contribute to CVDs across the Asian markets of China, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
<p>I obediently recite that I am allergic to penicillin every time I am asked for my medical history. But why do I think this? During a period of repeated antibiotic prescription, I experienced unpleasant side-effects—headache, rash, stomach upset—that got worse with each antibiotic prescription. I reported these to my GP and my family history of penicillin allergy.</p>
<p>So what happened next? Allergy testing? No. The GP simply typed into my medical records that I was allergic to penicillin. And that was that.</p>
<p> </p>
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Value-based healthcare in Sweden: Reaching the next level
The need to get better value from healthcare investment has never been more important as ageing populations and increasing numbers of people with multiple chronic conditions force governments to make limited financial resources go further.
These pressures, along with a greater focus on patient-centred care, have raised the profile of VBHC, especially in European healthcare systems. Sweden, with its highly comprehensive and egalitarian healthcare system, has been a leader in implementing VBHC from the beginning, a fact that was underscored in a 2016 global assessment of VBHC published by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
This paper looks at the ways in which Sweden has implemented VBHC, the areas in which it has faced obstacles and the lessons that it can teach other countries and health systems looking to improve the value of their own healthcare investments.
Breast cancer patients and survivors in the Asia-Pacific workforce
With more older women also working, how will the rising trend of breast cancer survivorship manifest in workplace policies, practices and culture? What challenges do breast cancer survivors face when trying to reintegrate into the workforce, or to continue working during treatment? How can governments, companies and society at large play a constructive role?
This series of reports looks at the situation for breast cancer survivors in Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. It finds that while progress has been made, more needs to be done, particularly in South Korea, where public stigma around cancer remains high.
Cardiovascular diseases levy a substantial financial toll on individuals, their households and the public finances. These include the costs of hospital treatment, long-term disease management and recurring incidence of heart attacks and stroke. They also include the costs of functional impairment and knock-on costs as families may lose breadwinners or have to withdraw other family members from the workforce to care for a CVD patient. Governments also lose tax revenue due to early retirement and mortality, and can be forced to reallocate public finances from other budgets to maintain an accessible healthcare system in the face of rising costs.
As such, there is a need for more awareness of the ways in which people should actively work to reduce their CVD risk. There is also a need for more primary and secondary preventative support from health agencies, policymakers and nongovernmental groups.
To inform the decisions and strategies of these stakeholders, The Economist Intelligence Unit and EIU Healthcare, its healthcare subsidiary, have conducted a study of the prevalence and costs of the top four modifiable risk factors that contribute to CVDs across the Asian markets of China, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
Among the diseases referred to as silent killers, atrial fibrillation (AF) is an increasingly important public health problem, with incidence expected to double over the next three decades. The global incidence of AF has increased by approximately 30% over the past 20 years, and more than 37m people are estimated to be living with AF, significantly impacting health, mortality risk and quality of life.
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Value-based healthcare in Sweden: Reaching the next level
The need to get better value from healthcare investment has never been more important as ageing populations and increasing numbers of people with multiple chronic conditions force governments to make limited financial resources go further.
These pressures, along with a greater focus on patient-centred care, have raised the profile of VBHC, especially in European healthcare systems. Sweden, with its highly comprehensive and egalitarian healthcare system, has been a leader in implementing VBHC from the beginning, a fact that was underscored in a 2016 global assessment of VBHC published by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
This paper looks at the ways in which Sweden has implemented VBHC, the areas in which it has faced obstacles and the lessons that it can teach other countries and health systems looking to improve the value of their own healthcare investments.
Breast cancer patients and survivors in the Asia-Pacific workforce
With more older women also working, how will the rising trend of breast cancer survivorship manifest in workplace policies, practices and culture? What challenges do breast cancer survivors face when trying to reintegrate into the workforce, or to continue working during treatment? How can governments, companies and society at large play a constructive role?
This series of reports looks at the situation for breast cancer survivors in Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. It finds that while progress has been made, more needs to be done, particularly in South Korea, where public stigma around cancer remains high.
Cardiovascular diseases levy a substantial financial toll on individuals, their households and the public finances. These include the costs of hospital treatment, long-term disease management and recurring incidence of heart attacks and stroke. They also include the costs of functional impairment and knock-on costs as families may lose breadwinners or have to withdraw other family members from the workforce to care for a CVD patient. Governments also lose tax revenue due to early retirement and mortality, and can be forced to reallocate public finances from other budgets to maintain an accessible healthcare system in the face of rising costs.
As such, there is a need for more awareness of the ways in which people should actively work to reduce their CVD risk. There is also a need for more primary and secondary preventative support from health agencies, policymakers and nongovernmental groups.
To inform the decisions and strategies of these stakeholders, The Economist Intelligence Unit and EIU Healthcare, its healthcare subsidiary, have conducted a study of the prevalence and costs of the top four modifiable risk factors that contribute to CVDs across the Asian markets of China, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
RDs are a group of poorly understood, predominantly heritable disorders that often manifest in childhood and have a significant impact on quality of life and life expectancy. RDs are not uncommon. There are between 6,000-8,000 RDs, which affect approximately 350-450m people globally. In Latin America alone, roughly 40-50m people are affected by a RD.
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Value-based healthcare in Sweden: Reaching the next level
The need to get better value from healthcare investment has never been more important as ageing populations and increasing numbers of people with multiple chronic conditions force governments to make limited financial resources go further.
These pressures, along with a greater focus on patient-centred care, have raised the profile of VBHC, especially in European healthcare systems. Sweden, with its highly comprehensive and egalitarian healthcare system, has been a leader in implementing VBHC from the beginning, a fact that was underscored in a 2016 global assessment of VBHC published by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
This paper looks at the ways in which Sweden has implemented VBHC, the areas in which it has faced obstacles and the lessons that it can teach other countries and health systems looking to improve the value of their own healthcare investments.
Breast cancer patients and survivors in the Asia-Pacific workforce
With more older women also working, how will the rising trend of breast cancer survivorship manifest in workplace policies, practices and culture? What challenges do breast cancer survivors face when trying to reintegrate into the workforce, or to continue working during treatment? How can governments, companies and society at large play a constructive role?
This series of reports looks at the situation for breast cancer survivors in Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. It finds that while progress has been made, more needs to be done, particularly in South Korea, where public stigma around cancer remains high.
Cardiovascular diseases levy a substantial financial toll on individuals, their households and the public finances. These include the costs of hospital treatment, long-term disease management and recurring incidence of heart attacks and stroke. They also include the costs of functional impairment and knock-on costs as families may lose breadwinners or have to withdraw other family members from the workforce to care for a CVD patient. Governments also lose tax revenue due to early retirement and mortality, and can be forced to reallocate public finances from other budgets to maintain an accessible healthcare system in the face of rising costs.
As such, there is a need for more awareness of the ways in which people should actively work to reduce their CVD risk. There is also a need for more primary and secondary preventative support from health agencies, policymakers and nongovernmental groups.
To inform the decisions and strategies of these stakeholders, The Economist Intelligence Unit and EIU Healthcare, its healthcare subsidiary, have conducted a study of the prevalence and costs of the top four modifiable risk factors that contribute to CVDs across the Asian markets of China, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
<p><em>The value of action: mitigating the impact of neurological disorders in the United Kingdom </em>is a report from Economist Impact, supported by Roche. While it draws heavily on the disease burden and economic analyses undertaken in 2022, this report’s focus is on the UK’s results and is supplemented by additional research providing context relevant to the UK policy environment.</p>
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The value of action: mitigating the global impact of neurological disorders
The impact of neurological diseases is most felt in low- and middle- income countries, where 70% of the global burden is concentrated. Yet the burden of neurological disorders is also significant in wealthier regions—the direct costs in Europe, for example, are greater than those for cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes combined. As populations increase and grow older, the burden will only increase, presenting a significant challenge to health systems and national economies.
Strategies and programmes that reduce the burden of neurological disorders are desperately needed. Yet the provision of neurological care, including efforts to enable equitable access, is insufficient. A further, unfortunate truth is that data on the burden of neurological are scarce, even in high-income countries, and especially in comparison to other non-communicable diseases. We do know that urgent action is needed to drive prevention, improve care effectiveness, and leverage policymaking and funding to reach achievable advances in outcomes. But the first step is developing a clear understanding of the issue and the significant nuances involved.
A new Economist Impact programme, The Value of Action: Mitigating the Global Impact of Neurological Disorders, seeks to break down existing silos by assessing the epidemiological burden, economic impact and current policy landscape on a multi-regional and disorder-specific basis. One of the first of its kind, this programme quantifies the value of action from an added angle: the indirect costs that would be avoided by reducing the substantial caregiver burden and productivity losses that arise from neurological disorders. Building a detailed economic picture spanning several conditions, our analysis finds that 50% the total cost of neurological disorders is due to these indirect costs. We also found that scaling-up prevention, treatment and rehab to adequate levels for the top 10 neurological disorders would save over US$4trn by 2030, across the 11 countries that we studied.
Executive Summary:
Findings Report:
Methodology Appendix:
Download the infographics now:
Steven Cramer, Professor of Neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles, discusses gaps and opportunities around stroke in the US.
Dr. Muthoni Gichu, head of the Health and Ageing Unit at the Ministry of Health, Kenya, highlights the landscape of neurological disorders in Kenya, including epilepsy.
Frédéric Destrebecq, Executive Director at European Brain Council, lays out the impact and need for policy action on brain disorders in Europe.
Value-based healthcare in Sweden: Reaching the next level
The need to get better value from healthcare investment has never been more important as ageing populations and increasing numbers of people with multiple chronic conditions force governments to make limited financial resources go further.
These pressures, along with a greater focus on patient-centred care, have raised the profile of VBHC, especially in European healthcare systems. Sweden, with its highly comprehensive and egalitarian healthcare system, has been a leader in implementing VBHC from the beginning, a fact that was underscored in a 2016 global assessment of VBHC published by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
This paper looks at the ways in which Sweden has implemented VBHC, the areas in which it has faced obstacles and the lessons that it can teach other countries and health systems looking to improve the value of their own healthcare investments.
Breast cancer patients and survivors in the Asia-Pacific workforce
With more older women also working, how will the rising trend of breast cancer survivorship manifest in workplace policies, practices and culture? What challenges do breast cancer survivors face when trying to reintegrate into the workforce, or to continue working during treatment? How can governments, companies and society at large play a constructive role?
This series of reports looks at the situation for breast cancer survivors in Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. It finds that while progress has been made, more needs to be done, particularly in South Korea, where public stigma around cancer remains high.
Dengue, a disease affecting millions globally, is witnessing an escalating burden. This surge is partly attributed to climate change, which not only broadens the habitats of the mosquitoes carrying the disease but also propels people into dengue-affected areas.
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Value-based healthcare in Sweden: Reaching the next level
The need to get better value from healthcare investment has never been more important as ageing populations and increasing numbers of people with multiple chronic conditions force governments to make limited financial resources go further.
These pressures, along with a greater focus on patient-centred care, have raised the profile of VBHC, especially in European healthcare systems. Sweden, with its highly comprehensive and egalitarian healthcare system, has been a leader in implementing VBHC from the beginning, a fact that was underscored in a 2016 global assessment of VBHC published by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
This paper looks at the ways in which Sweden has implemented VBHC, the areas in which it has faced obstacles and the lessons that it can teach other countries and health systems looking to improve the value of their own healthcare investments.
Breast cancer patients and survivors in the Asia-Pacific workforce
With more older women also working, how will the rising trend of breast cancer survivorship manifest in workplace policies, practices and culture? What challenges do breast cancer survivors face when trying to reintegrate into the workforce, or to continue working during treatment? How can governments, companies and society at large play a constructive role?
This series of reports looks at the situation for breast cancer survivors in Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. It finds that while progress has been made, more needs to be done, particularly in South Korea, where public stigma around cancer remains high.
Cardiovascular diseases levy a substantial financial toll on individuals, their households and the public finances. These include the costs of hospital treatment, long-term disease management and recurring incidence of heart attacks and stroke. They also include the costs of functional impairment and knock-on costs as families may lose breadwinners or have to withdraw other family members from the workforce to care for a CVD patient. Governments also lose tax revenue due to early retirement and mortality, and can be forced to reallocate public finances from other budgets to maintain an accessible healthcare system in the face of rising costs.
As such, there is a need for more awareness of the ways in which people should actively work to reduce their CVD risk. There is also a need for more primary and secondary preventative support from health agencies, policymakers and nongovernmental groups.
To inform the decisions and strategies of these stakeholders, The Economist Intelligence Unit and EIU Healthcare, its healthcare subsidiary, have conducted a study of the prevalence and costs of the top four modifiable risk factors that contribute to CVDs across the Asian markets of China, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
Oral diseases have surpassed all other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in terms of their global prevalence. The most common oral diseases are caries and severe periodontitis, affecting about 2bn and 1bn people, respectively. Furthermore, these two highly prevalent diseases have a disproportionate impact on countries and populations with lower socioeconomic status.
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Value-based healthcare in Sweden: Reaching the next level
The need to get better value from healthcare investment has never been more important as ageing populations and increasing numbers of people with multiple chronic conditions force governments to make limited financial resources go further.
These pressures, along with a greater focus on patient-centred care, have raised the profile of VBHC, especially in European healthcare systems. Sweden, with its highly comprehensive and egalitarian healthcare system, has been a leader in implementing VBHC from the beginning, a fact that was underscored in a 2016 global assessment of VBHC published by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
This paper looks at the ways in which Sweden has implemented VBHC, the areas in which it has faced obstacles and the lessons that it can teach other countries and health systems looking to improve the value of their own healthcare investments.
Breast cancer patients and survivors in the Asia-Pacific workforce
With more older women also working, how will the rising trend of breast cancer survivorship manifest in workplace policies, practices and culture? What challenges do breast cancer survivors face when trying to reintegrate into the workforce, or to continue working during treatment? How can governments, companies and society at large play a constructive role?
This series of reports looks at the situation for breast cancer survivors in Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. It finds that while progress has been made, more needs to be done, particularly in South Korea, where public stigma around cancer remains high.
Cardiovascular diseases levy a substantial financial toll on individuals, their households and the public finances. These include the costs of hospital treatment, long-term disease management and recurring incidence of heart attacks and stroke. They also include the costs of functional impairment and knock-on costs as families may lose breadwinners or have to withdraw other family members from the workforce to care for a CVD patient. Governments also lose tax revenue due to early retirement and mortality, and can be forced to reallocate public finances from other budgets to maintain an accessible healthcare system in the face of rising costs.
As such, there is a need for more awareness of the ways in which people should actively work to reduce their CVD risk. There is also a need for more primary and secondary preventative support from health agencies, policymakers and nongovernmental groups.
To inform the decisions and strategies of these stakeholders, The Economist Intelligence Unit and EIU Healthcare, its healthcare subsidiary, have conducted a study of the prevalence and costs of the top four modifiable risk factors that contribute to CVDs across the Asian markets of China, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
Shaping a future of healthy ageing: reflections from the Global Healthspan Summit
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Health
Value-based healthcare in Sweden: Reaching the next level
The need to get better value from healthcare investment has never been more important as ageing populations and increasing numbers of people with multiple chronic conditions force governments to make limited financial resources go further.
These pressures, along with a greater focus on patient-centred care, have raised the profile of VBHC, especially in European healthcare systems. Sweden, with its highly comprehensive and egalitarian healthcare system, has been a leader in implementing VBHC from the beginning, a fact that was underscored in a 2016 global assessment of VBHC published by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
This paper looks at the ways in which Sweden has implemented VBHC, the areas in which it has faced obstacles and the lessons that it can teach other countries and health systems looking to improve the value of their own healthcare investments.
Breast cancer patients and survivors in the Asia-Pacific workforce
With more older women also working, how will the rising trend of breast cancer survivorship manifest in workplace policies, practices and culture? What challenges do breast cancer survivors face when trying to reintegrate into the workforce, or to continue working during treatment? How can governments, companies and society at large play a constructive role?
This series of reports looks at the situation for breast cancer survivors in Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. It finds that while progress has been made, more needs to be done, particularly in South Korea, where public stigma around cancer remains high.
Cardiovascular diseases levy a substantial financial toll on individuals, their households and the public finances. These include the costs of hospital treatment, long-term disease management and recurring incidence of heart attacks and stroke. They also include the costs of functional impairment and knock-on costs as families may lose breadwinners or have to withdraw other family members from the workforce to care for a CVD patient. Governments also lose tax revenue due to early retirement and mortality, and can be forced to reallocate public finances from other budgets to maintain an accessible healthcare system in the face of rising costs.
As such, there is a need for more awareness of the ways in which people should actively work to reduce their CVD risk. There is also a need for more primary and secondary preventative support from health agencies, policymakers and nongovernmental groups.
To inform the decisions and strategies of these stakeholders, The Economist Intelligence Unit and EIU Healthcare, its healthcare subsidiary, have conducted a study of the prevalence and costs of the top four modifiable risk factors that contribute to CVDs across the Asian markets of China, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
Positioning health at the forefront of climate negotiations
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Health
UAE recognises the need to act on climate change fast
By organising global events such as COP28, the UAE aspires to demonstrate its commitment to climate action and bolster its global influence. The nation has been stepping up its climate actions over the years, starting with it being the first nation among Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries to ratify the Paris Agreement in 2016.1 Then in 2022, it announced its Net Zero by 2050 strategy, the first such initiative in the region. The introduction of “The COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate on Health” further underscored the UAE’s substantial efforts towards climate-change mitigation and sustainability, and the crucial connection between climate change and health.
The impacts of climate change in the UAE affect well-being
By integrating climate considerations into public-health practices, the UAE's health system can enhance its resilience to climate-change impacts and better prepare for any associated health risks. The impacts of climate change in the UAE and the Middle East are becoming increasingly evident. As a result of climate change, the region is experiencing extreme weather in the form of more prolonged droughts, increasing frequencies of hotspells, extreme precipitation and compound effects on water resources, which will affect agricultural production and water availability. Furthermore, projections indicate a decrease in winter precipitation, leading to dryness and desertification in the Middle East. Recent studies suggest a significant decline in precipitation and an increase in temperatures, exacerbating the water-shortage crisis in the Middle East's semi-arid and arid climate.2 All of this will affect public health and therefore people’s well-being.
Focusing on capacity and infrastructure
The UAE is taking steps to address climate-related health challenges. This will mean a focus on existing building blocks. We will need to build resilient health-care systems by focusing on upgrading our health-care infrastructure, capacity and preparedness. Identifying and addressing the UAE’s top health priorities, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and childhood obesity, will also be an essential part of strengthening health systems in order to mitigate and manage the health impacts of climate change.
And we must not forget about research, as much is still unknown. We need to prioritise research on climate-change-related health issues to inform evidence-based interventions, which will provide valuable insights for effective policy formulation. Moreover, leveraging information and communication technologies (ICT) can enhance the UAE's health-system response to climate change. The health system can improve preparedness and response to climate-related health challenges by using telemedicine, remote sensing and data analytics. These advancements can strengthen health-care delivery, increase adaptive capacity and promote resilience in the face of climate-change impacts.3
By focusing on all these priorities, health systems can enhance their capacity to respond to the health impacts of climate change, promote public-health resilience and contribute to sustainable development in the region.4
Health is not alone—calling out to other sectors
As climate change is a collective challenge which requires cross-sectoral collaborative efforts, health actors need to lean on other sectors to manage this system challenge. By integrating climate considerations into urban planning, cities can develop green spaces, pedestrian-friendly infrastructure and efficient public-transportation systems, which will improve air quality and well-being.5 The UAE is also diversifying its energy mix and reducing its dependence on traditional fossil fuels. Initiatives such as solar-power plants and user-owned solar-power generators are being implemented in selected UAE cities to introduce renewable energy. Research has also highlighted the potential of biofuels sourced from mangroves, underscoring the UAE's commitment to renewable energy.6 Furthermore, sustainable-agriculture practices can bolster food security and minimise the environmental impact of food production, thereby positively influencing public health. Practices such as conservation-agriculture techniques and integrated pest-management techniques are critical for ensuring food security and promoting environmental sustainability. Furthermore, embracing alternative proteins and food tech interventions offers a promising avenue to bolster food security. These innovations can diversify food sources, reduce reliance on traditional livestock and farming, and mitigate the environmental impact of food production. The UAE has also been exploring the use of ICT for smart and sustainable agriculture, to enhance productivity while minimising environmental impact.7
Engagement will be key
While these initiatives are needed, we must also improve multi-sector collaboration, public education and engagement in climate advocacy. Many stakeholders will be needed, but universities and educational institutions, as custodians of knowledge, can help facilitate students and faculty to engage and act on climate change.
A good example of multi-stakeholder engagement is the UAE Climate Change Research Network, which was created in January 2021 by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. It is dedicated to improving climate resilience in all sectors, which includes new research, addressing adaptive capabilities and improving public awareness of the implications of climate change. Currently, the network consists of five clusters: Climate Change and Public Health (which I lead), Climate Data and Modelling, Climate Change and Infrastructure, Climate Change and Terrestrial, Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, and Climate Change and Food and Water Security.8 This network also actively contributes to the UAE's global climate-action initiatives.
Demonstrating regional leadership, the UAE is actively identifying and implementing effective strategies to enhance its health and broader systems in response to climate change. While acknowledging the imperative for acceleratered action, the UAE remains committed to driving positive change swiftly and decisively.
1 UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. The United Arab Emirates’ First Long-Term Strategy (LTS) Demonstrating Commitment to Net Zero by 2050. 2023. Available at: https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/UAE_LTLEDS.pdf
2 Chandran, A., Basha, G. and Ouarda, T.B.M.J. (2015). Influence of climate oscillations on temperature and precipitation over the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Climatology, 36(1), 225-235. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.4339
3 Alkhaldi, M., Moonesar, I.A., Issa, S.T. et al. (2023). Analysis of the United Arab emirates' contribution to the sustainable development goals with a focus on global health and climate change. International Journal of Health Governance, 28(4), 357-367. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhg-04-2023-0040
4 Gan, C.C.R., Banwell, N., Pascual, R.S., Chu, C. and Wang, Y.W. (2019). Hospital climate actions and assessment tools: a scoping review protocol. BMJ Open, 9(12), e032561. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032561
5 Amrousi, M., Paleologos, E., Caratelli, P. and Elhakeem, M. (2018). Are garden cities in the desert sustainable? International Review for Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development, 6A(1), 79-94. https://doi.org/10.14246/irspsd.6a.1_79)
6 Merheb, M., Matar, R., Marton, J.M., Youssef, K.A., Hodeify, R. and Shafiq, N. (2018). Alternative energy in the UAE: the potential of biofuels sourced from Ras Al Khaimah mangroves. Al Qasimi Foundation. https://doi.org/10.18502/aqf.0091
7 Bilali, H.E., Bottalico, F. and Palmisano, G.O. (2020). Information and communication technologies for smart and sustainable agriculture. 30th Scientific-Experts Conference of Agriculture and Food Industry, 321-334. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-40049-1_41
Building a sustainable future: balancing growth, net-zero goals and public...
The investment case for embedding sustainability in public health is twofold. One, doing something now is better than doing something later—building resilient and low-carbon healthcare systems today will be less costly and allow us to meet future challenges. Two, some parts of the world, such as the Middle East with its abundance of solar energy, have the ability to transition to a different formula for energy access, storage and distribution while also becoming leaders in this field.
Making healthcare systems more sustainable is important to reaching national net-zero goals and supporting the wellbeing of populations. Healthcare systems around the world are facing a critical challenge: how to expand services to meet the growing health needs of populations while aligning with net-zero and sustainability targets.
Funding alternative models of care
Prevention is better than cure: To manage the growing demand for healthcare in a low-carbon and resilient way, we need to look at alternative models of care and how to fund these, emphasising prevention and delivering health within communities so that people don't have to go to a hospital.
The most low-carbon and resilient hospital is the one that doesn't exist, because you don't need it. While we need the hospitals we've got today to deliver the things that hospitals do best (specialised care and advanced medical diagnosis and treatment), much of healthcare can be provided in the home or community environment. Singapore, for example, is adopting a population health model, where hospitals and primary and community care systems are vertically integrated within a geographical area. This means that the hospital only gets used when needed, and most care happens at home or virtually through digital health and telemedicine solutions.1 If we could develop this approach in different parts of the world, and the Middle East is well positioned for this, we would create a much more robust system that could manage growing demand while improving health in communities.
Yet, when looking at the Middle East, we must consider how we can deliver better healthcare and universal access for all. There are large disparities in the resources within countries. Countries such as the UAE and Qatar are very well-resourced, while other parts of the region struggle to develop their healthcare system.
Embracing digital solutions: The covid-19 pandemic taught us that rapid change at scale is possible when required. The pandemic accelerated the adoption of telehealth and telemedicine in a way that we would never have seen otherwise. While telemedicine will never take away from the role of the healthcare professional, and there are circumstances where a face-to-face visit is necessary, many consultations are more accessible and convenient when conducted virtually, especially for patients living in rural or remote areas. The adoption of telemedicine has a measurable impact on the carbon footprint of healthcare. When we calculate the carbon footprint of telemedicine, we often focus on the reduction in travel; however, we are also saving valuable resources in the hospital. In the quest for digital adoption, we must ensure that ageing populations and populations without internet access are not left behind. Governments must be genuinely committed to ensuring everybody has access to education, health and other public services through access to the internet.
Building climate resilience: As seen during the covid-19 pandemic, infectious diseases cross borders. We need to strengthen surveillance mechanisms to know how the changing climate impacts disease transmission and respond to the increased risk of infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue. Access to water and energy are important public health issues. There is an incredible dependency across people and communities to ensure we manage our natural resources as best as possible.
Building resilient health systems requires global and regional collaboration. Initiatives such as twinning partnerships, where hospitals in very different parts of the world learn from each other's diverse environments, help support cross-border collaboration to contain, spread and manage climate events.2
In this together
Joint accountability: Improving the sustainability of the healthcare sector is a joint responsibility. Over 70% of the healthcare sector's carbon emissions arise in the supply chain.3 Therefore, engaging with suppliers is critical. We have some great examples from the UK National Health Service (NHS) where it is adapting the tendering process, requiring suppliers to publish a Carbon Reduction Plan, and holding them accountable to demonstrate change. The NHS is also working with suppliers through initiatives like the Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Assessment, to identify opportunities for decarbonisation and align on NHS net-zero ambitions.4
Expanding the role of healthcare professionals: All health professionals, whether hospital managers, public health professionals, community health workers, surgeons or occupational therapists, must embrace the challenge of balancing the growing demand for healthcare with sustainability targets. We all must apply a sustainability lens to our own practice, our way of doing things and, ultimately, every decision we make.
With every decision we make, we must reflect on two things: one—is it necessary? And two—does it improve the quality of care? For instance, with single-use items, we need to question whether we really need to use them as single-use items. Can they be designed for reuse? The same goes for prescribing. We know that some medicines don't add a huge amount of value. For many patients, it may be better to get more exercise or improve their diet. This shift in thinking will also require changing how we educate our healthcare professionals so that asking questions about lower-carbon alternatives and best practices becomes fundamental. We also need to embed sustainability into research initiatives.
Engaging Patients: Patients are a critical stakeholder group, often left out of the sustainability discussion. We need to actively engage patients in treatment and care decisions to understand what they would like and what they would find sustainable. Let's take patients with diabetes as an example. Many who take regular insulin injections and undergo ongoing monitoring feel guilty about the amount of consumption and waste produced and are asking if we can find something that will be better for the environment.
Moving forward
Measuring what matters: At the Geneva Sustainability Center, we've just developed the Sustainability Accelerator Tool (SAT), a benchmarking tool to support hospital and healthcare leaders in driving sustainable, low-carbon, equitable and resilient healthcare. The SAT measures typical environmental elements that apply to all sectors, such as buildings, transport, food and supply chain, but also elements specific to healthcare, like anaesthetic gases, medicines, infection control, single-use items and how we deal with waste. It's essential that, as healthcare professionals, we take accountability for these health-specific elements, because if the healthcare sector doesn't take action, nobody else will.5
A common sense of urgency: The bottom line is that the climate crisis is a health crisis. Now is the time for the healthcare sector to step up, because climate change is impacting the health of populations in every country and in every community. We need to start embracing sustainability and integrate it into everything we do. Everyone in the sector, from policymakers to healthcare workers and suppliers, has a role to play. Everyone involved needs to think about what this means in their area of influence and what they can do differently to contribute to a better climate.
1 Nurjono, M., Shrestha, P., Ang, I.Y.H. et al. Shifting care from hospital to community, a strategy to integrate care in Singapore: process evaluation of implementation fidelity. BMC Health Serv Res 20, 452 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05263-w
2 WHO. Initiatives. Twinning Partnerships for Improvement. Available from https://www.who.int/initiatives/twinning-partnerships-for-improvement
3 Health Care without Harm. Health care’s climate footprint: How the health sector contributes to the global climate crisis and opportunities for action. 2019.
4 NHS UK. A Net Zero Supply Chain and Suppliers. National Health Service. Available from https://www.supplychain.nhs.uk/sustainability/net-zero-supply-chain-and-suppliers/
5 International Hospital Federation (IDF). Toolbox. Available from https://ihf-fih.org/what-we-do/geneva-sustainability-centre/sustainability-toolbox/
A guest blog from Sonia Roschnik, executive director, Geneva Sustainability Centre
Visit The longevity equation: climate resilience for health in the Middle East to learn more
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Economist Impact or any other member of The Economist Group. The Economist Group cannot accept any responsibility or liability for reliance by any person on this article or any of the information, opinions or conclusions set out in the article.
The longevity equation: climate resilience for health in the Middle East
Climate change is one of the most complex threats to the health of our people and our planet. The Middle East is among the geographic areas most vulnerable to rising temperatures, air pollution, food and water insecurity and adverse weather events. Without considerable mitigation and adaptation efforts, the health and longevity of current and future generations will be severely impacted.
COP28 will be the first to feature a “Health Day”, evidence of the growing realisation that the climate crisis is also a health crisis and an opportunity for the region to play a leading role in driving international co-operation on climate mitigation and public health.
The longevity equation: climate resilience for health in the Middle East is an Economic Impact report supported by PureHealth. Our report explores the consequences of the climate crisis for the health and wellbeing of populations in the Middle East and aims to stimulate discussion on the urgency for accelerated climate action in the region and the priorities for governments, health systems and all sectors.
We have identified a number of common priorities under three key pillars: knowledge empowerment, climate-smart health systems and multisector action. These can help guide regional stakeholders in mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change while also supporting the health and longevity of the region’s populations.
Knowledge empowerment:
Build awareness, education and accountability of the climate risk factors and their potential impact on human health across all stakeholder groups and levels of society
Improve surveillance, data collection and monitoring of the region’s climate change risk factors and their direct and indirect impact on human health
Support ongoing research to quantify the health impacts of climate change to raise the alarm and build an investment case for climate mitigation and adaptation efforts
Climate-smart health systems:
Develop national health adaptation plans (NAPs) that consider the unique country dynamics and health systems across the region
Strengthen the capacity of health systems to prevent, prepare and respond to climate change through robust surveillance and early warning systems and a trained workforce
Adopt initiatives to reduce emissions and unnecessary waste from regional health systems and hold suppliers accountable for their climate commitments
Multisector action:
Integrate health into national climate mitigation and adaptation strategies and support cross-sectoral collaboration and accountability
Consider the co-benefits of public health action and environmental sustainability in current and future urban development
Expand the scope of climate mitigation and adaptation beyond national borders through regional data sharing, resource sharing and collaboration
<p><span style="color: rgb(18, 18, 18); font-family: ZirkonBold, NotoSansBold; font-size: 24px;">Breathing in a new era: a comparative analysis of lung cancer policies in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan</span></p>
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<p>The battle against lung cancer calls for immediate attention to improve policies, programmes, and treatment accessibility. The goal? To curb its incidence, enhance health outcomes, and uplift the quality of life for those grappling with this deadly disease.</p>
Value-based healthcare in Sweden: Reaching the next level
The need to get better value from healthcare investment has never been more important as ageing populations and increasing numbers of people with multiple chronic conditions force governments to make limited financial resources go further.
These pressures, along with a greater focus on patient-centred care, have raised the profile of VBHC, especially in European healthcare systems. Sweden, with its highly comprehensive and egalitarian healthcare system, has been a leader in implementing VBHC from the beginning, a fact that was underscored in a 2016 global assessment of VBHC published by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
This paper looks at the ways in which Sweden has implemented VBHC, the areas in which it has faced obstacles and the lessons that it can teach other countries and health systems looking to improve the value of their own healthcare investments.
Breast cancer patients and survivors in the Asia-Pacific workforce
With more older women also working, how will the rising trend of breast cancer survivorship manifest in workplace policies, practices and culture? What challenges do breast cancer survivors face when trying to reintegrate into the workforce, or to continue working during treatment? How can governments, companies and society at large play a constructive role?
This series of reports looks at the situation for breast cancer survivors in Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. It finds that while progress has been made, more needs to be done, particularly in South Korea, where public stigma around cancer remains high.
Cardiovascular diseases levy a substantial financial toll on individuals, their households and the public finances. These include the costs of hospital treatment, long-term disease management and recurring incidence of heart attacks and stroke. They also include the costs of functional impairment and knock-on costs as families may lose breadwinners or have to withdraw other family members from the workforce to care for a CVD patient. Governments also lose tax revenue due to early retirement and mortality, and can be forced to reallocate public finances from other budgets to maintain an accessible healthcare system in the face of rising costs.
As such, there is a need for more awareness of the ways in which people should actively work to reduce their CVD risk. There is also a need for more primary and secondary preventative support from health agencies, policymakers and nongovernmental groups.
To inform the decisions and strategies of these stakeholders, The Economist Intelligence Unit and EIU Healthcare, its healthcare subsidiary, have conducted a study of the prevalence and costs of the top four modifiable risk factors that contribute to CVDs across the Asian markets of China, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
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