Chronic Diseases and Well-being

In 2005, an estimated 35 million people worldwide died of non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. Around 80% of these deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries that also have to deal with the burden of infectious diseases, maternal and perinatal conditions and nutritional deficiencies. The Forum fosters collaboration between key stakeholders in global health, including the World Health Organization, by engaging them in dialogues at its annual and regional events. 

The global health agenda is vast. Three out of the eight Millennium Development Goals agreed upon by the international community are directly related to health: MDG 4, reducing child mortality; MDG 5, reducing maternal mortality; and MDG 6, reducing major diseases particularly HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Furthermore, chronic diseases are responsible for 60% of global deaths, with heart disease, cancer and obesity rapidly increasing their share of mortality and morbidity. Mental diseases and injuries further aggravate these problems.

Health and the economy are strongly connected. Public health and medical care expenditures now account for one tenth of all global economic activity and are projected to expand further. A link between health and GDP has been shown to be mediated through enhanced workforce productivity and increased investment in healthier populations.
Health issues are complex. They involve multiple stakeholders, span across governments and private sector and impact multiple industries. They require significant investments in infrastructure, human resources and technology.  Furthermore, they are challenging to understand for non-health specialists and are often hard to communicate simply and effectively to the general public.

Due to their complexity, health issues have historically been compartmentalized with an attempt to address challenges on an individual basis. Although much good work has been done in individual initiatives targeting, for example, a particular disease, a holistic strategic approach to health is critical. Addressing health issues globally requires a strong architecture that delivers stable health systems, and a strong economic approach that prioritizes and understands links and incentives.

The World Economic Forum addresses health in a comprehensive and holistic way, developing innovative ideas and fostering dialogue through its unique convening power platforms such as its Annual Meetings, regional events and Global Agenda Councils. The Forum engages the broad global community and focuses in particular on the private sector - beginning from strategic and industry partners and expanding into the broader business community. Businesses from all industries - from healthcare to food and beverage, from IT and communications to energy or mining, bring a valuable contribution to addressing health issues.

The Forum also publishes forward-looking scenarios and risk assessments that aim to stimulate discussions and decisions on the future of health. The World Economic Forum team approaches health in a structured, systematic way, searching for scalable opportunities to make a difference. Above and beyond advocacy and dialogue, the Global Health @ the Forum team develops unique ideas into projects and incubates cross-industry initiatives through partnerships. The Forum also engages with the private sector in the early stages of global PPPs, such as Stop TB, Roll Back Malaria and The Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.