3 megatrends that will shape the future of health

Ageing demographics, urbanization and technological advancements will shape the health landscape Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto
- The healthcare landscape is being transformed by three major trends: a rapidly ageing population, increasing urbanization and technological advancements.
- Technology, particularly artificial intelligence, is revolutionizing healthcare by accelerating drug discovery, enabling precision medicine and driving advancements in treatment.
- Addressing the current megatrends in healthcare requires interdisciplinary collaboration among governments, life sciences, academia and technology industries.
If we want to understand what our world will look like in the years and decades ahead – and plan for that future – we need to look at the megatrends currently shaping society.
Three have outsized potential to transform healthcare as we know it today: a rapidly ageing population, growing urbanization, and the breakneck pace of technological transformation.
All three will bring opportunities and challenges to our existing health systems. However, by considering them together, we can use the opportunities of one trend to solve the challenges of another.
Given our progress already, I’m optimistic that we can – and will – meet this moment.
Planning for an ageing and urbanizing population
Consider the significance of a rapidly ageing population. Global life expectancy has increased from 34 years in 1913 to 72 years in 2022 and will continue to grow.
While we all can be heartened by the prospect of more time to enjoy with family and friends and longer lives filled with meaning and purpose, we also must acknowledge an accompanying rise in health challenges.
Ageing increases the risk of chronic diseases. Nearly 80% of adults over 65 have at least one chronic condition.
In addition, as people live longer, new diseases that did not exist or were less significant are now emerging. This creates significant new health challenges that require substantial new medical innovation.
We must find new ways to care for growing numbers of elderly patients without overburdening our already strained healthcare systems.
The world is ageing, but it is also urbanizing. City residents account for more than 56% of the global population, which is expected to rise by 2050 when nearly seven of 10 people live in cities.
While living in large cities with reliable infrastructure will make it easier for some people to receive medicines and care, this rapid population growth could also put unsustainable demands on our urban health systems.
The challenges posed by these megatrends are immense but so is our capacity for ingenuity and collaboration.
—Dr. Albert Bourla, Chairman and CEO, Pfizer”The opportunity of rapidly advancing technology
These challenges are formidable, but we live in an era when new technology is advancing at a head-spinning pace and scale, bringing us unprecedented opportunities. In fact, artificial intelligence (AI) is already accelerating the discovery and design of potential drug candidates.
Machine learning can help identify specific proteins or pathways for a given disease and then predict which chemical compounds are most likely to bind effectively to these targets. New medicines can better target specific cellular mutations and minimize side effects, which is significant for older adults with weaker immune systems and multiple conditions.
These capabilities are occurring alongside breathtaking scientific discoveries and driving crucial medical innovation like never before.
In cancer specifically, we are seeing dramatic success.
Newer technologies, such as antibody-drug conjugates, deliver a potent cancer-killing drug directly into the cancer cells, limiting damage to healthy cells. Within 10 years, many of the chemotherapies we rely on today will give way to these more precise and targeted approaches.
This is a bold claim but the pace of progress supports it.
In addition to developing next-generation medicines faster than ever before, we will continue to see technology improve healthcare by putting it directly into the hands of people through wearables.
Continuous vital sign monitoring, powered by AI’s ability to detect subtle patterns, can prompt early medical intervention to limit severe complications. Medication reminders can improve adherence, especially when personalized by AI.
Sensors can detect sudden changes in movement, such as falls and send alerts to caregivers or emergency services. AI’s ability to analyze vast amounts of data in real-time can optimize care, reduce errors and alleviate strain on overburdened healthcare systems, paving the way for a more resilient and efficient future.
We’re also witnessing new digital tools revolutionize one of the oldest fields of medicine – vaccines. Cutting-edge approaches such as mRNA have already transformed the speed and precision of vaccine creation, enabling rapid responses to emerging pathogens.
Advances in vaccine formulation, including nanoparticle technologies, pave the way for multi-pathogen vaccines that protect against multiple diseases in a single shot, improving convenience and compliance. Digital platforms can help us optimize vaccine distribution, track coverage and send reminders to improve immunization rates in urban areas.
Collaborating to address our challenges
Society is rapidly transforming.
Urbanization and an ageing population will have far-reaching impacts. The path forward lies in embracing the synergies between science and technology to meet the needs of our future society.
The solutions we’ve already seen in wearables and more targeted medicines are the result of interdisciplinary collaboration. The entire life sciences sector, as well as governments, organizations, and academia, must collaborate with technology startups and industry leaders.
We must break down silos of information, prioritize data security and address inequalities that stand in the way of effective collaboration.
Governments must invest in infrastructure and policies that improve health. Companies must continue investing in innovation while also committing to transparency and responsible use of data. We must all work together to solve challenges around access and scalability.
The challenges these megatrends pose are immense, and so is our capacity for ingenuity and collaboration.
This is our moment to demonstrate the strength of our optimism so that we transform human health for generations to come.
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