A Vision for the Future: Transforming Health Systems

This briefing paper forms part of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Health and Healthcare.

Health systems are under major pressure globally. Population growth, aging, the emergence of personalized medicine and the growing potential of new technologies, along with rapidly rising costs and the entry of disruptive and non-traditional competitors, will increase demand for services and affect the performance and sustainability of healthcare delivery systems. By 2050, one in six people will be over 65 years old and more people will live with one or more chronic diseases. Despite reforms in funding and payment models in some countries, there is ample evidence of waste and inefficiencies in health systems Global healthcare spending is projected to continue increasing.

The reflection paper addresses the need for health systems to be reoriented to meet populations’ needs in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It discusses present and future challenges faced by health systems, adopting a systems approach that places the experiences of individuals, families, and communities at the center of its analysis. It identifies what needs to happen to achieve this transformation and who should be accountable for driving change.