A group of 50 prominent global experts, known as the Lancet Commission on Investing in Health (CIH), looked into ways to achieve a major health objective. Their findings lead to clear, practical actions that can be taken worldwide. Six of these experts are associated with the Bergen Centre for Ethics and Priority Setting in Health (BCEPS) at the University of Bergen in Norway. This includes the director, Professor Ole Frithjof Norheim, BCEPS PhD Research Fellow Sarah Bolongaita, along with researchers Angela Chang (University of Southern Denmark), Dean T. Jamison (University of California, San Francisco), Stéphane Verguet (Harvard University), and David Watkins (University of Washington).
Their findings will be unveiled on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, during a keynote speech at the World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany, where CIH members will present their research.
People can access the report for free at https://globalhealth2050.org after the presentation at the World Health Summit on October 15, 2024.
The authors state that the “50 by 50” aim is to cut the chance of dying prematurely (before the age of 70) by 50%. This can be accomplished by concentrating on 15 key health conditions: eight are related to infectious diseases and maternal health, while the other seven involve non-communicable diseases and injuries.
In addition to enhancing investments and services for these 15 priority health issues, increasing tobacco taxes can significantly lower premature deaths more effectively than any other single health strategy.
The report also projects that there is over a 20% likelihood of experiencing a pandemic in the next decade that could claim at least 25 million lives, akin to the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the importance of being prepared for and responding to such events.
The Global Health 2050 report provides a roadmap for countries, regardless of income level, to significantly enhance public health and life expectancy by the year 2050.
