Digital technologies will play an essential role in meeting the post-pandemic world’s challenges and there is an urgent need to implement policies that address critical challenges around data, accessibility, literacy and skills to ensure no one is left behind. Acknowledging the importance of cross border digital health and data infrastructure, a successful digital health transition also requires empowering citizens, patients and rethinking education and life-long training, as well as a strong governance model.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a pivotal moment for the future of healthcare. It has reinforced, more than ever, the importance of research, development, and innovation to enhance care delivery and efficiency of health systems. As vaccination programmes scale up around the world, we can now cautiously move from crisis response towards recovery and reform whilst underlining the importance of innovation and cross-border collaboration to ensure resilience against future crises.
Prevention and self-care result in healthier populations and lower costs. For health systems to shift from disease care to health care, health systems should be reconsidered from a life course perspective. A life course perspective requires robust policies and investments that better integrate the initial stages of the health continuum, including health literacy and promotion, prevention, early detection, patient-centred chronic disease management, as well as community-based and self-care approaches. Preventive and self-care systems must be flexible in responding to changing needs and leverage digital technologies.
Human health and our planet’s health are inextricably linked. Disruptive and science-based innovations to accelerate the transition to environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable healthcare systems have become an urgent imperative. A value-driven, sustainable, and patient-centred approach to healthcare will help to strengthen health system resilience and make them more resilient to future shocks, including environmental risks emanating from climate change. Innovation will be a key driver in helping make such a system a reality, while also achieving cost and resource efficiencies.
Frontline health workers worldwide have shouldered the tremendous burden of responding to a global pandemic while providing essential health services. Adapting rapidly to increasing demands, new technologies, and ways of working has increased the risk of mental illness and burnout amongst healthcare workers. They pose a critical risk to the recovery of healthcare systems. Coupled with the shortage of healthcare workers at large, ensuring the health of this vital workforce is essential to a resilient healthcare system.
