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A groundbreaking report by The Lancet Commission on Investing in Health (CIH) sets an ambitious global target: to reduce the probability of dying before age 70 by 50% by 2050. A team of 50 leading international experts, including six members from the Bergen Center for Ethics and Priority Setting in Health (BCEPS), explored actionable and achievable measures to attain this milestone. The report is set to be unveiled on October 15, 2024, at the World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany.
The “50 by 50” goal, spearheaded by the commission, centers on addressing 15 priority health conditions, comprising eight related to infectious diseases and maternal health and seven focused on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries. Achieving this global target will require a scale-up of health investments and services for these conditions, as well as innovative policies to address risk factors, such as tobacco use.
Key Findings and Strategies
The commission highlights that raising taxes on tobacco stands as the single most effective health policy for reducing premature mortality. However, the report emphasizes that success will require a multifaceted approach, combining enhanced access to healthcare with preventive measures against both infectious diseases and NCDs like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and injuries.
In addition to this, the report identifies a significant risk of pandemics over the next decade. The authors estimate a greater than 20% chance of a pandemic in the next 10 years that could claim at least 25 million lives, underscoring the urgent need for global pandemic preparedness and response.
Contributions from BCEPS Experts
Six key contributors to the report are affiliated with the Bergen Center for Ethics and Priority Setting in Health, a Norwegian Center of Excellence. These experts include BCEPS Director and Professor Ole Frithjof Norheim, Ph.D. Research Fellow Sarah Bolongaita, and BCEPS-affiliated researchers Angela Chang, Dean T. Jamison, Stéphane Verguet, and David Watkins. Their contributions were instrumental in formulating the policy recommendations in the report.
The Road Ahead: A Global Health Pathway
The Global Health 2050 report outlines a clear path forward for countries at all income levels—high-, middle-, and low-income nations alike. Through coordinated efforts, these nations can improve human welfare and life expectancy, not just incrementally but on a massive scale, offering hope for a healthier future.
The report will be available to the public following its release on October 15, 2024. The CIH members will present their findings at the World Health Summit in Berlin, and the event will be streamed online for a global audience.
For more detailed insights, readers can refer to the full report, Global Health 2050: The Path to Halving Premature Death by Mid-Century, published in The Lancet (2024).
