Economics, Evidence, News, What is HP

Strong economic case for health promotion

December 4, 2013

  A new policy summary, issued by the WHO (World Health Organisation) on 4 November, reveals substantial evidence to support the economic case for health promotion and prevention of non-communicable diseases. The document summarises data from a major international study by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, OECD and WHO/Europe.   The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of a wide range of actions, addressing some of the main risk factors to health including:

• tobacco and alcohol consumption
• impacts of diet and patterns of physical activity
• children’s exposure to environmental harm
• the protection of mental health
• road safety.

While some of these interventions generate direct cost savings, many will require increased investment but generate additional health (and other) benefits. The study will be published in 2014 as a book “Health Promotion, Disease Prevention: The Economic Case”.  It forms the basis for one of the evidence pillars for WHO’s Health 2020 strategy.   Published: 5 December 2013 Jo Lawrence-King