As health moves further into the center of economic and policy decision-making, one thing is becoming clear: the way we think about health today will shape prosperity, resilience, and competitiveness in the year ahead.
From scientific debates at ISPOR Europe to parliamentary discussions on productivity, our work in 2025 focused on a central question: how can economies become future proof by investing in health?
Based on these experiences, this newsletter highlighted 5 topics that are particularly relevant for 2026. From prevention to innovation, learn how societies can turn health from a cost factor into a strategic investment.
Best wishes,
Health as a Pillar of Economic Prosperity
Across recent international forums, one question repeatedly emerged: how can health be better reflected in economic and policy planning?
At ISPOR Europe 2025 in Glasgow, WifOR contributed to scientific and policy discussions aimed at reframing health as an investment with measurable returns – with eight posters, two panel contributions, and a research presentation recognized as a Top 5% finalist. A central highlight was the presentation of the Social Impact of Health (SIoH) framework by Dr. Karla Hernandez-Villafuerte, demonstrating how strengthening health translates into economic performance.
In the two panel discussions, I addressed how broader value dimensions can be better reflected in health decision-making – from applying a whole health perspective in value assessment to exploring how labor market effects and productivity could be more consistently embedded in HTA.
These methodological debates translate directly into real-world policy changes. This perspective was echoed at the Baltic Assembly Conference on Health as an Investment in Baltic Security and the Future, where I highlighted that poor health costs the Baltic states around €9.7 billion annually (6.4% of GDP) and shortens lives by 4.6 years compared to the EU average. The discussion underscored the importance of ROI-based health budgeting for long-term planning, which I also highlighted in an interview with Latvian Television. Watch my interview (with option of original language) here.
Even as health was deprioritized on the EU's agenda in 2025 due to geopolitical challenges, research consistently shows that the Health Economy plays a crucial role in securing European competitiveness and autonomy. This robust data will be crucial in 2026 to demonstrate how health investments contribute to stability in uncertain times.
WifOR recently launched the English-language version of theHealth Economy dashboard. The tool provides up-to-date indicators for Germany and the EU, including employment, value creation, and exports.
The data shows that the health sector supports nearly 30 million jobs across the EU, generates one in every ten euros of GDP, and contributed €266 billion in exports in 2022. These figures reinforce the role of health as a driver of economic strength and welfare in Europe – making data-driven health policy a necessity in 2026.
Innovation and Technology as Value Creators
Discussions around health innovation increasingly focus on how technologies can move care upstream and translate early intervention into measurable economic value.
At the launch of the report“Moving Upstream: Disease Prevention as a Strategic Opportunity for Irish Medtech Innovation,” Dr. Sandra Zimmermann presented WifOR’s research on the positive impact of novel treatments. Using Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia (CLTI) as a case study, the analysis showed that early diagnosis and intervention can save €6,000-€11,000 per patient, deliver returns of €1.60-€2.10 per €1invested, and reduce long-term socioeconomic costs.
Similarly, at the AmCham Estonia Annual Healthcare Forum 2025, Dr. Karla Hernandez-Villafuerte demonstrated how health technologies and prevention can increase productivity and labor force participation. For example, a €20 million investment in a cardiovascular disease prevention program would generate €50 million in GVA and 1,178 additional workers within the first 10 years. These discussions highlight how innovation will be central to sustainable health systems in 2026 and the future.
Prevention for Workforce Resilience
As Europe faces growing labor shortages and discussions on productivity concerns dominate public debates, prevention – and vaccination in particular – emerges as a path to strengthen the workforce in 2026 and beyond
At MSD’s Spotlight on Vaccination – Prevention Before Rehab & Retirement, discussions focused on vaccines as a lever for economic resilience. Higher vaccination coverage reduces sick leave, strengthens labor force participation, and supports businesses – particularly SMEs – by preventing avoidable productivity losses.
This message was reinforced at the World Health Summit, where WifOR’s Dr. Sandra Zimmermann joined a panel on immunization against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and pneumococcal disease. As summarized by Health Policy Watch, the discussion highlighted how vaccination supports employment, promotes social equity, and delivers both short-term savings and long-term economic returns. Prevention, especially early in life, emerged as a catalyst for well-being and prosperity.
Health in Global Decision-Making
In 2025, health was featured in broader economic and policy debates worldwide – a trend that will likely continue in 2026, reaching audiences and global leaders beyond the health sector.
Another contribution, our international white paper “Healthy Returns”, in collaboration with Johnson & Johnson, further reinforced this shift. It underlines that health is not merely a social responsibility, but a decisive factor for prosperity, resilience, and sustainable economic development across borders.
Explore our latest media features:
Daily News Egypt: Interview with Prof. Dr. Dennis Ostwald on our Social Impact of Health Framework. Read the article (in English) here.
DIE ZEIT: “Health as Growth Motor: From Cost Factor to Value Creation”. Read about it (in German) here.
Tagesspiegel Background: Prof. Dr. Dennis Ostwald presented our Concept for a Federal Foundation for Prevention in Germany. Read the article (in German) here.
Recent publications:
Whitepaper “Healthy Returns: A Catalyst for Economic Growth and Resilience” in collaboration with Johnson & Johnson. Download the paper here.
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WifOR Institute, Ludwigsplatz 6, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany
