From Zurich to Montreal, policymakers and researchers are embracing a shared message: health is not a cost – it’s a strategic investment. Explore the latest data, discussions, and developments fueling this global shift.
In recent weeks, WifOR has advanced the conversation on health as a driver of economic growth – from publishing in The Lancet to speaking at international events.
Our message echoed across global platforms: health is a growth engine. At ISPOR 2025 and Zurich Health Days, among other events, we highlighted the broader economic value of healthcare – from easing caregiving burdens to contributing substantially to GDP.
At ZEIT für Forschung, we joined a national discussion on health innovation – one reinforced by Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s words that healthcare is “the fastest growing sector of our economy.”
Keep reading to discover the highlights, insights, and impact behind these topics.
Best wishes,
WifOR and Harvard published by The Lancet Group – Health Investments Drive Immediate Economic Growth
The latest collaboration between WifOR colleagues and Prof. Rifat Atun from Harvard University published in the journal eClinicalMedicine – The Lancet Discovery Science, underscores a powerful insight: investment in cancer prevention brings both instant and long-term returns.
The study focuses on HPV vaccination across four Commonwealth countries – the UK, Nigeria, Malaysia, and India – and quantifies its direct impact on GDP and employment. In India, for example, a US$756 million investment generated US$1.15 billion in GDP contributions, while in the UK, the US$134 million invested led to an economic impact of US$240 million.
Beyond treatment, the publication shows how the broader Health Economy is a key pillar of national growth. In the UK, it accounts for nearly 9% of the overall GDP and employs nearly 1 in 7 workers.
These findings prove what we at WifOR Institute have long advocated: prevention is a catalyst for economic development and resilience.
WifOR at ISPOR 2025: Showcasing the Societal Value of Health
At ISPOR 2025 in Montreal, WifOR's Health Economics team brought fresh insights on how to measure the full societal value of healthcare innovations.
Our poster “Spillover Effects of Medical Innovations” introduced a scalable approach to account for informal caregiving in economic evaluations. By linking patient health gains to reductions in unpaid care time, we highlighted how easing caregiver burden translates into broader economic benefits.
In addition, our research was featured in a second poster – “Socioeconomic Value of Targeted Therapies for HER2+ Breast Cancer in China” – presented by collaborators from the Fudan University in Shanghai. The study applied WifOR’s Social Impact Framework to estimate the QALY-based socioeconomic value of seven therapies listed in China’s National Reimbursement Drug List, offering new perspectives on the role of innovation in global reimbursement decisions.
I also had the pleasure of moderating a key panel titled “Assessing the Broader Economic Impact of Investment in Healthcare Interventions.” The session emphasized how input-output modeling can complement Health Technology Assessments (HTA) by quantifying investments’ impact on GDP and employment.
As healthcare systems face mounting financial pressures, these insights are vital to understanding – and justifying – the true value of medical innovation.
Health Economy Data Unveiled: Health as a Driver of Economic Resilience
WifOR’s message that health equals prosperity took center stage at the Zürcher Gesundheitstage 2025, where my keynote showcased how investments in health contribute not only to individual well-being but also to national economic resilience.
Drawing on WifOR’s annual data for Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy – now updated in the official GGR Dashboard – we highlighted how the Health Economy generated €490 billion in 2024, accounting for 1 in every 8 euros of GDP. While Germany’s total economy grew by 4% annually (2015–2024), the Health Economy outpaced it at 4.9%, with employment in the sector rising twice as fast as the national average.
These insights are more than just numbers. As German Chancellor Friedrich Merz remarked in an interview with Die Zeit: “Healthcare is the fastest growing sector of our economy. We always view healthcare policy as a cost burden, rarely or never as an opportunity to create value in our own country.” Our data shows this opportunity is real – and urgent.
To dive into the dashboard data, WifOR colleagues Dr. Richard Scholz and Hanna Hryhorova also published an article in Gesundheit + Gesellschaft, AOK’s magazine, exploring how the health sector has become a crucial pillar of the German economy.
ZEIT für Forschung: Health is an Opportunity, Not a Burden
The new government's plans for health policy were also dealt with at the Zeit für Forschung event in Berlin, where I had the opportunity to join experts from science, politics, and industry to discuss Germany’s future as a hub for medical innovation. In the panel discussion, we emphasized the central message that a healthy population is not only a social good – it’s the foundation of economic resilience, innovation, and long-term competitiveness.
As Germany advances reforms in medical research and hospital financing, this is a crucial moment to align innovation with strategic investment. The window of opportunity is open – but not forever. WifOR will continue contributing to this dialogue with evidence, insights, and data for improved decision-making for a stronger, healthier economy.
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