New Future Health and King’s Think tank report published: KTTxFuture Health (Final Version)-compressed FINAL

Today alongside researchers at the King’s Think Tank, Europe’s largest led Student Policy Institute Future Health publishes a collection of papers looking at some of the big issues facing global health in the run up to the G7 that the UK chairs this year.

Future Health Founder and Programme Director, Richard Sloggett lays out how the UK can play a leading role in global healthcare in the years to come. Richard sets out how the UK can use its G7 platform this summer and the recent Integrated Security and Foreign Policy Review to begin efforts to reform the World Health Organisation. Richard’s piece also explores ways to reverse cuts and ‘power-up’ ODA to support the global healthcare recovery post Covid and how the UK’s life sciences and health technology sector can grow and develop domestically and internationally in the years to come.

Enya Khan uses her piece to set out ways for tackling anti microbial resistance which it has been estimated could be responsible for 10 million deaths per year by 2050, with 2.4 million deaths between 2015 and 2050 taking place in high-income countries if not effectively tackled⁴.  Enya outlines how an opportunity has emerged for the UK to take on lead in tackling substandard and falsified medicines and how blockchain technology could be used to address the issue.

Gursharan Khera and Rupali Lav set out ways for the UK to utilise its leadership of the G7 to begin to spread the opportunities presented by the development of new healthcare technologies. They outline mechanisms for the UK to share some of its data and intelligence on elements of the pandemic response effectively with other countries. In addition they argue that the UK can play a leading role in health technology education and setting global health technology standards worldwide.

Coralie Belair focuses her article on the impact that lockdowns have had on young people, particularly students. Coralie sets out how depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions have risen amongst students and the difficulties that remote working and social isolation have had on wellbeing. Coralie outlines five recommendations for improving mental health from tackling stigma, increasing community peer support, providing financial help for students, unlocking digital health options and tailoring support.

Finally Pedra Raibee has developed a framework for building more resilient healthcare systems. The framework covers how healthcare systems can prepare for, manage (absorb, adapt and transform) and learn from shocks. Pedra’s framework covers a series of themes that systems need to focus on including governance, information, finance, resources and service delivery; including a series of case studies and recommendations for Governments and health service leaders.

Covid 19 has shaken healthcare systems globally. As the President of the G7 as the Covid recovery begins the UK is well placed to lead a renewal of how we tackle our great healthcare challenges.

We hope these papers can play a part in delivering on that ambition.