Prevention-centred health policy creates a healthier and wealthier society

A landmark study by McKinsey explores the potential benefits of transitioning to a novel US health policy centered on prevention. The cost of poor health in the United States is estimated at a whopping 16% of real GDP, driven both by premature deaths as well as lost productive years. If the US moves away from its traditional cost-reduction approach when shaping health policy and prioritizes prevention instead, this will reduce disease burden by one-third and boost GDP by 10% by 2040. While ongoing innovation in the field of preventive health will play its role in accelerating these outcomes, it is reassuring that known preventive health measures - smoking cessation, weight loss control, etc. - will be sufficient to alter the landscape of health and wealth within just 20 years.