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<\/p>\nHealth underpins defence planning, demographic strategy and economic reform<\/p>\n
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\n Credit: WHO<\/p>\n
Across much of the world today, governments are reassessing their priorities. Defence budgets are rising in a volatile geopolitical landscape. Migration and demographic decline are climbing up the political agenda as our societies age and workforce shrinks. Economic competitiveness, sovereignty and resilience dominate public debate.<\/p>\n
Yet, one essential truth still risks being overlooked: none of these priorities can be addressed without a healthy population.<\/p>\n
Health is too often treated as a downstream social sector \u2014 something to be funded once other priorities are secured. In reality, health is the pre-condition that determines whether societies are safe, policies sustainable and economies productive. This is the central message of WHO\/Europe\u2019s new five-year strategy \u2014 the second European Programme of Work (EPW2)<\/a> \u2014 which was recently adopted by all 53 member states of the WHO European region. EPW2 reframes health as a necessary investment that underpins broader national and regional priorities, rather than a sector competing for scarce resources.<\/p>\n Europe is facing a convergence of pressures. Our region is ageing faster than any other in the world. Chronic conditions such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancers and diabetes account for the vast majority of premature deaths and disability. The European region ranks among the worst in terms of alcohol<\/a> and tobacco<\/a> use. Mental health conditions are among the leading causes of lost productivity. Climate change and conflict are increasing health risks while public budgets tighten. In this context, the question is not whether Europe can afford to invest in health. The question is whether Europe can afford not to.<\/p>\n With more than 100 countries increasing their defence budgets<\/a> in 2024, global military spending hit a record $2,718 billion, up nearly 10% on the previous year. Yet, modern security also depends on a much broader range of dimensions that define societal strength \u2014 on whether populations are physically fit and mentally resilient, on whether countries are prepared to face epidemics and emergencies and are able to sustain essential services during crises. Recent emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic have shown that fragile health systems can become national security liabilities. Investing in health security, primary health care and workforce resilience strengthens a country\u2019s capacity to withstand shocks just as surely as investment in infrastructure or equipment.<\/p>\n Now consider demographics. Many European countries are grappling with low fertility rates, shrinking workforces and longer lives. By 2050, more than a third (35%)<\/a> of Europe\u2019s population will be aged 60 or over. Yet, ageing itself is not a problem \u2014 it represents the triumph of longer, fuller lives and the opportunity to harness decades of experience and wisdom. Policies aimed at boosting our health and social care workforce, remaining economically active for longer or integrating migrants more effectively will fail if large parts of the population suffer from preventable illness, disability or poor mental health. Healthy ageing is not just a social aspiration; it is a demographic necessity \u2014 and an opportunity to reimagine what an active, meaningful life looks like.<\/p>\n Or look at economic competitiveness. Poor health is already one of the main constraints on productivity growth in Europe. Chronic disease, stress-related conditions and long-term sickness cost economies billions every year. By contrast, strong health systems foster innovation, create jobs and attract investment. With digital health technologies expanding, the health sector itself drives growth in ICT, data governance and life science industries. Evidence consistently shows that investment in disease prevention, mental health and clean environments delivers some of the highest returns of any public expenditure.<\/p>\n This is why EPW2 makes a deliberate strategic shift: placing health as an enabler of other policy goals, not as a competing budget line; moving from \u2018health in all policies\u2019 to \u2018health for all policies\u2019. For example, when health is embedded into climate policy, transport planning, housing, education, labour and fiscal strategies, meeting our health priorities does not depend solely on health budgets. It flows through multiple channels, because multiple objectives are being served. This integrated approach is not new; it was at the heart of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion<\/a> 40 years ago, and, in today\u2019s increasingly complex and interconnected world, feels more relevant than ever.<\/p>\n Investing in healthy living pays dividends. Health taxes on tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks, for example, simultaneously reduce disease, generate domestic revenue and lower future healthcare costs. Cleaner air policies reduce emissions and cardiovascular disease. Strong primary healthcare keeps people in the workforce longer while reducing pressure on hospitals. Investing in preparedness protects lives while safeguarding economic continuity in the face of a health emergency.<\/p>\n Scarcity demands clarity. EPW2 is intentionally focused on interventions that are high-impact, evidence-based and economically rational. It prioritizes what protects people and systems first \u2014 because without healthy people, no strategy endures.<\/p>\n The adoption of EPW2 by all 53 member states sends a powerful signal: Europe understands that health is not a passive beneficiary of prosperity, but an active driver of it; that unity around health can be a bridge to cooperation and peace. The task now is implementation \u2014 aligning health with defence planning, demographic strategy and economic reform, and measuring success not only in lives saved, but in resilience built.<\/p>\n In an age of uncertainty, Europe\u2019s greatest strategic asset is not found in any single policy domain. It lies in the health of its people. Protect that \u2014 and every other priority becomes more achievable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Health underpins defence planning, demographic strategy and economic reform You have full access to this article via your…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":358876,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[2294,134,3186,103949,95116,31500,95115,527,29111,14214,111,139,69],"class_list":{"0":"post-358875","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthcare","8":"tag-general","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-health-care","11":"tag-health-care-economics","12":"tag-health-economics","13":"tag-health-promotion-and-disease-prevention","14":"tag-health-psychology","15":"tag-healthcare","16":"tag-maternal-and-child-health","17":"tag-medicine-public-health","18":"tag-new-zealand","19":"tag-newzealand","20":"tag-nz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=358875"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358875\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/358876"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=358875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=358875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=358875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}