Shifting from a reactive, sickness-focused healthcare system to one that promotes wellness and longevity has never been more urgent, says Vincent Buscemi, Partner and Head of Independent Health and Care at Bevan Brittan LLP
The traditional healthcare system has long been structured around the model of treating sickness. Value-based healthcare or VBH models also focus on managing illness and disease after they have already occurred. Diabetes care, for example, often centres on minimising the risk of major complications like amputations rather than addressing the early stages of the disease and preventing its onset. This reactive approach, where intervention comes after illness, needs a radical transformation if we are to address the complex health challenges of the 21st century.
Prevention is not a new concept and many countries are already beginning to recognise that prioritising prevention over treatment is the key to building a sustainable healthcare future. Integrating health-promoting strategies across various sectors will improve population health, reducing health costs over time and enhancing quality of life. However, reducing the incidence of chronic disease doesn’t have an immediate ROI, so solutions have to be found that can deliver tangible and demonstrable benefits in the short and long term.
Countries such as Japan and Singapore are leading the charge by integrating prevention into their healthcare models. These nations have acknowledged that waiting until diseases manifest is a losing strategy, both from a financial and health outcomes perspective. Instead of continuing to treat conditions such as hypertension, obesity, and diabetes reactively, they have begun investing in preventive interventions at policy level. These measures include lifestyle-based, precision interventions designed to prevent the onset of chronic diseases, thus reducing the downstream costs associated with their long-term treatment.
Incorporating prevention-focused health policies requires a systemic shift, and this shift starts with rethinking primary care. In many healthcare systems, hospitals remain the focal point of care, with doctors and specialists providing treatment when people are already ill. This system perpetuates a ‘sick care’ model. However, strengthening primary care and positioning it as a hub for wellness and prevention strategies would help to reframe how we approach healthcare. Primary care could serve as the gateway to holistic health interventions, connecting individuals to resources that support a healthy lifestyle and prevent chronic illness, rather than simply managing it once it occurs.
Emerging technologies and longevity
Advances in genomics and biotechnology are reshaping how we approach both disease prevention and treatment. The cost of sequencing the first human genome in 2003 has drastically decreased – from $3 billion to under $200 today – enabling more widespread access to genomic data that can guide personalised prevention strategies.
Moreover, gene editing technologies like CRISPR open the door for innovative treatments targeting genetic predispositions to chronic diseases. By editing genes or modulating epigenetic factors, we can potentially prevent or reverse conditions before they manifest. This shift from treating diseases to preventing them at the genetic or molecular level is a powerful example of how medical science is helping healthcare evolve into a preventative and proactive mindset that will redefine inherited and chronic conditions.
However, the promise of personalised medicine goes beyond genetics alone. Wearables and artificial intelligence (AI) are also helping people track their health in real-time, detect early signs of disease, and receive personalised wellness recommendations. Telehealth expansion is another example. It is now common to have GP and other appointments remotely, but why not make preventative and wellness services on telemedicine platforms available, especially in hard to reach areas? These technologies have the potential to revolutionise not just disease treatment, but disease prevention.
Biotech and longevity research is also imperative. Ageing populations come with rising disease level and strain on the system. The WHO predicts that by 2050 the global population over 60 will double and will intensify demand for long term sustainable healthcare models. Investing at policy level into ageing and chronic disease management for healthspan not lifespan must incorporate preventative care models.
Age-related diseases such as dementia and cancer should necessitate prevention measures that improve healthspan, not just lifespan. This refocusing also requires workforce and community engagement – encouraging businesses to implement workplace initiatives or applying interventions that replicate lessons learned from Blue Zone communities can have a significant impact on a local populations; for example, walkable neighbourhoods to improve lifestyle.
The role of public health policy and regulatory frameworks
Health systems can’t and don’t exist in a vacuum – they operate in real time. Not
learning those lessons to build the future framework is a potential lost opportunity and a positive prescription for disaster. A truly resilient health system is not just one that is capable of withstanding these shocks when they occur, but is capable of adapting and transforming in the ways that are needed to ensure continued access to quality care.
Effective public health policy is key to supporting these shifts. Global health campaigns and local initiatives focusing on nutrition, physical activity and mental wellness can help create an environment where healthier lifestyles are the norm, not the exception. In particular, addressing socio-economic inequality is vital in ensuring that everyone has access to the resources necessary to lead a healthy life. Proper housing and education play as much of a part in wellness and health as clinical services.
Governments play a significant role in shaping health behaviours through regulatory measures. Policies such as sugar taxes, restrictions on trans fats, and labelling regulations can encourage people towards healthier choices. The challenge, however, is balancing government intervention with corporate interests. As large corporations have the power to influence public policy, aligning their goals with public health objectives is essential to creating a system where profit incentives and health outcomes are not in conflict. If left solely to the private sector, health solutions may only be accessible to the wealthy, exacerbating global health disparities. This is where government involvement becomes essential to ensure that health promotion strategies benefit all, not just the privileged.
Health systems resilience and global collaboration
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the fragility of healthcare systems worldwide, revealing the need for not just more robust systems but systems that can adapt and respond to emerging challenges. To build a resilient health system for the future, global collaboration is essential. In the Pandemic Accord negotiations, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for international efforts to improve pandemic preparedness, including the development of early warning mechanisms to mitigate future health crises.
A future-ready health system must also align with an evolving regulatory and legal landscape. It falls to government to strike a balance between efficiency and equity to ensure there is affordability on one level while being able to incentivise innovation on another. As technologies such as AI, genomics, and telehealth become more integrated into healthcare delivery, regulatory frameworks must evolve to ensure patient safety, privacy, and ethical considerations. Harmonising global regulatory standards will be crucial in fostering a cohesive and effective health system.
The Middle East: A model for future health systems
The Middle East is uniquely positioned to spearhead the development of new healthcare models. It is becoming a more attractive place to live, work and play. While the Western world struggles with expensive healthcare provision, tight budgets and high taxes, countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia are free from the constraints of legacy healthcare systems and are actively building innovative approaches to health and wellness.
The Middle East’s access to wealth enables these countries to make long-term investments in wellness infrastructure. With centralised policy and investment initiatives, they can rapidly incorporate new systems as they are not subject to the bureaucracy and inertia that constrains many western democracies. They are investing heavily in smart cities, such as NEOM, designed with health and wellness at their core. This strategy gives them a unique advantage in embedding wellness and prevention into the foundation of their healthcare models.
Hospitality and community are a huge part of the region’s culture and lifestyle, and align with wellness and longevity. With a growing younger population, there is also an urgent need to address rising rates of chronic diseases and obesity. So there is also a recognition that education plays a role in embedding wellness into people’s mindsets and that without health literacy even the most laudable initiatives will fail.
By demonstrating better health outcomes at lower costs, the Middle East could provide a model for the rest of the world. Integrating prevention into every aspect of healthcare—through personalised medicine, technology, public health policies, and global collaboration—will not only improve individual health outcomes but also create more sustainable and resilient healthcare systems. Furthermore, the Middle East could become a hub for global health innovation, with shared learning across borders and partnerships that transcend traditional geopolitical boundaries.
The healthcare revolution is redefining longevity, driven by emerging technologies, progressive health policies, and global collaboration. Advances in innovation, regulatory frameworks, and cross-border partnerships are essential for delivering high-quality, sustainable care. As organisations expand internationally, navigating complex systems becomes critical. Bevan Brittan’s team of health and care experts provides strategic support to organisations and systems navigating these complexities, ensuring clients capitalise on opportunities in global markets while maintaining compliance and excellence in care delivery, shaping a sustainable, healthier, longer future for all.
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