Over the last four years, health systems and society have been pushed to their extremes in responding to a health crisis whose impact was unrivalled in a century. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed that even the best-funded health systems were caught off guard and unready to mount an effective response to a crisis of such magnitude. In too many cases, marginalised and vulnerable groups paid the biggest price. The unequal impacts of the pandemic drove home another reality stark reality: Health systems do not operate in a vacuum. Many of the most important global issues of today – including rising inequalities, climate change, and digitalisation – both affect health systems, and are impacted by them. 

New tools and technologies, including the deployment of genomic medicine and artificial intelligence, could help to tackle many of healthcare’s most pressing challenges. But employing them poorly could exacerbate some of the very challenges they were meant to address. A clear conversation on the practical implications is needed to help shape a policy response that manages their risks while realising their potential benefits for all. 

To take stock of how health systems have evolved and explore the potential – and limitations – of adopting new innovations into health systems, a High-Level Policy Forum exploring The Future of People-Centred Health Innovation will be held on 22 January 2024.