Strategic gaps in ‘healthy ageing’: an analysis of global priorities

In view of a globally ageing population and the increase in chronic diseases, healthcare systems are facing immense financial challenges. By 2050, the number of people over the age of 60 is expected to double. Against this backdrop, ‘healthy ageing’ – the long-term maintenance of well-being – is becoming a key task for the future. Although organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) are setting out concepts for this demographic change, it has remained unclear what priorities are actually being set in practice. The current study aimed to map these priorities and highlight strategic gaps.

Focus on medical care

The research team analysed the thematic priorities of 56 key global players in 2024. These ranged from government agencies and multilateral organisations (such as the WHO and the UN) to companies in the longevity sector and research institutions. A good half of the actors examined (52%) are based in the USA, followed by Europe (30%), Asia (11%) and other regions.
Analysis of the four main categories defined reveals a clear hierarchy of priorities:

• Public health (38%): This area is the main focus. Efforts are primarily concentrated on the further development of geroscience and medical care for older people.
• Work and further education (27%): Issues such as continued employment and lifelong learning occupy second place.
• Social factors (19%): Aspects such as the fight against age discrimination are addressed much less frequently.
• Physical infrastructure (16%): Adapting the environment to the needs of an ageing society comes last.

The gaps in the subcategories are particularly striking: initiatives to combat loneliness accounted for only around 2 per cent of the value propositions examined; public transport – a basic prerequisite for mobility in old age – was only mentioned as a priority in 1 per cent of cases.

Experts call for a rethink

Prof. Dr. Elgar Fleisch and Prof. Dr. Tobias Kowatsch from the Institute for Technology Management at the University of St. Gallen (ITEM-HSG) contributed to the study. Tobias Kowatsch is critical of the strong focus of stakeholders on pure care: ‘Healthy ageing is currently viewed too narrowly through a medical lens. We invest a lot of energy in care and medicine, but too little in what supports healthy ageing in everyday life: social participation and a supportive environment.’

Elgar Fleisch also sees the results as reflecting a structural deficit. He points out that only 3 per cent of healthcare spending goes towards prevention, even though 80 per cent of costs are caused by chronic diseases, most of which could be prevented. ‘The growing importance of geroscience is a positive sign, but the rest is less so, unfortunately,’ Fleisch concludes. ‘The medical knowledge for prevention is there, but the model or business case is missing.’