Transforming Population Health: The Novartis Foundation in 2021 and beyond

Around the world, health systems are under tremendous strain, battling to respond to the dual burden of infectious and chronic diseases, the constant threat of emerging diseases, the global shortage of skilled health workers, and rapid urbanization. These threats present an urgent need for innovative, multisector and data-driven approaches to improve the health of populations. That’s why the Novartis Foundation uses evidence from its most impactful interventions to help decision makers enhance population health policy. Population health approaches prioritize reducing health inequalities, promoting partnerships and public health initiatives, and maximizing the application of technology to strengthen health systems.

Our ultimate aim is to re-engineer our current care systems into true health systems that prioritize keeping people healthy, rather than caring for them only when they are unwell. COVID-19 has been a wake-up call for this urgent re-engineering. And, as the pandemic hit urban populations particularly hard, cities are the best place to start.