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HEALTH Technology can usher in a new golden age in healthcare The moral case is self-evident and the economic case for investment is equally clear. But neither technology nor markets alone will close the gap. International cooperation is needed more than ever.
By Gargee Ghosh Senior Advisor to the CEO of the Gates Foundation
One of the great joys of my career has been supporting the groundbreaking technologies that will deliver a better future for families, no matter where they live. In my recent travels on behalf of the Gates Foundation to Europe, India, China and across the USA, I’ve witnessed that future firsthand. Advances in AI, biotech, fintech and quantum computing have ushered in a golden age — one where solutions to the most entrenched problems in international development are in sight. Harnessed for good and with a deliberate focus on equity, the potential could be transformational. At the Gates Foundation, we measure progress in terms of better care for women and children, eliminating infectious diseases like malaria and lifting families out of poverty. Unfortunately, the basic act of childbirth in many places remains dangerous. Haemorrhage, preeclampsia, sepsis and obstructed labor are all leading causes of death, exacerbated by unskilled birth attendance, low health worker density, ill-equipped facilities and shortage of blood supplies. Despite a 40 percent drop in global maternal mortality since 2000, Sub-Saharan Africa still faces 454 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births — 70 percent of the world’s total — while the region’s maternal death risk is 1 in 55, compared to 1 in 8,000 in high-income countries. In 2023, 84 percent of deaths in children under 5 years occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The economic case for investing in health The moral case is self-evident, but the economic case for investment is equally clear. The most robust economic modelling shows that integrated maternal and child health interventions will return between US$9–20 for every US$1 spent by 2035. Returns include reduced deaths and health systems burden, higher labor force productivity and intergenerational benefits for families and communities. Current global spending on family planning (US$4 billion) has saved US$5.6 billion in maternal and newborn health services. Investments could yield up to US$3.8 trillion in global economic benefits by 2035.
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