Jean-Michel Luyckx - Novartis Belgium

Around the world, health systems are under tremendous strain, battling to respond to existing health burdens caused by rapid urbanization, the threat of new emerging diseases and extreme weather due to climate change, and the shortage of skilled health workers. These threats urgently call for innovative, multisector, and data-driven approaches to improve the health of populations. 

Today, one cannot find a policy note of a Minister of Health without the concept of ‘population health management’. However, behind this catch-all term and buzzword there is a lot of uncertainty, unclarity and good intentions. Because: how does a healthcare system implement population health? 

Novartis believes population health is about reimagining how healthcare systems work and making them future proof. As a leading biopharmaceutical company with longstanding history in population health Novartis wants to take up its responsibility in implementing population health management. 

For example, in the United-Kingdom Novartis partnered with the NHS to lower cardiovascular mortality via the ‘first population health agreement’. Cardiovascular disease is one of the main causes of death in Belgium and Europe, and as often with chronic diseases it requires a multifactorial approach. The Population health program in the UK aims to identify and treat the right patient at the right time. 

As every system is different, Novartis has been working with local stakeholders to see how we can use population health to tackle cardiovascular disease in Belgium. Beyond the concept, we want to bring concrete actions.