Lancet Commission 2013: Global Health 2035

This Lancet Commission revisits World Development Report 1993: Investing in Health and develops an investment framework for ambitious health gains by 2035. The report has four key messages with accompanying opportunities for action: that a grand convergence of mortality rates is achievable in our lifetimes, returns on health investments are impressive, fiscal policies are underutilized tools for curbing noncommunicable diseases and injuries, and pro-poor pathways to universal health coverage are an efficient way to achieve health and financial protection. Accompanying resources include an illustrated video summarizing the key points of the report and a podcast discussing why it is time to revisit the case for investment in health.

Prompted by the twentieth anniversary of World Development Report 1993 (WDR 1993, published by The World Bank Group), The Lancet Commission on Investing in Health was launched in December 2012. Unlike most Lancet Commissions, this commission features a website which outlines the ongoing work of the commission. The report’s evidence is being used to generate new analyses to shape three areas of global health policy: sustainable development for health, donor investments in global health, and domestic health investments. The website also provides supporting resources including multimedia and policy briefs, along with recent articles, slide decks, and working papers. WDR 1993, one of the most widely cited publications in the World Bank's history, demonstrated that well-chosen, evidence-based health expenditures were an investment not only in health, but also in economic prosperity. It also argued for additional resources to address high-burden diseases.