McKinsey Health Institute

Nearly 900 million adults worldwide are living with obesity, and the number continues to rise. At the World Health Summit in Berlin, our McKinsey & Company colleagues hosted a lunch dialogue on “The Next Frontier in Metabolic Health in LMICs.” Insights from the McKinsey Health Institute informed a thoughtful discussion on the cultural and political complexity of changing diets, and the importance of aligning public and private incentives to make healthier choices easier and more accessible. The session brought together leaders across sectors, including McKinsey Health Institute affiliated leader Tania Zulu Holt and Director of Healthy Longevity Lars Hartenstein, to explore how innovation and collaboration can drive progress on metabolic health globally. While innovation in metabolic health is advancing rapidly in high-income countries (HICs), momentum in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is still building - with greater awareness, investment, and collaboration needed to accelerate progress. Although obesity prevalence remains highest in HICs, it is rising fastest in LMICs. Our latest research shows that catalyzing a global metabolic health revolution could yield 469 million additional years of healthy life and a $5.65 trillion annual boost to global GDP by 2050. Realizing this opportunity will require progress across science, technology, transparency, and society - unlocking the full potential of better metabolic health for all. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eEsuc_ii 📸 Photo Credit: World Health Summit  #WHS2025 #MetabolicHealth #MetabolicHealthRevolution  #MetabolicHealthForAll #Obesity

Every $1 invested in health can yield up to $4 in economic returns. Alongside the World Bank–IMF Annual Meetings, Brad Herbig, Senior Fellow and Director of Health Data and Analytics at the McKinsey Health Institute, joined Devex to explore how scaling proven health interventions can transform lives and power sustainable, inclusive growth. Disease burden is like an invisible debt on the balance sheet of countries. Investing in prevention is like paying down the principal on an invisible debt, reducing future fiscal pressure and strengthening long-term stability. Data provides the foundation for this approach, enabling policymakers to quantify both health and economic returns – and direct resources where they have the greatest impact. Insights from the McKinsey Health Institute show that improving population health by addressing noncommunicable diseases could prevent 28 million premature deaths each year, add 396 million years of healthy life, and unlock up to $11 trillion in global GDP by 2050. The conversations alongside the #WBGMeetings reinforced that health is not a cost but a catalyst, driving productivity, resilience, and shared prosperity for people and economies alike. Read more on the health and economic returns of investing in health: https://lnkd.in/erzB72ug #WBGMeetings #NCDs #GlobalHealth #InvestinHealth Photo: Marcellus McIntosh and Devex

Closing the Black maternal health gap presents a powerful opportunity to save lives, strengthen communities, and advance economies. Earlier this year, the McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility and the McKinsey Health Institute released new research revealing the profound health and economic benefits of addressing maternal health disparities in the United States. Research shows that, by 2040, closing the Black maternal health gap could save thousands of Black mothers’ lives and protect more than 35,000 Black babies. It could also add 350,000 healthier years of life and boost the U.S. economy by up to $25 billion. In a recent op-ed for Fierce Healthcare, Fadesola A., affiliated leader of the McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility, and Dr. Caroline Morgan Berchuck, MD, MPH, Director of Women's Health for the McKinsey Health Institute, explore pathways creating healthier lives, stronger communities, and a more resilient economy. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eQ6QSJCa #CloseTheWomensHealthGap #BlackMaternalHealth #CountStudyCareIncludeInvest

The global healthcare workforce is under growing pressure and we are feeling the impact.   Today, 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services, and by 2030, the world could face a shortfall of at least 10 million healthcare workers. This is more than a numbers problem - it’s a challenge of equity, system resilience, and economic stability.   At the McKinsey Health Institute, our research highlights that this problem is solvable. In a new Re:Think article, MHI global leader Pooja Kumar explores these strategic system-level innovations that can play a role, including: • Rethinking how we train, support, and retain healthcare workers • Using AI and technology to reduce burnout and streamline administrative tasks • Empowering patients with tools, literacy, and agency to manage their health   This is not a challenge for the future, it’s a call to act now. Every innovation that supports the healthcare workforce strengthens the foundation of global health.   Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eAiNYAcQ   #CloseTheHealthWorkerShortage #HealthSystems #HealthCareInnovation  

Mental health is an essential foundation of modern health – a catalyst for individuals, communities, and economies to thrive. At the McKinsey Health Institute, we’re advancing the evidence, innovation, and collaboration needed to unlock the societal and economic potential of better mental health for all. Our foundational research highlights how investing in known, cost-effective interventions could reclaim 150 years of healthier life and unlock $4.4 trillion in global GDP in 2050 (read it here: https://lnkd.in/ebzZ5cme). And together with our ecosystem of collaborators, we’re developing open-access insights, resources, and tools to make mental health care more accessible and investable (explore here: https://lnkd.in/ghsMvBTV). This #WorldMentalHealthDay, we’re helping shape a future where accessible, equitable mental health support is a foundation of every resilient society. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g8RWXGjD #InvestInMentalHealth #MentalHealth #BrainHealth

Health is one of the most impactful investments we can make. Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes claim 46 million lives each year and their impact extends far beyond mortality. They disrupt lives, strain families, overwhelm healthcare systems, and slow global economic progress. In a new op-ed for Devex, our Director of Health Data and Analytics Brad Herbig and Senior Partner Michael D. Conway highlight that evidence-based, cost-effective interventions are already available. Scaling these proven solutions could prevent up to 28 million deaths annually and add nearly 400 million healthy life years worldwide by 2050. Our latest research from the McKinsey Health Institute shows that the economic case is equally compelling: a healthier population can work more effectively and productively -- potentially contributing an estimated $11 trillion to global GDP by 2050. Addressing NCDs is not just a health priority, it’s a strategic economic opportunity. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/erHetHHY #NCDs #GlobalHealth #InvestinHealth #ScaleWhatWorks

On the sidelines of UNGA80, the McKinsey Health Institute emphasized how prioritizing health is not only essential for our well-being but is also a powerful driver of economic growth, innovation, and equity. Some highlights from the week: ➡️ Making the case for noncommunicable diseases: Unveiled new MHI research on the health and economic opportunity of scaling known interventions to address NCDs (and a deep dive into brain health) at the Foreign Policy’s Health Summit and the Global Health Connector Science Summit event. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/erzB72ug ➡️ Accelerating the brain economy: Convened cross-sector stakeholders, including through the World Economic Forum's Brain Economy Action Forum, Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association - EMEA's Brain Economy Summit, and European Brain Council (EBC)'s Brain Days, to shape a future economy that safeguards brain health, fosters brain skills, and studies, invests in, and mobilizes for brain capital. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/duBHt8x3 ➡️ Mobilizing sustainable investment in mental health: Celebrated the 1-year anniversary of the Coalition for Mental Health Investment, where we shared a new guidebook to help de-risk investment in mental health, CMHI co-founder African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA) launched a landmark $100 million Mental Health Fund, and Billion Minds Institute and British Asian Trust announced commitments to catalyze investment in mental health. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eSJP_xhv ➡️ Closing the women's health gap: Joined the World Economic Forum's Global Alliance for Women’s Health annual meeting to share progress on efforts that shaping the global women’s health agenda, including the business case for women’s health, a blueprint for action, and the Women’s Health Impact Tracker that empowers stakeholders across the globe to measure impact and drive progress in closing the women’s health gap. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ewmWaJ5a The message is clear: investing in health fuels resilience, economic vitality, and human potential. Health is not a sector--it’s a foundation of thriving societies and economies. #UNGA80 #BrainHealth #NCDs #WomensHealth #MetabolicHealth #InvestInMentalHealth

Public momentum and innovation around mental health continues to grow, but the financing needed to create a mentally healthy world has fallen short – resulting in a $200-350 billion annual funding gap. Investing in mental health is an opportunity to meaningfully improve societal outcomes and boost economic growth. To help, the Coalition for Mental Health Investment (CMHI) – co-founded by the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA), Clinton Global Initiative, Kokoro , the McKinsey Health Institute, and Wellcome Trust – developed a guidebook for stakeholders who want to make a difference by establishing, shaping, and funding mental health initiatives in their communities and globally. This open-access resource aims to de-risk mental health investment by championing sustainable financing approaches for funders, implementers, innovators, policymakers, and advocates. We’re grateful to our CMHI partners, Global Advisor Organizations, and many others for their collaboration on this initiative.  ➜ Access the guidebook: https://lnkd.in/eytNukh8 #InvestInMentalHealth #BrainHealth #MentalHealth

The future of the global economy will be powered by strong, healthy brains. That is why the Brain Economy Action Forum, organized by the McKinsey Health Institute and the World Economic Forum, came together with Action Forum Pathfinders to convene an action-oriented dialogue on the sidelines of UNGA yesterday, focused on shaping the future of the brain economy. A central message was clear: brain health is not only a health priority, but also an economic opportunity that requires cross-sector stakeholders to safeguard brain health, foster brain skills, and study, invest in, and mobilize for brain capital. This event laid the foundation for key discussions continuing this week about why prioritizing brain health and brain skills is critical for a resilient, thriving future – including the 2025 Brain Economy Summit happening today, and 2025 Brain Days starting tomorrow. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/duBHt8x3 #UNGA80 #MHIatUNGA #GlobalHealth #InvestinHealth #BrainHealth

Nearly 900 million adults around the world are living with obesity. If we change how we approach obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), our McKinsey Health Institute research shows there are significant gains to be had – for lives and for economies. This week, during the Global Health Connector event alongside the #UNGA80 Science Summit, MHI Director of Healthy Longevity Lars Hartenstein emphasized the opportunity to reframe obesity and related NCDs as addressable challenges. He outlined two possible paths forward: one focused on reactive approaches, such as medical treatment and weight management drugs, and another centered on a broader proactive vision, prioritizing prevention, societal change and improved metabolic health for all. MHI estimates that the health impact of taking the latter path could be three to four times that of the first path and lead to a $5.65 trillion annual GDP uplift in 2050. Brad Herbig, MHI Director of Health Data and Analytics, brought together leaders across the public sector, academia, and civil society to explore how governments can approach the integration of NCDs across all policies. Leaders explored the importance of data to inform policies, scaling efforts, and cross-government integration efforts; pathways to scaling interventions to address NCDs that are both accessible and affordable; amplified the opportunities for innovative financing models; and the role that everyone plays – governments, civil society, academia, people with lived experience – in enabling the effort to address obesity and NCDs. Read more in our latest report - From crisis to catalyst: Investing in addressing noncommunicable diseases https://lnkd.in/erzB72ug #UNGA80 #NCDs #MetabolicHealth #MHIatUNGA #GlobalHealth #InvestinHealth