Transforming Population Health

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. 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. Ultimately, we aim to re-engineer our current care systems into true health systems that prioritize keeping people healthy, rather than caring for them 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.

A grafitti on a house wall in Sao Paulo, Brazil showing an illustration of a health worker holding the hand of a patient

CARDIO4Cities

We work with city authorities and other partners to co-design and implement data-driven responses to cardiovascular population health and health inequities.

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Women in Vietnam undergo medical tests in a healthcare center

Urban Population Health Toolkit

Discover insights, evidence-based strategies, tools and best practices to improve cardiovascular population health.

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Scientists discussing 3D heart model

AI4BetterHearts

This global data collaborative aims to deliver tools for enhancing cardiovascular population health policy.

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City skyline with connected datapoints

AI4HealthyCities

We help countries identify how they can accelerate their readiness to deploy AI in health and care.

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Image of scientists, wearing masks, discussing lung scans

Brazil COVID-19 Response

AI platform in São Paulo, Brazil helps diagnose COVID-19 patients faster.
Illustration of a smartphone with different health-relevant apps

Broadband Commission Working Group on Virtual Health and Care

The Novartis Foundation has co-chaired the Broadband Commission working groups on Digital and AI in Health since 2016. The working groups convene global experts to develop recommendations for how policymakers and other stakeholders can develop sustainable digital and AI health strategies and solutions that address national health priorities, while managing associated risks. Each of the working groups publish policy recommendations that build on the earlier working group’s efforts, and inform other Novartis Foundation initiatives.