What was discussed at the Economy and Health Congress?

Wiktor Bochenek

19 of April '23

Congress Economy and Health

The topic of prevention and health care evokes visions of long queues to doctors in our minds, and this is only one aspect of the issue. Do health issues go beyond what the Ministry of Health deals with on a daily basis? Among other things, this was discussed at the Economy and Health Congress.

The Economy and Health Congress, organized by the Warsaw School of Economics , the GAP Foundation and the City of Warsaw, was held for the first time at the Warsaw School of Economics on April 18. Health problems, and the need to strive to solve them, are directly linked to the economy - economic conditions, funding opportunities or the operation of systems or the introduction of implementations. During the conference there was also a look at urban planning, architecture or management issues. The event was held under the auspices of A&B.

Reform, just which way?

The COVID-19 pandemic has become one of the most important factors determining the need for change in health care and has highlighted its links to the economy. It is the timing of the pandemic, as well as the inefficiencies in health systems, that are providing the impetus for a change in thinking about health, speakers at the congress discussed. Francesca Colombo of the OECD highlighted the issues of supply chains, access to health care, and the impact of climate change on health issues. Professor Agnieszka Chłoń-Domińczak, in turn, presented the results of the SHARE study on the relationship between labor force participation and health.

There was no shortage of discussions on how to strengthen the public health system after a pandemic and what role innovation plays in medicine - this was also discussed by participants in the Polish Health 2.0 project conducted by the Polish Academy of Sciences. Interesting topics were also raised by Professor Barbara Więckowska, who pointed out possible additional sources of financing health care - from the issue of sin tax to the regulation of premiums.

From left: Professor Jacek Sierak, Jacek Karnowski, Hanna Zdanowski, Renata Kaznowska, Konrad Fijołek

the power of change

Another part of the congress was devoted to building resilience through sustainable investment in various initiatives as part of reform and recovery strategies. Representatives of international organizations then had opportunities to share their experiences. The need for a holistic approach to public health issues - taking into account education, gender equality or social support - was pointed out.

Konrad Fijołek (Mayor of Rzeszów) and Hanna Zdanowska (Mayor of Lodz), among others, discussed how such solutions are implemented in Polish cities. They drew attention to the need to diversify public health measures, helped by the Healthy Cities Index published by the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH), the GAP Foundation and the LUXMED Group. There were also discussions on the role of the health sector for the economy.

From left: Zygmunt Kostkiewicz, Krystyna Nitecka, Wojciech Cyrul, Anna Rulkiewicz, Małgorzata Zaława-Dąbrowska, Mariusz Borkowski

health care system never works satisfactorily

The Economy and Health Congress was summed up by Professor Jerzy Hausner. He pointed out that in the health care system it is necessary to build consensus between decision-makers and experts, communication between sectors and systemic reflection on possible solutions.