Our Point of View

Conclusions from the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2017

Each year in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum hosts their Annual Meeting. This year’s Annual Meeting had the theme of Responsive and Responsible Leadership. Following my return, I wanted to share my conclusions with you from the Annual Meeting and discuss their implications for business and health. There were two overarching conclusions related to...

Derek Yach | Jan 24, 2017
behavioral economics, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, China, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, disease prevention, Edelman Trust Barometer, Health, technology, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Wellcome Trust, Willis Towers Watson, World Economic Forum, Xi Jinping

Impact, New Research, Our Point of View

Vitality Group Featured as Health Innovation Leader in New World Economic Forum Report

Vitality Group’s program has been featured as a leading innovator in health in a report by the World Economic Forum. Published in collaboration with Willis Towers Watson, the report was released today at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Leveraging principles of behavioral economics that were originally pioneered by Nobel prize-winning psychologist,...

Derek Yach | Jan 19, 2017
behavioral economics, behaviors, chronic disease, Daniel Kahneman, engagement, Health, healthy food, innovation, nudges, physical activity, prevention, Vitality, Willis Towers Watson, workplace health, World Economic Forum

Our Point of View

Healthy Aging in Action: The Surgeon General’s National Prevention Strategy for Older Adults

The US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has released new recommendations to promote healthy aging in later life: “Healthy Aging in Action: Advancing the National Prevention Strategy”. The report highlights governmental policies and programs that reflect the National Prevention Strategy’s efforts to support an aging American population. While the recommendations address the need for a...

Derek Yach & Gillian Christie | Nov 17, 2016
Great American Smokeout, Health, healthy aging, home care, National Prevention Strategy, reduced-risk products, sensors, Surgeon General, wearables, well-being

Impact, New Research

The number of people aged over 60 is set to double by 2050. Are we prepared?

By 2020, individuals aged 60 and older will be greater in number than children younger than five. By 2050, the world’s older adult population will have doubled to 2 billion. These numbers are striking. Cognitive decline, strained pension schemes, and burgeoning healthcare costs: are we prepared for tomorrow’s complex longevity challenges? These challenges provide unique...

Derek Yach | Sep 9, 2016
age-friendly, aging, aging population, Bank of America, cognitive decline, financial services, Fourth Industrial Revolution, government, Health, health technology, innovative technology, Merrill Lynch, older adults, privacy, research and development, wealth, World Economic Forum

Impact, New Research

Health: The New Driver of Business Value

Revenues, profits, and cash flows: These are common concerns for chief financial officers (CFO) conducting business across sectors and geographies. Historically, workforce health has not featured among the top concerns for CFOs and other C-Suite executives, including the chief executive officer (CEO) or chief operating officer (COO). For many companies, this is changing. Workforce health...

Brett Tromp, Chief Financial Officer, Discovery Health | Jun 30, 2016
chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief operating officer, Discovery, Health, king report on corporate governance, National Academy of Medicine, S&P 500 index, shared value, South Africa, united nations global compact, well-being

Impact

Placing Health at the Heart of Sustainability: Lessons from the Environment

In 2000, the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced the establishment of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), a unique organization dedicated to collaborating with businesses across sectors to promote responsible practices. At the launch, Kofi Annan outlined nine guiding principles for responsible businesses that focused on human rights, labor standards, and the environment. Anti-corruption...

Gillian Christie & Derek Yach | Jun 23, 2016
Dow Jones Sustainability Index, ESG, FTSE4Good Index Series, global health, Health, King III, national academies of sciences, shared value, Sustainable Development Goals, UN Global Compact, workplace health

Our Point of View

Caring for Mother Earth: The link between planetary health and population health

World Environment Day is an opportunity to reflect on the mounting evidence on the reciprocal relationship between the health of our global agricultural system and population health, which makes it clear that we cannot continue to neglect global planetary health. A long-term vision of healthy and productive populations requires re-envisioning how we sustainably grow, deliver,...

Gabriela Seplovich | Jun 5, 2016
climate change, environment, Health, planetary health, president obama, Rockefeller Foundation, The Lancet, world environment day