London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Globally, health systems are facing numerous challenges. Key among these are the rising burden of chronic conditions and multimorbidity, with changing demand imposing considerable pressure on systems that are already stretched because of financial constraints and workforce challenges. This creates a pressing need for transforming the way health services and systems are organized, governed and financed to ensure an effective response that is sustainable and financially viable.

Innovation – technological, organizational, social – is at the core of many proposals for change and countries are experimenting with novel approaches to better address the often complex needs of people with chronic conditions. Experiences globally show that it is possible to achieve service innovation locally but it remains difficult to implement lasting change that will benefit the population at large.

This one-day symposium will explore these issues further. We will discuss the social transformations needed for health systems to more effectively implement innovative approaches that respond to the complex health, care and social needs of people with chronic conditions. We will explore the role of innovations, including how they may potentially strengthen the response of health systems in limited resource settings but also how they can exacerbate existing social inequalities. We will also discuss health system opportunities for overcoming these challenges through implementing systemic change and the role and influence of the different actors in the system in effecting change.

The symposium will explore specific examples of innovation and discuss how research methods and theories can be used support effective transformation in high, middle- and low-income countries. It will bring together different perspectives and offer plenty of opportunity for discussion and recommendations.

Registration required