McKinsey Health Institute at the World Health Assembly

Join Devex, in collaboration with the McKinsey Health Institute, for a conversation about the pressing issue of health worker shortages and what's needed to address both the supply and demand side of this gap – including how to increase the supply of community health workers, the shifts needed to improve overall healthcare service delivery, and the role of digital health and technology to ensure sustainable impact. This event is open to those who are interested in learning about how we can bridge the healthcare workforce gap to reduce the global disease burden and contribute to the global economy.

Join Exemplars in Global Health, in collaboration with the World Bank/Joint Learning Network, Johns Hopkins, Gates Foundation, McKinsey Health Institute, and other global collaborators, for an action-oriented session that will spotlight new findings from the Digital Health Exemplars project. The session will show how countries are leveraging digital technology to strengthen health systems and will focus on key insights, enablers of success, common barriers, and strategies for scaling digital health solutions while fostering cross-country learning.

The Brain Economy Action Forum, organized by the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute, convenes a dynamic group of stakeholders globally to put brain health at the center of global dialogues and drive action toward sustainable economic growth and societal well-being. While recent brain health research has led to significant breakthroughs, modern society still faces unprecedented challenges, with the cost of brain disorders on the global economy predicted to rise from $5 trillion to $16 trillion annually by 2030. This workshop will discuss the necessary investment required across policy, science, and innovation to develop the brain economy and strategies to bring brain health innovation to scale.

The Healthy Workforces Initiative is a global multi-stakeholder platform dedicated to catalyzing broad-based improvement in employee health and societal resilience. Research published at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos by the McKinsey Health Institute in collaboration with the Forum indicates that enhanced employee health and well-being could generate almost $12 trillion in global economic value. The most significant opportunity can be realized through productivity improvements and reduced presenteeism. This workshop will discuss methods to drive the boardroom narrative and devise boardroom engagement strategies around the economic case for investment.

As part of its Annual Healthcare Roundtable, the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with the McKinsey Health Institute, will host a session convening experts from leading organizations across industries, health systems, and civil society to explore the actions that different actors can take to support and improve metabolic health, share approaches on how to improve cross-sector mobilization, and develop best practices. Today, less than 7 percent of the U.S. adult population has good cardiometabolic health, and nearly 1 in 8 people in the world are living with obesity. For many decades, most global decision makers have regarded obesity as a largely intractable issue and the general public has often dismissed it as a matter of personal responsibility. However, imminent and urgent action from various organizations can help redesign our environment, support health systems and enable healthier lifestyles.