Health promotion and protection for all citizens and health care for patients represent some of the most important policy challenges worldwide. Virtually every single area of life-professional productivity, cultural creativity, political and social participation, and citizens' quality of life-is influenced by the state of health at the individual and at the population level. But are current forms of health governance and health care services sufficient to overcome inequalities, ensure health security, harness technological developments, and cover future needs?
The Governance Report 2019 focuses on health governance and the models and strategies used to make health policy an integral part of modern social policy and meet growing challenges. Health governance involves state, market, non-governmental, professional, and individual actors often working across sectors and depends on interactions at multiple levels-from local clinics to global forums. The Report traces the development of health governance institutions and actors, examines factors influencing the health-related decisions of individuals and policy-makers alike, highlights innovations both at international level and at the intersection between individuals and professionals, and offers recommendations to ensure that health care and health policy are governed to meet future challenges.