Articles & events

Dear Reader, Invest4Health is a Horizon Europe project aimed at transforming the way we fund health promotion and disease prevention. We argue that treating these efforts as smart investments in people’s long-term well-being, rather than costs, can lead to stronger and more sustainable health systems. We aim to shift thinking by developing innovative investment models that support shared risk, pooled resources, and better outcomes. For this, the consortium is working closely with eight regional testbeds to co-develop and test SCI-compatible...

In response to the long-standing problems of reactive healthcare funding, made worse by economic crises, the COVID-19 pandemic, and ageing populations, I4H offers a new approach: treating health, especially prevention, as a smart, long-term investment rather than just a cost. Smart Capacitating Investments At the heart of this vision is Smart Capacitating Investment (SCI). Through SCI, the project is: Designing long-term, outcome-focused investment strategies Strengthening local capacity to test and scale innovative financing models Engaging...

We have established a Citizen Patient Advisory Group (CPAG) to ensure that public voices are heard. The 11 members were selected through an open call and interviews. The group helps us understand the real-world impact of our project and provides advice on how to make health financing more effective and fair by also involving citizens’ views. CPAG is now actively engaged in several key areas of the project. Below are a few concrete examples of their involvement: Contributing to the Competence building programme for new testbeds Two CPAG colleagues...

Croeso i Gymru (Welcome to Wales) is a country in the southwest of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to the east and the Irish Sea to the west. Part of the UK, Wales has its own devolved government, the Senedd (Welsh Parliament), responsible for health, education, and transport. This means the National Health Service (NHS) in Wales is managed separately from services in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The Welsh Government can set its own health policies, funding priorities, and service delivery models tailored to its population’s...

Professor Rhiannon Tudor Edwards, a key partner in the Invest4Health (I4H) project representing Bangor University, has published a forward-looking editorial in the Global Health Economics and Sustainability journal. Drawing on her 35-year career, Professor Edwards calls for a significant shift in health economics—from a narrow focus on healthcare services to a more “transdisciplinary” approach. This involves collaborating across economics, public health, climate science, and the social sciences to address our most pressing health challenges. These...

Invest4Health: Rethinking How We Fund Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Invest4Health (I4H) is a Horizon Europe-funded project that brings together 22 partners, including eight regional testbeds, to rethink how we fund health promotion and disease prevention. In response to the long-standing problems of reactive healthcare funding, worsened by economic crises, the COVID-19 pandemic, and ageing populations, I4H offers a new approach: treating health, and, especially prevention, as a smart, long-term investment instead of just a cost. Smart...

Following the closure of our Open Call on March 14, which received seventeen applications, we are excited to select and welcome a new group of regional testbeds to the Invest4Health project. These regions, chosen from the applications we received, will help test and refine innovative financial and investment models for health promotion and disease prevention. Their participation will allow us to gather more real-world experiences and improve how economic resources are used to create healthier communities. The new testbeds will benefit from capacity-building...

Regarding health promotion and disease prevention, public health professionals and policymakers decide whether to implement or finance an initiative in the best-case scenario or, in some cases, financial departments or less knowledgeable decision-makers judge whether a program should continue or be discontinued. However, the people most affected – citizens – rarely shape these choices. At Invest4Health, we believe this needs to change. Health investments are not just about budgets and financial models. They directly impact people’s lives,...

WELCOME TO THE INVEST4HEALTH OPEN CALL PAGE! DEADLINE IS EXTENDED TO 14 MARCH 2025 17:00 CET Through this open call, we invite regions to build their competence on novel financial and investment models through simulation exercises for health promotion and disease prevention initiatives.  Your participation can help us generate impact on local, national, and international levels!  Please CLICK HERE to read our Open Call document, which outlines this call’s activities, criteria, and terms.  WHO CAN APPLY Are...

Occasionally, we introduce some of our team members, offering insights into the minds leading Invest4Health. Our interviews feature key team members, uncovering the stories, roles, and unique perspectives that bring the Invest4Health project to life. Meet one of our researchers, Maureen Rutten, who leads Work Package 2 on Framing and communicating Smart Capacitating Investments. She is the leader of one of our Invest4Health research teams that is developing a theoretical framework to better understand Smart Capacitating Investments (SCIs), which...