Roche forum highlights health care investment as driver of economic growth

Investing in health care innovation can drive economic growth, boost productivity and strengthen national resilience, executives and researchers said at Roche's 2026 Media Dialogue, emphasizing the need to expand access to innovative treatments and rethink health spending as a long-term investment rather than a cost.

The event, held at the Swiss pharmaceutical company's headquarters in Basel, brought together Michael Oberreiter, head of global external affairs at Roche International, Dennis Ostwald, CEO of the WiFOR Institute, and Jorg Rupp, head of pharmaceuticals for Roche's international regions.

Oberreiter said health should be recognized as a key driver of economic growth and national security, warning that the rising burden of noncommunicable diseases threatens to place further strain on health systems and economies worldwide.

He cited research suggesting that pharmaceutical innovation accounted for an average of 40% of gains in global life expectancy between 1984 and 2000.

Improvements in global health have also been linked to roughly one-third of economic growth in advanced economies over the past century, he said.

Oberreiter pointed to estimates suggesting that investments in preventive care and medical innovation could save 60 million lives by 2040.

"Health care innovation is not a cost to society but an investment that drives meaningful transformation and delivers substantial socioeconomic returns," he said.