Session 10

The value of care

Why investment in long-term care is the smart bet for Europe

Organised by WHO Regional Office for Europe, the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies & the European Health Forum Gastein

Across Europe, rising demand for long-term care (LTC) reflects aging populations, complex patterns of disease and disability, changing family and social structures, and a broader shift in the social contract - redefining who provides care, how it is delivered, and to what standard. As individuals, families, economic actors, and governments renegotiate roles in financing, organising, and delivering care, the need to pool resources for bold, society-wide investments in prevention, rehabilitation, and assistive care services is urgent.

Yet, the benefits of public investment in LTC and the pathways to achieve them remain poorly defined and often misunderstood. This session will highlight why building strong, accessible, high-quality LTC systems is both a social imperative, promoting solidarity and equity, and a smart economic strategy. Participants will learn why LTC should be seen as a core economic driver, not merely a cost. The discussion will frame global trends, the urgency of investment, the risks of underinvestment and fragmentation, and the implications of growing private equity involvement - while sharing success stories from countries that have prioritised LTC.

The session builds on selected insights from a newly published book, The Care Dividend: Why and How Countries Should Invest in Long-Term Care, which is a joint effort by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, the WHO Centre for Health Development (WHO Kobe) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe, published by Cambridge University Press.