Stronger value models for data collaboration could significantly reduce the financial implications and costs, too, while also presenting significant opportunities for growth and investment. Currently, poor health data use costs more than $800 billion annually,8 representing a chance for reinvestment in health improvement and economic development. Each day, this amounts to a loss of approximately $2.2 billion – funds that could otherwise be channelled into enhancing health outcomes, particularly in regions with stark health disparities. While inadequate use of available health data is not the root cause of these challenges, using data more effectively presents a significant opportunity to address them. Enhanced access to and use of health data can support safer, more informed care, ultimately reducing fatalities and improving patient outcomes. The current underuse of health data not only fails to prevent these harms but also hampers the transformative potential of new developments in healthcare. There are several major strategic rationales for investing in health data collaboration. Fuelling AI transformation in healthcare. The healthcare sector risks falling further behind in technological advances without robust health data and a well-developed digital infrastructure. This foundation includes everything from secure platforms and cloud environments to manage data, to advanced medical devices and wearables capable of real-time, high-quality data gathering. Effective data foundations are crucial for enabling AI technologies9 that can significantly enhance healthcare efficiency and outcomes. Unlocking value-based care. Existing health systems struggle with transparency and measuring outcomes, which impedes the progress towards value-based care models. Strategic data use could drive substantial improvements in this area. Establishing a data-driven approach10 lays the foundation for transformative shifts in health systems that prioritize measurable outcomes and patient-centred value. Promoting international health cooperation. Global health challenges such as pandemics, the health impacts of climate change and chronic disease management necessitate unprecedented levels of simultaneous data sharing and global collaboration11 to ensure swift and effective responses. International cooperation can also bridge resource gaps in low- and middle-income countries, enabling them to use shared data and lessons learned to improve healthcare systems. Driving frontier innovation on complex health challenges. Advances in medical science allow for complex global healthcare issues – such as oncology, neurodegenerative diseases, chronic conditions and mental health – to be tackled more effectively. These challenges stem from intricate root causes requiring comprehensive data from diverse populations. Solutions include systems for longitudinal patient data, integrated data ecosystems and progress towards personalized medicine. These foundations support population health management, new treatments and targeted prevention. Collaboration via federated approaches, as outlined in the Forum’s Sharing Sensitive Health Data in a Federated Data Consortium Model, ensures secure data sharing, revealing actionable health trends and driving breakthroughs. The collection and sharing of health data alone cannot address all of the challenges outlined above. While data is a critical enabler, transforming healthcare requires a collaborative, multistakeholder approach that integrates diverse expertise, resources and perspectives – new data approaches must be combined with new approaches on other key aspects such as organizational and business models, incentives, policies and more.1.3 How health data can transform the future of health Better Together: Building a Global Health Network Economy through Data Collaboration 6

Better Together 2025