Investment implies choices and decisions. This is what Investment for Health is all about making those choices, those investments that will improve people s health. Making investment decisions that promote the health of a population sounds very easy in principle. However, throughout Europe the evidence suggests that it is not. This may be partly due to the complexity of investment decisions.
Health is determined by the interplay of wide-ranging factors.
Underpinning the choices that we make are trade-offs. Even if a perfect technical answer can be found about the net health gains from different investment options, there is no guarantee that this will be the politically acceptable one. Investing for Health is about balancing the complex array of positive and negative benefits with the political realities of what is and is not acceptable. The Verona Initiative is a multi-partner venture bringing together political, business, academic and nongovernmental leaders to explore, develop and extend our understanding of Investment for Health and how it can be used to support countries, regions and local communities. The initiative is a response to major changes taking place across the European Region in national and international politics, in social and economic performance, in institutions and in technology.