“From Cost to Catalyst” unveiled at the World Health Assembly, equipping governments and industry with the evidence—and the narrative—to treat health as an economic driver
GENEVA, May 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — For decades, ministries of health, finance leaders and policymakers have needed to defend health spending as a necessary cost to be managed. FINN Partners and WifOR Institute believe this framing is fundamentally outdated and increasingly harmful to public health in a world confronting aging populations, workforce shortages, rising chronic disease and widening health inequities.
Today, at the 79th World Health Assembly, the two organizations announced “From Cost to Catalyst,” a new integrated service designed to help governments, health organizations, and life sciences leaders quantify and communicate the economic value of health investment.
From Cost to Catalyst is based in evidence
The initiative combines WifOR Institute’s expertise in health economics, labor market analytics, and social impact measurement with FINN Partners’ global leadership in life science, health provider services, patient advocacy communications, and public affairs.
Together, the partnership offers services to equip decision-makers with the evidence needed to help reclassify health spending not as a budgetary burden; rather, as a driver of workforce resilience, productivity, innovation and long-term economic sustainability.
“Governments are cheating themselves and their people by short-changing health spending today and creating a poorer, less secure future,” said Mark Chataway, a managing partner at FINN Partners.
“Governments and industries worldwide are confronting increasingly complex fiscal decisions,” said Marc-Simon Schneider, Chief Executive Officer of WifOR Institute. “Our research consistently shows that investing in health generates measurable returns across productivity, workforce participation, and societal stability. Yet too often, that evidence remains confined to technical reports. This collaboration ensures that decision-makers receive both the data and the strategic context needed to act,” he added.
From Cost to Catalyst Is Designed to Change Policy
Through From Cost to Catalyst, clients will gain access to
- Economic impact modeling that quantifies health’s contribution to workforce participation and economic growth
- Scenario planning for public and private investment decisions
- Policy platforms and stakeholder engagement recommendations that translate evidence into influence
- Executive communications support that helps leaders shape funding, policy, and market conversations.
The partnership was formally introduced on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly, attended by senior policymakers, multilateral organizations, health executives and industry leaders from across Europe, North America, Asia and emerging markets.
As governments seek sustainable pathways to economic growth, FINN Partners and WifOR Institute believe one shift in thinking is overdue:
Why Now? Closing the Gap on Economic Evidence & Policy
The timing is deliberate. Across Europe and beyond, the idea that health spending is not simply expenditure but long-term economic investment is gaining real momentum. Countries, including France, are beginning to integrate health into fiscal and structural planning. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development continues to elevate prevention, workforce resilience, and productivity as core economic priorities, while reforms in health technology assessment across the European Union are reshaping how health interventions are evaluated and funded.
At the same time, a succession of EU Council presidencies, particularly member states with an opportunity to shape emerging policy priorities, creates a window for leadership, influence and action. What remains missing is not evidence or political interest. It is execution.
The economic case for health exists; however, it too often remains confined to academic literature, technical models or policy discussions disconnected from budget decision-makers. The strategic argument exists, yet is not often framed in ways that resonate with finance ministries, treasury officials, industry leaders or voters.
“From Cost to Catalyst” was created to close that gap by translating rigorous economic evidence into policy that influence budgets, shape public opinion, and accelerate investment decisions.
What the partners say
“When a finance minister sees health as a cost, they cut it. When they see it as an investment, they protect it. That single shift is worth billions — and it depends entirely on whether the evidence is there and whether anyone has made the case well. For too long, no one has. That is what we are here to change.”
— Dr Sandra Zimmerman, WifOR Institute
“The data has been on health’s side for years. The storytelling hasn’t. Pair WifOR’s rigour with the way we build and run campaigns, and suddenly the economic case for health is not just defensible — it is unmissable, from the floor of the World Health Assembly to the rooms where budgets are actually decided.”
— Christopher Nial, Senior Partner, FINN Partners, Global Health Impact
About FINN Partners — Founded in 2011 on the core principles of innovation and collaborative partnership, FINN Partners has grown from about $24 million in fees to almost $200 million in fees during the past 14 years, becoming one of the fastest-growing independent public relations agencies in the world. Recognized as one of Fast Company’s 2024 Most Innovative Companies, PRovoke Media’s 2024 Best Agency to Work For and 2022 Agency of the Year, the full-service marketing and communications company’s record-setting pace results from organic growth and integrating new companies and new people into the FINN world through a common philosophy. With more than 1,300 professionals across 35 offices, FINN provides clients with global access and capabilities in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In addition, FINN provides its clients with access to top-tier agencies worldwide through its membership in the global network PROI.
Headquartered in New York, FINN has offices in: Abu Dhabi, Atlanta, Bangalore, Bangkok, Beijing, Boston, Chicago, Delhi, Denver, Detroit, Dublin, Fort Lauderdale, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Jerusalem, Kuala Lumpur, London, Los Angeles, Madison, Wisc., Manila, Mumbai, Munich, Nashville, Orange County, Paris, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Singapore, Vancouver, Washington D.C. and Yangon. Find us at finnpartners.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram at @finnpartners.
About WifOR Institute — WifOR Institute is an independent economic research institute specialising in health economics, labour economics and impact measurement. It produces macroeconomic impact analysis for governments, international organisations and the private sector, globally.
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