Contributor(s): Lord O’Neill | Diseases present us with obvious health costs, but there are significant economic costs to illness too. Investing more in health systems and disease prevention, including the use of modern technologies and diagnostics, would not only allow us to cope with future health challenges, but possibly reduce the cost of maintaining and responding to ongoing health care. In this talk, Jim O’Neill will discuss the need to embed health policy in broader economic thinking, reflecting on his experience working in Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and his observations about COVID-19.

Meet our speaker and chair

Jim O’Neill is Chair of Chatham House. His previous roles include, joint head of research at Goldman Sachs (1995–2000), its chief economist (2001–10) and chairman of its asset management division (2010–13); chair of the City Growth Commission (2014) commercial secretary to the Treasury (2015-16). He is a board member, and one of the founding trustees of educational charity SHINE. Lord O’Neill was created a life peer in 2015 and serves as a crossbench member of the House of Lords. He is an honorary professor of economics, University of Manchester, and holds honorary degrees from the University of Sheffield, University of Manchester, University of London and from City University London. He received his PhD from the University of Surrey and is now a Visiting Professor there. Jim chaired the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance [AMR] from 2014-16. He also recently joined a new EU/WHO Commission on COVID-19.

Alistair McGuire is Head of Department and Chair of Health Economics in the Department of Health Policy. His research interests cover all topics in health economics, including international comparisons, economics of the hospital, public/private sector interface and cost-effectiveness analysis of health technologies.

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