Although human life expectancy has increased over the past 150 years, both in Croatia and globally, we are now more burdened by disease than ever before—despite the fact that many of these illnesses are largely preventable. In fact, 90% of the causes of disease lie outside clinical practice. We have come to accept that a longer lifespan inevitably brings more illnesses and a lower quality of life. But this is not, and cannot be, our only option. It is time to start counting not just the years we live, but the healthy years of our lives.

Now, we must shift toward proactive healthcare, where individuals play a greater role than ever before. Scientific and technological achievements should not only be used for treating disease but also for prevention, early diagnosis, monitoring, and personalized care.

To achieve this, we must look beyond the healthcare system itself because health is a critical national resource. It is not solely the responsibility of healthcare institutions;
rather, our entire society and political system, across all sectors and stakeholders, must recognize health as the foundation of social progress. The future of all sectors—economy, energy, agriculture, environment, and security—depends on how we approach health. We need a multi-stakeholder, multi-sector movement aimed at increasing the number of healthy years of life, focusing on several key areas:

• A holistic vision of health
• Personalized and preventive healthcare, ensuring easier access to medical services through innovation
• Building a sustainable healthcare system supported by technology