Are we about to enter a new "golden age" of medical innovation?

After decades of rapid progress, advances in medical technologies have slowed in recent years. But there are reasons to be hopeful, according to the Global Innovation Index 2019, with artificial intelligence, genomics, and mobile health applications all poised to transform global healthcare. GENEVA, 31 October 2019 - In the context of the joint technical symposium by the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), GII Co-Editor Sacha Wunsch-Vincent presented the results of the GII 2019 Theme Chapter on Creating Healthy Lives -- The Future of Medical Innovation, answering the question: "Are we about to enter a new "golden age" of medical innovation?" Over the last century, improvements in healthcare have doubled life expectancy in developed and developing countries, resulting in an expanded workforce, greater economic growth and improved quality of life. Driving those improvements has been healthcare innovation, both in technologies, such as chemotherapy and joint replacements, and in processes, such as better hygiene and enhanced public health planning.