Part 3 of a 4 part series featuring excerpts from Sir Mark Walport’s keynote during the International Virtual Launch of the 2020 Friesen Prize Program in London, UK, as the 2020 prize-winner of the Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research.

Sir Mark Walport is the former Chief Executive of UK Research and Innovation, responsible for public funding of research and innovation, and was also the UK government’s Chief Scientific Advisor and Head of the government’s Office for Science from 2013 to 2017. He was awarded the 2020 Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research.

Sir Mark is a champion of fundamental science in health research, engineering, technology and innovation. Throughout his career, he has been a vocal supporter for the need to take a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to tackling the major problems facing society.

In this clip, Sir Mark Walport examines some of the growing pressures on our healthcare systems.

Planet Earth now has a population 7.8 billion people, which is a sharp increase from 1.6 billion in 1900 and 2.5 billion in 1950. This increased growth is causing both demographic and economic challenges. For example, we live for longer, but we’re also ill for longer. Issues like chronic disease, malnourishment, access to clean water, infection, and antibiotic resistance are all growing issues that continue to put pressure on health care. Sir Mark asserts that we currently live in a time of huge disruption, and our response now will shape the lives of future generations.

Filmed at Canada House, London, UK, on October 6, 2020.

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