Health systems often respond after a disease appears, but wellbeing develops across a lifetime. WHO’s 2025 framework asks countries to consider how one stage of life affects the next. Good nutrition before birth, safe childhoods and supportive schools can influence health many years later. Conditions at work and in communities also shape how people age.
A life course approach does not mean offering the same service to everyone. It means matching support to changing needs while protecting opportunities for health. Children may need nurturing care and early learning, while adolescents can benefit from mental health support. Adults may use workplace wellbeing programmes, while integrated care can support independence in older age. Services should be accessible and connect prevention, treatment and social support. Better coordination may reduce gaps between groups with different incomes or living conditions. The goal is to help people not only live longer, but also live healthier lives.