1. Trusted information is key as governments
tie health care to economic growth
April 10, 2014
By Mary Elson, Tribune Content Agency
Bill Gates made news earlier this year when he boldly predicted in his 2014 annual letter from
the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: “By 2035 there will be almost no poor countries left in
the world.”
The notion is startling to many, Gates acknowledged, given the persistent and widespread myth
that “poor countries are doomed to stay poor.” In fact, the overall poverty rate of many countries
around the world has dropped steeply since the 1960s, Gates noted, especially in Africa, “which
now includes seven of the 10 fastest-growing economies of the past half-decade….”
What made the difference? For one thing, he believes, aid programs (including his own) that
work with governments, universities and other groups to help the countries’ populations become
healthier and more productive.
As the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development has recognized, the
relationship between health and economic growth is vital. The governments of developing
nations, beyond seeking outside partners to treat diseases and deliver other medical services, are
shifting focus toward prevention and healthy living. This presents the challenge of how to
educate the public and provide access to “real-time” information about health.
Health ministries are looking for top-tier health information to reach consumers directly or
through public programs, increasingly through digital channels such as mobile, tablets, smart
TVs and government websites.
Tribune Content Agency is critically positioned to respond as a representative for some of the
biggest and most trusted names in the field. Harvard Health publications and the Mayo Clinic
have long provided the gold standard in health information to readers around the globe. Their
brands and reputations — as well as increasingly sophisticated interactive content — rise above
the thousands of global health information sources scrambling to meet the needs of health
information seekers and to keep them coming back.
TCA has provided brand-name health content in print to consumers for years through its
extensive network of partner print publications, but as parties seek this information through
different channels in the digital world (it has been estimated that eight in 10 internet users have
searched for health information online), TCA has expanded its reach and partners to include
government institutions and health ministries described above.

2. These governmental bodies may license content and services in local languages and make them
available to their constituents through various forms of outreach to promote a healthier
population.
TCA also has expanded its health content outreach to other institutions, as well:
1.) Hospital groups and health care providers that see value in providing premium-health
information and tools directly to their patients and subscribers through websites and other
communications
2.) Telecom services, internet providers and device developers that create apps and feeds to
be offered via their various products with recognized brands covering health and wellness topics
3.) Corporations that know the value of giving their employees the best health information
available and know that a positive corporate perception can influence the loyalty to its products
with consumers
As a result, TCA partners in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and Latin America are bringing the
best in health information to millions of new consumers in multiple languages through a whole
new set of channels.