The dominance of medicine has led most developed economies to invest in healthcare rather than health and there is danger of replication in low and middle-income countries. This is neither good for communities or individuals through their life course, nor is it an effective use of resources, especially with non-communicable diseases continuing to increase, aging populations, and healthcare costs rising faster than GDP in every developed economy.

We aimed to re-set the agenda for health by building on participants' experience of those factors and cross-sector collaborations which maintain and promote health and well-being; developing a sequence for action and investment by health care providers and funders in support of a strategy for health; understanding why we have become hooked on health care and what is needed to reduce our dependence; indicating where providers and governments, from local to national, can act most effectively across domains and levels; and charting the business case for health, identifying where employers, civil society organizations and other stakeholders can best intervene and collaborate.

The session was envisioned as being highly participatory, with a strong focus on building new insights, aggregating perspectives and experiences from different sectors, areas of expertise and regions. Working groups, each with a thematic and/or country focus, prepared recommendations. A network curator carried the knowledge exchange forward beyond the session itself. Key questions addressed included:

• What are the points of leverage in support of health and wellbeing? Where would investment therefore likely have the greatest impact?
• Where has a shift to health started and what have been the contexts, drivers and benefits? Where that shift is held back, what have been the obstacles?
• Which are the key social determinants of health and what policy
  choices do they present?
• What impact does the health of a population have in terms of social
  capital and productivity? How do we align market interests with
  health and work best with business?
• How do authorities at every level of the system need to adapt to
  support health most effectively? 
• What has worked most effectively in the promotion of health and
  wellbeing among civil society and non-government actors, and under
  what circumstances?  How are they best aligned with government
  action? 

Case studies of strategies for health included physical activity; housing; and community-connectedness. 

The program sought to develop:

• A set of strategic principles contextualized in country and thematic plans that will include recommendations for policy and collaboration, influencing government policy, foundation grant-making, civil society engagement, and research agendas;
• Identification of best practice in communication with audiences about health and innovative ways of measuring the impact of different initiatives;
• A Salzburg Statement challenging governments, business and civil society to take action;
• Ongoing cross-border learning and collaborations among participantsand the institutions they represent.