Wellcome Leap and Temasek Trust have announced the launch of a $60 million program aimed at increasing health spans.

While the average human life expectancy has doubled from 35 to 70 years over the past century, health spans—the number of years spent in good health—have not kept up. The three-year Dynamic Resilience program has three goals: identify new biomarker signatures of resilience that predict health outcomes after a stress event; understand what causes frailty and resilience; and test ways to improve biological resilience. According to the partners, data show that worldwide, more than one in two adults over the age of 60 have multimorbidity, or multiple coexisting health issues. This and decreasing dynamic resilience—the ability to respond to and cope with stress—contribute to clinical frailty, which makes people vulnerable to sudden and serious health deterioration in the event of acute illness or injury.

“The World Health Organization estimates that by 2030, one in six people globally will be aged 60 years and above, and many will be afflicted with multiple coexisting health conditions," said Temasek Trust CEO Desmond Kuek. “Our partnership with Wellcome Leap to further the research on Dynamic Resilience is aimed at extending health spans—the number of years spent in good health—so that more people can live fuller and healthier lives for longer.” 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Maryna Adriichenko)