10 Most Important Things That Will Happen In The Next 20 Years

As people a generally becoming more prosperous around the world, access to basic healthcare is on the rise. However, as we have discovered, good wealth doesn't necessarily mean good health, as diseases of prosperity such as obesity are on the rise.

Many experts already believe that healthcare is outdated and anachronistic and the big changes are long overdue. We may have developed all kinds of new treatments, from smart drugs to bionic implants, but the future of healthcare is likely to focus more on prevention than cure.

Doctors of the future may prescribe short courses on how to manage conditions such as diabetes and obesity, governments may bring in more restrictions on damaging products such as cigarettes and alcohol.

It may even change the way our towns and cities are structured, creating environments designed to encourage people to walk and cycle more and drive less.

Mental health will be treated on the same level as physical health and, again, prevention and care will take precedence over cure. Mindfulness and meditation might be brought into schools, brain-training could benefit young and old alike, and a better public understanding of mental health would eliminate one of the worst aggrevators of conditions such as depression: Social stigma.

Healthcare, along with warfare, is one of the major drivers behind technological innovation, so if we are going to see big changes, this is a great place to look first.