Museum of Health Futures
A Guide for Further Reflection
Scenarios: Informing Stories
Scenarios are potential future settings in which we may find ourselves. They are used to create a fictional, yet possible, backdrop to a future world within which stories, people, organizations and artefacts can exist. Through the creative workshops in April the below scenarios were co-designed with staff and partners to represent a range of plausible and preposterous futures in which the artefacts and stories speculatively exist.
Not all scenarios are directly linked to an artefact in the final exhibit, however we are offering them below as examples of futures thinking that have influenced the exhibition development. They will perhaps prompt you to further imagine how different our future may be. Each scenario contains a title that encapsulates the overview focus, a date and a description. See below:
/initiatives/museum-of-health-futures/extreme-heat.tmb-1920v.jpg?sfvrsn=a1899023_1 "Extreme Heat")
Extreme Heat
2 September 2031
A three-week extreme heatwave culminates in a 12-hour period with a wet-bulb temperature of over 37ºC. Tens of thousands of people die from hyperthermia due to an inability to access air conditioning. Ever since, the city has been overcome with fear and citizens are marching to demand the government take action before the next heatwave strikes.
Syndr0me
2 January 2039
After 10 years of operating a global health database, a massive data breach occurs, and all users’ health information is published online. Then, an innovative tech company called Syndr0me feeds this data into an AI system to train an AI to provide hyper-accurate predictions for the health of individuals. These constant and accurate updates lead to an epidemic of mental health issues, with Chronic Health Hypervigilance Syndrome (CHHS) being entered into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM).
/initiatives/museum-of-health-futures/syndr0me.tmb-1920v.jpg?sfvrsn=4ac47815_1 "Syndr0me")
/initiatives/museum-of-health-futures/future-fertility.tmb-1920v.jpg?sfvrsn=18a2ed7_1 "Future Fertility")
Future Fertility
4 August 2042
Male infertility has continued to rise across the Region, and it is assumed this relates to environmental pollutants. Simultaneously, fertility rates in women have been declining alongside increased education, workforce participation, and changes in social expectations. Pregnancy at an advanced age has become more common, and health services are expected to provide reproductive technologies and achieve near-zero infant mortality.
Multi-resistant Pathogen
12 March 2045
The continued agricultural overuse and overprescription of antibiotics throughout the first part of the 21stcentury resulted in an epidemic of an antimicrobial resistant pathogen across the Western Pacific Region. Strict quarantine practices have been put in place that so far have contained the pathogen to the Region, but significant global attention has been placed on stopping its spread.
/initiatives/museum-of-health-futures/multi-resistant-pathogen-1.tmb-1920v.jpg?sfvrsn=3acdfc0c_1 "Multi-resistant pathogen")
/initiatives/museum-of-health-futures/wpr-blue-zones-2.tmb-1920v.jpg?sfvrsn=8fcfdf17_1 "WPR Blue zones")
WPR Blue Zones
30 June 2047
The Western Pacific Region has adopted a target of having the highest number of Blue Zone sites of any WHO region. This would lead to increased longevity and wellbeing in ageing. However, today, globalised food systems with poor nutrition are leading to chronic ill-health and poor wellbeing.
Inter-pandemic Period Preparedness
7 March 2050
Successive pandemics linked with a changing climate have resulted in significant economic turmoil around the world. Following the successful management of the 2032, 2039, 2045 and 2048 pandemics, the Member States from the Western Pacific Region are asked to lead the design of a preparedness response to equip the world for this changed reality.
/initiatives/museum-of-health-futures/inter-pandemic-period-preparedness.tmb-1920v.jpg?sfvrsn=f0c2a03c_1 "Inter-pandemic period preparedness")
/initiatives/museum-of-health-futures/displacement.tmb-1920v.jpg?sfvrsn=926812b3_1 "Displacement")
Displacement
31 October 2051
Sea levels have risen, causing major population displacements. Movement into closer proximity with wild animal populations, along with changing animal migration patterns, results in the spread of numerous new zoonotic diseases, including one virus that is more virulent and deadlier than COVID-19.
Pollution
16 December 2055
The Pacific Garbage Patch has shifted with changing global currents, decimating traditional fishing grounds across the Region. The livelihoods of whole communities have been destroyed and large populations are consuming fish with dangerous levels of microplastics, leading to the emergence of new neopelagic species.
/initiatives/museum-of-health-futures/pollution.tmb-1920v.jpg?sfvrsn=1e954842_1 "Pollution")
/initiatives/museum-of-health-futures/ncds-leading-the-agenda_2.tmb-1920v.jpg?sfvrsn=c4850cfd_1 "NCDs leading the Agenda")
NCDs Leading the Agenda
7 April 2057
Funding for preventing non-communicable diseases has increased across the Region, surpassing funding for reactive health services for the first time. You have been tasked with spending this money to make a difference in population health.
The Interplanetary Health Organization
7 April 2098
Space travel was once reserved for the uber-wealthy, but in 2034 increasing competition opened access more widely. By 2080, new colonies begun to spring up across the extra-Earth region. Many space migrants are coming from those nations on Earth whose lands were lost due to rising sea levels. The Interplanetary Health Organization, an extension of the World Health Organization, is set to open the first space health-service in its 150th year to monitor and manage the emergent diseases of space.
/initiatives/museum-of-health-futures/the-interplanetary-health-organization.tmb-1920v.jpg?sfvrsn=4552e940_1 "The Interplanetary Health Organization")