It’s celebration time again. Our Future Health has reached another major milestone.

This month, our 1 millionth volunteer signed up in full. That means over 1 million people have now consented to join our research programme, filled in their health and lifestyle questionnaire, and attended an appointment.

“We can now say that Our Future Health is the world’s largest health research programme of its kind”, says Dr Raghib Ali OBE, CEO of Our Future Health. “No other programme has collected this many blood samples for long-term research.

“Already, we have an incredibly detailed picture of the UK’s health, offering researchers a window into the causes of every major common disease. Our volunteers’ data will power health discoveries for decades to come.”

Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak, Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Glasgow, adds that the milestone has arrived sooner than expected. “When Our Future Health was first discussed, I didn’t think it was possible to achieve 1 million full participants in just two years.

“This milestone really is a first, and I’m hopeful it will continue right up to the 5 million goal.”

Moving the dial on diversity

As well as being the world’s largest research programme of its kind, Our Future Health also has the largest ever number of participants from under-represented groups in a health research programme.

Our volunteers come from diverse communities right across the UK. They represent different ages, ethnicities, and income levels. It means our research can be used for discoveries that benefit everyone and reduce health inequality.

What comes next

Reaching 1 million full volunteers is a big achievement – but we need more.

If you haven’t yet signed up to Our Future Health, you can register an account today.

Or, if you’ve consented to join our programme but not yet attended a clinic, log in to book an appointment near you.

By taking part in Our Future Health, you can help everyone live longer and healthier lives.