EFA

The EU Health Programme is one of the EU’s main instruments for improving European public health. It proposes various funding schemes for European health initiatives, and after close examination of applications, offers funding and grants for conferences, so-called joint actions and other initiatives in the health field. The mid-term evaluation of the current EU Health Programme, which runs from 2008 to 2013, has recently taken place to assess if its official objectives are being achieved. These are threefold: the improvement of EU citizens’ health security, the reduction of health inequalities and the generation and dissemination of health information in Europe. Overall, stakeholders appear to agree that the objectives of the Health Programme cover the main needs of European public health. However, clear recommendations for improvement have emerged. Most relevant from EFA’s point of view is the recommendation that objectives should cover less “broad” themes, and instead focus on more tangible and specific topics and disease areas. Also positive was the suggestion that DG SANCO (Health and Consumers) develop longer-term targets – making it possible to envisage projects of longer duration and scope in the future &ndhash; that clearer guidelines at the proposal stage be set-out – facilitating the complicated application process for applicants – and that a regular reporting system be developed, making use of things like the EU Public Health website, DG SANCO publications and newsletters, in order to ensure a wider dissemination of results and keep stakeholders better informed. For more information contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.