In July, together with our partners from the EU4Health Civil Society Alliance (CSA), EFA co-signed a letter addressed to the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen. The letter was published following Von der Leyen’s nomination to serve for a second term as president of the Commission.
In the letter, we commend Von der Leyen’s leadership following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring a more unified EU approach and restructuring of EU institutional capacity on health. In fact, many EU health initiatives, such as Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the EU Healthier Together Initiative, came as a direct result of the pandemic experience, showing the greater role of the EU in health policy.
However, EU4Health CSA cautions against complacency: the EU must not lose sight of health as a key priority as we move forward. This would mean not learning from the pandemic lessons and would be a serious mistake.
To maintain the momentum, we urge President von der Leyen to appoint a Vice-President for Health, Wellbeing and Social Rights during her second mandate, equipped with the appropriate funding to develop meaningful initiatives that we all need. This role would embody the willingness to implement the agreed policies that were drawn as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But first and foremost, such an appointment would not only reinforce the EU’s commitment to the health sector but also signal its readiness to tackle the pressing challenges facing Europe, including climate change’s effect on health, the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, and the ongoing conflicts near Europe’s borders. This move would demonstrate that the EU truly prioritises the health and well-being of its citizens in these challenging times.
You can access the full EU4Health CSA letter, co-signed by EFA here.