The European Commission has launched a targeted stakeholders’ consultation to seek input for the EU4Health Annual Work Programme 2024. Although EUPHA appreciates this opportunity for stakeholders to provide input, we argue that for setting priorities for EU health policy, we need an integrated assessment across sectors building on concepts and measures such as burden of disease, demographic developments, future scenario studies and societal needs. The lack of such an integrated assessment approach results in important omissions in the current set of priorities, including a lack of focus on chronic diseases beyond cancer, addressing the impact of ageing populations and stimulating healthy ageing, ensuring the health of young people and preparing the next generation of (public) health professionals, and tackling health inequalities. Last but not least, among the current priorities there is no acknowledgement of and support for the role of civil society organizations in developing and implementing the EU4Health Programme.
Read the full statement here.
