EFPA attends the High-Level Conference on the Future of the EU Health Union

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The Belgian Presidency of the Council of European Union 2024 High-Level Conference on the Future of the EU Health Union (26 and 27 March) has been an impressive gathering of over 300 activists, experts, parliamentarians, ministers and commissioners.

The output of the conference will inspire the Council Conclusions on the Future EU Health Agenda.

Main uptakes from the two days conference are:

  • The impact of the current permacrisis on public (and mental) health demands a holistic, cross sectoral approach.
  • Taking care of the carers, addressing the skills gap and attracting young people to the care sector is paramount for the sustainability of the EU Health Union.
  • Emerging technologies may offer new opportunities to improve population health and skill up the workforce, but also pose substantial challenges including the risk of a digital divide.
  • There is a plethora of EU funding instruments, implemented both at central (HE, EU4HEALTH) and national level (RFF, TSI). However, there is a demand for more flexibility (on scope, eligibility, and timeframe) of the existing instruments to align the EU action with the actual needs of the member states.
  • There is no health without mental health, therefore mental health should remain high in all political agendas (and the funding streams).

If you missed the conference, you can see the recorded sessions here.