7 April is World Health Day. This year’s theme ‘My Health My Right’ emphasises that access to quality health care is a fundamental right. This core principle has also shaped the European Health Union we have been building since 2020 when COVID-19 hit. During the pandemic, the EU ensured that all EU citizens had access to safe and effective vaccines at the same time under the same conditions.
The pandemic highlighted European countries’ need to coordinate to protect people’s health. Building on lessons learnt, the Commission has been building a strong European Health Union by:
- enacting new rules on serious cross-border health threats and creating the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, to be better prepared for future health threats and crises
- reinforcing the European Medicines Agency and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- reforming the EU's pharmaceutical legislation which will ensure timely access to affordable medicines for all citizens
- introducing the European Health Data Space which will enable citizens, researchers and policymakers to harness the full potential of digital health data for the benefit of patients
- launching Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, one of the world's most ambitious and comprehensive blueprints for action against cancer, backed by €4 billion in EU funding
- working to break the stigma for every citizen living with mental health challenges
Our Health Union makes our health systems stronger, putting patients at the centre. These actions cannot be limited to the EU's borders. Through the EU’s Global Health Strategy, we are investing €4.4 billion to boost and deliver better health for people worldwide up to 2027. Good public health for every citizen is the foundation of strong economies and societies around the world.
For more information
Overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic together and building a Health Union
Details
- Publication date
- 5 April 2024
- Author
- Directorate-General for Communication