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Tue 29 October 2024 | View online Estimated reading time: 4-5 minutes |
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‘Some might say that health or housing are not European issues’ says von der Leyen |
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In a keynote address (28 October) at the opening ceremony of the new academic year at the College of Europe, the Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spared some lines for health.
Von der Leyen said, “Some might say that health or housing are not European issues. Some might say we should not get involved. But I want our Union to step up wherever it can make a difference, and where it matters the most to people.”
In the speech von der Leyen said that everyone should have access to healthcare and raised what she called, “the crucial issue of mental health, that I know is especially dear to young people.” She said that there was, “so much that Europe can do”, giving the example of addressing the addictive design of some social media platforms, “and the plague of cyber-bullying.”
So while the EU appears to be - in some ways - making a retreat from health policy post-Covid, there’s a realisation that health is an area that resonates with the public. One that has consistently been shown in surveys and in the extensive dialogue with the public through the Conference on the Future of Europe to be near the top of their list of priorities for European action. Back to the top |
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74th session of the WHO/Europe committee kicks off |
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Health ministers and delegates from the 53 countries of the WHO European Region, as well as representatives of civil society, will meet in Copenhagen, for the three day 74th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (RC74).
One of the issues will be the nomination of a new Regional Director, the current Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri Kluge, comes to an end on 31 January 2025. The Regional Committee will consider who to nominate for the next five years. Without wanting to spoil the surprise the only candidate who has stepped forward is… Kluge.
Ahead of the meeting the WHO/Europe office has agreed on a plan to improve the engagement of non-state actors to enhance engagement and build trust.
There will be a progress report on leveraging digital transformation for better health in Europe, a new framework for resilience and sustainable health for 2025 - 2030, and emergency medical teams regional action plan for 2024-2030 and a new regional strategy and action plan on health emergency preparedness. Back to the top |
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🟡 Health technology assessment |
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Commission publishes rules on conflicts of interest for health technology assessment |
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On Friday (25 October), the European Commission adopted the third of six implementing regulations needed before the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Regulation comes into force on 12 January 2025. The latest set of rules govern the management of conflicts of interest of those involved in joint clinical assessments and joint scientific consultations.
The Commission will assess declaration of interest forms aimed at ensuring that no participant has a financial or other interest that could put their independence into question.
The forms ask if a person has been employed in the last five years in an executive role as a health technology developer, or had a ‘horizontal responsibility’ for multiple health technologies, such as in the area of pharmacovigilance, regulatory affairs or statistical methodology, within the last three years.
Follow the money: The form also asks about financial interests in the form of shares, or by any form of payment, as well as whether any immediate family members, including the children of a spouse, have employment or financial interests in health technology companies. Find the regulation here. Back to the top |
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Global health expert: EU strategy risks being 'all talk, no action' |
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Clearer strategies and proper implementation within the European Union are needed to properly address global health challenges, Professor Dr Beate Kampmann, head of Charité’s Center for Global Health, told Euractiv.
The EU's global health approach currently consists of national and EU-wide initiatives, but Kampmann believes, “We need a stronger matrix of implementation and clear outcomes; otherwise, the strategy risks being all talk and no action.”
Kampmann, a vaccinologist who formed Charité's Center for Global Health in 2023, expressed mixed feelings about the EU's global health strategy.
"Who has put it together? What is the strategy for and for whom?" she asked in her interview with Euractiv, which occurred at the World Health Summit (WHS), of which Charité is a member.
Kampmann said that the issues nations face, such as infectious diseases, migration, climate change, and non-communicable diseases, are interconnected, and health is a core political issue.
"There isn’t health for the individuals in our communities unless we have a global perspective. [...] Health is always also a political subject. It's a human rights issue, and it is not a luxury. It’s a necessity." Read the full interview here. Back to the top |
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Gas stoves shave thousands of years off Europeans’ lives each year |
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Around 40,000 lives are lost annually from gas cooking, according to a health impact assessment (HIA) measuring premature deaths and asthma by the Universitat Jaume I in Spain released yesterday (28 October).
Gas hobs are present in a third of European Union households, despite gas cooking being known to release harmful pollutants such as methane, benzene, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and carbon dioxide during combustion.
The study found that gas appliances in the EU frequently exceed World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality standards for indoor pollutants, specifically for NO2.
“Way back in 1978, we first learned that NO2 pollution is many times greater in kitchens using gas than electric cookers. But only now are we able to put a number on the amount of lives being cut short,” said Dr Juana María Delgado Saborit, lead author of the report.
In terms of economic cost, preventable deaths caused by gas pollution are estimated to cost around €143 billion EU-wide. Countries most affected by gas cooking pollution were France, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, the UK, Poland and Hungary. Back to the top |
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🟡 Reproductive health and climate |
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Rising heat harms maternal and reproductive health, says study |
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Heat surges from climate change across the world lead to pregnancy and reproductive health complications, including premature births and miscarriage risk, according to a new study by Future Earth, the Earth League and the World Climate Research Programme in association with UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), called ‘10 New Insights in Climate Science’.
“Climate extremes are jeopardising pregnant women and unborn children and in turn, threatening decades of progress on maternal and reproductive health,” according to the consortium.
Ahead of the upcoming COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, they said that policymakers should be “urged to reflect on these insights in updating the submissions of their Nationally Determined Contributions, and drive attention to them within negotiations, including on the pivotal issues of climate finance.” Currently, only 27 out of 119 Nationally Determined Contributions (NCDs) — which represent efforts by each country to reduce national emissions — refer to sexual and reproductive health. Back to the top |
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Bulgaria’s state health system failing pregnant and vulnerable women |
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Bulgaria - The National Audit Office highlights that many pregnant Bulgarian women have not had a single check-up during pregnancy and have not taken advantage of the opportunities created by the state programme.
Bulgaria's state healthcare system is failing to provide care for pregnant women who cannot pay health insurance, according to a report by the Bulgarian National Audit Office.
Nearly one million working-age citizens, a share of 25%, do not pay health insurance. These are people mainly from the country's large Roma minority, workers in the informal sector and citizens who are permanently excluded from the labour market.
"The reasons for this can be found in the low education and health and social status, the lack of effective information campaigns and insufficient work with mediators to direct pregnant women to the state-provided medical care for mother and baby," the report said.
Only 40 per cent of uninsured pregnant women have used the state-funded medical check-up programme, and in 2022, their share continued to fall to 37%. Read more here. Back to the top |
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| MEPs have an external week, no committee or group meetings |
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| Jobs and Social Rights Commissioner Nicolas Schmit attends high-level conference on occupational safety and health Italian Chamber of Deputies in Rome, Italy |
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| Health Policy Platform Webinar on “Stepping up efforts for better mental health of long-term care workers and informal carers” |
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| Working Party on Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices |
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| EMA, Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee |
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| 74th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, Copenhagen |
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| Launch of OnHomeAlliance , Online Order and Home Delivery of Medicines Alliance |
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| EMA, Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee |
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| 74th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, Copenhagen |
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| EMA, Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee |
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| 74th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, Copenhagen |
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| Commissioner-designate hearings begin |
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Today’s brief was brought to you by Euractiv’s Health team |
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Today’s briefing was prepared by the Health team: Catherine Feore, Clara Bauer-Babef, Emma Pirnay, Thomas Mangin, and Lydia Williams. Additional reporting by Krassen Nikolov. Share your feedback or information with us at [email protected]. |
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