Today marks the entry into force of the EU4Health programme. This marks the final step towards making €5.1 billion available to EU countries, health organisations and NGOs to strengthen the resilience of health systems and promote innovation in the health sector. EU4Health 2021-2027 is the EU’s response to COVID-19, aiming to make a significant contribution to the post-COVID-19 recovery, supporting the fight against cross-border health threats and boosting the EU’s preparedness and capability to respond effectively to future health crisis. The programme will be implemented by a new executive agency, the Health and Digital Executive Agency, that will start on 1 April.
Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, said: “The entry into force of our EU4Health Programme will give us the tools at hand to make long-standing changes in public health. This unprecedented budget of €5.1 billion will enable us to make targeted investments to enhance our crisis preparedness and build stronger, more resilient and more accessible health systems. This is what our citizens rightfully expect from a European Health Union.”
Areas of action of EU4Health:
- Boost EU’s preparedness for major cross border health threats by creating
- reserves of medical supplies for crises
- a reserve of healthcare staff and experts that can be mobilised to respond to crises across the EU
- increased surveillance of health threats
- strengthen health systems so that they can face epidemics as well as long-term challenges by stimulating
- disease prevention and health promotion in an ageing population
- digital transformation of health systems
- access to health care for vulnerable groups
- make medicines and medical devices available and affordable, advocate the prudent and efficient use of antimicrobials as well as promote medical and pharmaceutical innovation and greener manufacturing.