The EFN participated in the Youth Policy Dialogue with Commissioner Hadja Lahbib, organised by the DG ECHO and DG HERA, in which the EFN had the opportunity to share views on citizens’ risk awareness, disaster and health preparedness from a youth perspective.
These exchanges will contribute to shaping EU’s preparedness for the next crisis, ensuring that young people’s voices are part of the process. This dialogue touched upon young people’s priorities, including: specific challenges young people experience when it comes to being aware of risks ; how young people can support prevention and preparedness work ; young people’s view on policy initiatives in the field of emergency preparedness and societal resilience.
The EFN message to Commissioner Hadja Lahbib was clear: Youth have an important role to play in crisis preparedness, including health crisis, and recovery efforts. Young healthcare professionals, nursing students are the future for the sustainability of the EU healthcare systems and its preparedness. We need highly educated and qualified nurses, prepared to deal with the next pandemic. The question is not anymore if there will be a pandemic, but when will it be. With COVID-19, 30% of EU nurses left the profession, and around 20% of the EU nursing students do not finish their studies. The profession is not attractive anymore, due to difficult working conditions, violence, low salaries, and lack of recognition. It is key to keep in mind that preparedness of the healthcare system is essential, and frontline nurses are key to run the systems.
Commissioner Hadja Lahbib raised that “it is key to invest in nurses to ensure preparedness. The EU Member States must do this, and the EU can support them. We all remember how we were all clapping for nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, but now their conditions have evolved only for the worse, and this must be turned around”.
Nurses are the largest and the more trusted group of the healthcare professions, and they are key for preparedness. DG HERA must act now to support the development of a strong nursing workforce.