The Commission has today adopted a Communication on the European Health Union, highlighting significant strides in the EU health policy over the last four years. Driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, and supported by substantial funding from the EU4Health programme, these advancements reflect the importance of EU solidarity and collaboration in safeguarding public health.
Setting up the European Health Union has been crucial, serving as the backbone and framework established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to enhance EU resilience and public health. Notable achievements over the past four years have been the EU Vaccines Strategy, which ensured equitable COVID vaccine access, saving lives and aiding economic reopening with the Digital COVID Certificate. Through Team Europe, it became COVAX's largest donor and provided €54 billion in emergency support to partner nations. The EU Cancer Plan allocated EUR 4 billion for cancer combat measures, from prevention to post-treatment care. Initiatives like the European Health Data Space (EHDS) improved healthcare access and research while upholding data protection. EUR 1.2 billion supported the EU Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health, enhancing mental health services, promoting well-being, and reducing stigma.
A key achievement of the Health Union is the creation of HERA in 2021, which plays an essential role in ensuring the resilience of health systems across the EU by bolstering the ability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to health crises. Since its establishment, HERA has worked with Member States and various stakeholders, including industry and civil society, to enhance preparedness and response to health threats, particularly concerning medical countermeasures.
In its first two years, HERA has achieved several significant milestones. It has successfully procured and stockpiled medical countermeasures, including COVID-19 and mpox vaccines, and vaccines adapted to new COVID-19 variants. Additionally, under the rescEU capacity, HERA has secured stockpile reserves to ensure the EU is prepared for future health emergencies.
The DURABLE Consortium, launched in 2023 with a budget of EUR 30 million (of which EUR 25 million funded by HERA), is a network of leading research institutes and public health centers across Europe. The network includes 19 partners and 2 affiliated entities from 15 Member States, and aims to quickly provide scientific information to support HERA's decision-making during health crises, develop rapid deployment strategies, and test system robustness.
HERA has also integrated wastewater surveillance in health crises preparedness through the EU-WISH joint action, developing common EU strategies and setting up a monitoring system for detecting cross-border health threats. The Glowacon project, launched in collaboration with the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, aims to establish an international sentinel system for the early detection, prevention, and real-time monitoring of epidemic threats and outbreaks.
The HERA Invest mechanism, a flagship HERA initiative supported by the European Investment Bank, draws private and public investments into cutting-edge medical countermeasure technologies. The EU FAB Network, another critical HERA initiative, is a network of European vaccine manufacturing facilities that ensures quick activation of production capacities during health emergencies.
In April 2024, HERA, in collaboration with the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, launched the Critical Medicines Alliance, complementing as an industrial arm the proposed reform of the EU pharmaceutical legislation, and responding directly to the demands of over 23 Member States for greater strategic autonomy in the sector. With over 250 members, the Alliance brings together national authorities, industry stakeholders, healthcare organizations, civil society, the European Commission, and EU agencies to tackle critical medicine shortages, improve supply security, ensure medicine availability, and reduce dependencies within the overall EU supply chain.
These efforts collectively enhance EU's preparedness and response capabilities for health threats. As the European Health Union continues to evolve, HERA's role will be pivotal in ensuring that the EU remains well-prepared and ready to face any future health emergencies.
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- Publication date
- 22 May 2024
- Author
- Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority