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The EU complements national health policies by supporting local EU governments to achieve common objectives, pool resources and overcome shared challenges. In addition to formulating EU-wide laws and standards for health products and services, it also provides funding for health projects across the EU.
EU health policy focuses on protecting and improving health, giving equal access to modern and efficient healthcare for all Europeans, and coordinating any serious health threats involving more than one EU country. Disease prevention and response play a big part in the EU’s public health focus. Prevention touches many areas such as vaccination, fighting antimicrobial resistance, actions against cancer and responsible food labelling.
Two dedicated agencies support national governments on health issues. The European Centre for Disease Prevention & Control assesses and monitors emerging disease threats to coordinate responses. Meanwhile, the European Medicines Agency manages the scientific assessment of all EU medicines’ quality, safety and efficiency.
The European Health Insurance Card is a free card that gives you access to healthcare during a temporary stay in any EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, under the same conditions and at the same cost as nationals of that country.
Vaccines protect us against diseases. However widespread disinformation has caused many parents to be skeptical about the benefits of vaccination. Discover how the EU is restoring the public's faith and making sure that vaccines are safe and available throughout Europe.