#EURegionsWeek

The SDGs for a Healthy Social Europe - time for partnership and innovation

Wed 9, October 2019
09:15 - 13:00 CET

Web streaming

Health is a top priority for Europeans. Meet the CoR, WHO Europe and EUREGHA at the debate on how the SDGs can help to shape future policy making on health. We will look in particular at issues around innovation and partnerships in health and will want your input to reflect together on how local and regional authorities can drive the agenda for change forward. We will talk about research and development, access to care, digital health solutions, sustainable financing, community engagement and more. We look forward to hearing your ideas and examples.

Nick Batey, President, EUREGHA, United Kingdom.
Ossi Martikainen, Chair of the CoR Commission for Natural Resources, European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Finland.
Nick Batey, President, EUREGHA, United Kingdom.
Cristian Busoi, Vice Chair of ENVI Committee, European Parliament, Romania.
Caroline Costongs, Director, EuroHealthNet, Belgium.
Ana Llena Nozal, Senior Economist and Head of Long-Term Care Team, OECD, France.
Ossi Martikainen, Chair of the CoR Commission for Natural Resources, European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Finland.
Leen Meulenbergs, WHO Representative to the European Union, World Health Organization, Belgium.
Mark Pearson, Deputy Director of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, OECD, United Kingdom.
John F. Ryan, Director for public health and country knowledge, European Commission, Luxembourg.
Birgitta Sacrédeus, Chairwoman of the Interregional Group on Health and Wellbeing and CoR Rapporteur on health systems and healthy ageing, European Committee of the Regions, Sweden.
Cesar VELASCO MUÑOZ VELASCO MUÑOZ, Director, Agency for Healthcare Quality and Assessment of Catalonia (AQuAS), Spain.
09WS485
Workshop
A more socially integrated Europe
CoR - NAT commission , European Regional and Local Health Authorities (EUREGHA)
English (EN)
JDE 52.
Address: Rue Belliard 101, 1040 Brussels

Session summary

The European Union has made significant progress in almost all health-related spheres of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Today, EU citizens enjoy some of the highest life expectancy rates in the world, the most accessible and advanced care services and opportunities to seek treatment within and beyond their national health systems.

Good health is increasingly recognised as not only being of value to the individual as a major determinant of quality of life, well-being and social participation, but also as a contributing factor to general social and economic growth. By providing people with opportunities for greater well-being and helping them realise those opportunities, policy-makers are not only promoting well-being as an intrinsic good, they are also investing in people's potential as a key driver for long-term economic growth, societal resilience and stability.

The seminar, bringing together speakers from the United Nations' World Health Organization, three European Union institutions: the Parliament, the Commission and the Committee of the Regions together with the OECD, the Euregha and the EuroHealthNet explored the intersection between individual and social wellbeing and highlighted the benefit of working across governance levels and breaking the silos, including budgetary ones. The panellists discussed how to establish and sustain a "virtuous circle" in which both elements – sustainable economic growth and well-being – work together to the benefit of people and society. Focusing on the effectiveness of health care systems, quality and accessibility of basic health care, preventive measures and high levels of health protection, they made a case for investment in health and well-being at all levels of governance to make a real difference to individuals, communities and nations.

Take away message

Health is wealth, not a budgetary burden. It fuels economic growth, productivity and individual earnings and is a key factor for people’s well-being. It allows citizens to invest in education and skills, access quality jobs and enjoy better quality of life. No wonder Europeans systematically call for more EU involvement in health.

It is time to put health at the centre of all policy interventions and nurture the partnerships, innovation and cooperation at local, regional, national and European level.

Photos

Additional information



John F. RYAN

"It is important to present SDGs in a human-centred way that is designed to improve the lives of citizens with all politicians working towards the same goal."

Nick BATEY

"Money talks. Whilst the public sector itself may be short of cash and under huge pressure, there are lots of other sources. This is where some of the innovation and novelty are starting to come from in terms of thinking beyond and outside our normal approaches."

Cesar VELASCO MUÑOZ

"When we say healthcare, it means that traditionally we cure and not prevent. You can observe this in the current strategy, with the funds allocated, it is mostly reactive medicine. We need to shift to a health system that is predictive, innovative, resilient and preventive."

Caroline COSTONGS

"Public health sectors should work together to promote health and attract investors in the future to work towards collective well-being, innovation, and partnership."

Ossi MARTIKAINEN

"Health is too complex and important a policy to thrive without the involvement of all parties and stakeholders."

Birgitta SACRÉDEUS

"The science is unambiguous: 1 euro invested in health generates 14 euro in return. It is time to really put health at the heart of all policies and see health spending as smart investment in our individual and collective wellbeing."

 

 

Dr Cristian BUȘOI

"SDGs help address the issues that affect well-being within and beyond the health sector. It is time to look into their implementation to address health inequalities between and within Member States and drive a policy change forward, prioritising sustainability, patient-centeredness and quality of care for all citizens."

Leen MEULENBERGS

"We should prioritise engagement with stakeholders at the local level so that all of society participates and benefits. This is not only key to achieving equity in health, but also essential to achieving the SDGs."

Ana LLENA NOZAL

"Discrepancies in access to healthcare still exist in the EU. It might be little for primary care, but when looking at access to specialised services, we observed that there is a 12% difference between patients with low- and high-income status."

This is Your session – comment and interact!
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  • Posted by: Michael Rafael PROTERIOTIS
    On: 08/10/2019 - 16:21pm

    agenda

    is there an agenda for this workshop?
    • Posted by: Dorota TOMALAK
      On: 09/10/2019 - 08:30am

      Agenda

      Dear Michael, Agenda just emailed. A technical issue made it impossible to upload, apologies for the inconvenience. Dorota
  • Posted by: Michelle Koomen
    On: 08/10/2019 - 10:08am

    Request of participation

    Dear Sir/Madam, can you add me to this session as well? Thanks a lot! Kind regards, Michelle Koomen, University of Amsterdam
    • Posted by: Dorota TOMALAK
      On: 08/10/2019 - 10:32am

      Your participation request

      Dear Michele, We would have loved to include you in the participants' list, unfortunately we're not allowed to accept any expressions of interest arriving after Friday 27 September. We very much regret this and apologise for the inconvenience. Hoping to welcome you next year, Dorota
      • Posted by: Michelle Koomen
        On: 08/10/2019 - 20:36pm

        instead of a colleague

        Dear Dorota, It's quite late, but my colleague is on the participant list but can't make it. Can I go in her place instead? Kind regards, Michelle
        • Posted by: Dorota TOMALAK
          On: 09/10/2019 - 08:28am

          Participation request

          Dear Michelle, If you already have an EWRC badge, please do give it a try. Otherwise, perhaps an on-the-spot registration will still be possible. In any case, from our side, you'd be more than welcome. Dorota
      • Posted by: Michelle Koomen
        On: 08/10/2019 - 20:36pm

        instead of a colleague

        Dear Dorota, It's quite late, but my colleague is on the participant list but can't make it. Can I go in her place instead? Kind regards, Michelle
  • Posted by: Petr Simonik
    On: 03/10/2019 - 23:24pm

    Request participation

    Dear organizers, please, can you add me to the session? Thank you very much.
    • Posted by: Dorota TOMALAK
      On: 08/10/2019 - 10:33am

      Your participation request

      Dear Petr, We would have loved to include you in the participants' list, unfortunately we're not allowed to accept any expressions of interest arriving after Friday 27 September. We very much regret this and apologise for the inconvenience. Hoping to welcome you next year, Dorota
    • Posted by: Emma Kollatou
      On: 04/10/2019 - 11:01am

      Request of participation to The SDGs for a Healthy Social Europe - time for partnership and innovation

      Dear Sir/Madam, I am a Manager for Government Affairs and Public Policy at MedTech Europe and I am following this topic hence I would like to kindly ask you to include me in the participant's list. Thank you very much in advance. Do not hesitate to contact me for more information My full name is: Magdalini-Emmanouela Kollatou ID Card number: AB 363642
      • Posted by: Dorota TOMALAK
        On: 08/10/2019 - 10:33am

        Your participation request

        Dear Emma, We would have loved to include you in the participants' list, unfortunately we're not allowed to accept any expressions of interest arriving after Friday 27 September. We very much regret this and apologise for the inconvenience. Hoping to welcome you next year, Dorota