Health and Sustainable Development

2018 is a big year for health. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and with it the very right to health itself, celebrates 70 years of existence, as does the World Health Organization. Important international milestones for health celebrate their anniversaries, among them Alma-Ata and the Tallinn Charter. And more recently, we have seen a strengthened political agenda for EU level initiatives in areas such as AMR, health research and health systems assessment.

While these actions signal a continued international commitment to improving health, we are nowhere near the finish line. Merely acknowledging that health is both of intrinsic value and a precondition for economic and social prosperity is not enough. The current political climate is turbulent – and poses a threat to maintaining health as a priority item on European agendas.

At this year's EHFG, we invite you to strengthen the case for European action on health and move forward. What priorities do we need to set, which risks should we take, which convictions do we need to overturn? Is it time for a healthy paradigm shift to make our systems future proof? Help us convey why collaboration on health across sectors and borders is vital for sustainable economic and social policies, and that it must remain a key concern of European institutions.