Session 11

The future of health threats preparedness

Organised by European Commission Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety

As part of building a European Health Union, on 11 November 2020 the European Commission proposed a new health security framework fit for the health challenges of tomorrow. The European Health Union will better protect the health of the citizens, equip the EU and its Member states to better prevent and address future pandemics and improve the resilience of Europe’s health systems. A strong European Health Union will allow all EU countries to prepare and respond together to health crises, making medical supplies available, affordable and innovative and working together to improve prevention, treatment and aftercare.

The new framework will also extend the role of EU agencies in the coordination of preparedness and response measures and will include a European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA). Increased coordination, declaration of an EU emergency situation, strengthened and integrated surveillance system, reporting on health systems indicators and monitoring and mitigating the risk of shortages of critical medicines and medical devices are the main challenges and the axes of a new preparedness framework. Join this session to find out more!