Plenary 2

Europe's health security as strategic defence

Organised by the European Health Forum Gastein & the European Commission Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety

As Europe faces an increasingly complex security landscape marked by armed conflict, hybrid threats, and the growing risk of large-scale crises, health systems have emerged as a critical pillar of strategic resilience. This plenary will explore why health security must be understood as an integral component of Europe’s defence and crisis preparedness architecture. Drawing on lessons from the war in Ukraine, military medical exercises, and frontline healthcare experience, speakers will examine how hospitals, healthcare workforces, medical supply chains, and cross-border coordination mechanisms can withstand and respond to severe disruptions. The discussion will also highlight the role of the European Health Union in strengthening preparedness through joint procurement, medical countermeasures, surveillance, stockpiling, and crisis coordination. Bringing together leaders from government, international organisations, healthcare providers, and defence sectors, the session will consider how civilian and military capabilities can work together to enhance resilience. The key message is clear: health systems are not only social infrastructure - they are essential security infrastructure.

Further speakers to be announced