The EU must step up its actions and leadership on global health

On 1 January 2023, Sweden took over the presidency of the European Union’s Council at a time of many global health challenges. It is important that the EU steps up its efforts to safeguard the policy of “health for all” and strengthen the world’s preparedness for future health crises. The European Commission recently presented a new Global Health Strategy,1 as a move in that direction. In the context of the Swedish EU Council Presidency, on 9 February 2023, the Karolinska Institutet organised a meeting to discuss the changing role of the EU as a global health actor and the way forward when it comes to the implementation of the new global health strategy. Among those taking part in the meeting were representatives from academia, civil society organizations, policy makers, and private sector.* As EU member states are now negotiating the council’s conclusions on the global health strategy, we offer the following recommendations:

Human health and wellbeing are of the highest priority for individuals as well as society. Fast and sustainable progress in global health can only be achieved by placing an emphasis on translating basic research into clinical practice, as well as by fostering trust and partnership across many sectors to achieve the UN 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including academia, the private sector, political decision makers, and civil society.

As evidenced during the covid-19 pandemic, major determinants of health and wellbeing are to be found outside the healthcare sector and include the availability of affordable and healthy food, clean water and air, healthy cities, global security, and what we learn from family, community, and formal training institutions. These factors determine health throughout our lives and across generations.

While these determinants of health have long been accepted, it is now ever more apparent that human health is also inextricably linked to plant and animal health, and to environmental and planetary health. This convergence of global health challenges requires global solutions and local action, in an interconnected world.

The “One Europe for Global Health Declaration” (formerly known as “Lyon Declaration for a European Health Union”2) urges European stakeholders in global health to: make a long term commitment for future generations; act locally while thinking globally; come together in equity and solidarity with due reference to climate and planetary health; limit silos with more intersectoral cooperation; and commit to good governance.

We recognise the Prague amendment,3 which underlines the need for clarity in the responsibilities of international and national organisations regarding the governance and financing of One Health and global health actions and infrastructure; the importance of balancing climate, animal, and human health expertise in the advisory bodies of these organisations; the paramount role of younger populations to ensure sustainability of One Health policies.

We welcome the EU’s Global Health Strategy¹ announced in November 2022 with the three priorities “Deliver better health and wellbeing across the life course”; “Strengthen health systems and advance universal healthcare coverage (UHC)”; “Prevent and combat health threats, including pandemics, applying a One Health approach.”

We emphasise the need for balanced global health strategies that address both health security and health equity in global partnerships.

We support the global health strategy outlining global interdependence in relation to infectious diseases. But we draw attention to the lack of awareness of the impact global trade regimes have on the unacceptable rise of non-communicable diseases in countries within and outside the EU.

Health priorities should not be subordinated to economic goals and other sectors, such as trade. Therefore, we propose that mechanisms for equitable partnerships are established, recognising the role of all stakeholders across sectors, levels, and regions.

Governance structures for health must be put in place to secure cross-sectoral cooperation and synergies for health within the EU (and cross-borders) in order to engage all stakeholders for global health.

Independent monitoring and accountability mechanisms and structures for the implementation of the global health strategy need to be established.

We offer our collaboration and participation in implementing the EU’s global health strategy while adhering to the principles outlined above.

We continue, through the One Europe for Global Health (OEGH)4 coalition, to support the current and future Presidencies of the Council of the EU with stakeholder meetings, next in Spain and Belgium, in order to contribute to the implementation of the EU global health strategy.