Publications

by | May 3, 2018 | Statements

Health deserves more, not less spending! | EPF-EPHA Joint Statement

EPF-EPHA Joint Statement on the EC’s proposal for a Multi-annual Financial Framework post-2020

Brussels, 02 May 2018.  The European Patients’ Forum (EPF) and the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) today issued a joint statement following the publication of the European Commission’s proposal for a Multi-annual Financial Framework post-2020.

EPHA and EPF welcome that the Commission is planning for continued investment in health which acknowledges the unprecedented common challenges in this area that no single country can tackle alone.

They also welcome the fact that health has been placed under the “Investing in People, Social cohesion & Values” heading, as an  opportunity for synergies between investments in health and in the social sector and a signal of tackling commercial determinants of health without suffering from internal conflicts of interests. EPF and EPHA also claimed that any decrease in funding will be unacceptable and disproportionate; Budget allocated to health should be significantly increased to be equivalent to the challenges in this area and shouldn’t decrease. The call for visible, autonomous leadership in health, embodied by a Vice-President of the Commission for Health was also proposed and renewed.

Finally, EPF and EPHA called for an explicit contribution to enhancing human health prevention, protection and a cohesion policy.   Health is not a good, it is a right: EPF AND EPHA expect the Commission’s commitment to independence, continuity of good governance and coherence in a health driven environment, rather than one which is market-driven.

The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) is a change agent – Europe’s leading NGO advocating for better health. We are a dynamic member-led organisation, made up of public health NGOs, patient groups, health professionals, and disease groups working together to improve health and strengthen the voice of public health in Europe. EPHA is a member of, among others, the Social Platform, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), and the Better Regulation Watchdog. http://www.epha.org/

The European Patients’ Forum (EPF) was founded in 2003 to ensure that the patients’ community drives policies and programmes that affect patients’ lives to bring changes empowering them to be equal citizens in the EU. EPF reflects the voice of an estimated 150 million patients affected by various chronic diseases throughout Europe. www.eu-patient.eu

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