ECDC presents public health challenges at EU Informal Meeting of Health MinistersArchived
In his speech today at the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers responsible for health, ECDC Director Marc Sprenger highlighted these challenges and encouraged countries to maintain investment in public health and to work toward smarter and better cooperation.
The EU faces public health challenges, such as extending vaccination to currently under-immunised populations and controlling the spread of resistant bacteria. With national public health budgets under pressure, it is even more important to collaborate at EU level to achieve more with the same resources.
In his speech today at the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers responsible for health, ECDC Director Marc Sprenger highlighted these challenges and encouraged countries to maintain investment in public health and to work toward smarter and better cooperation. Dr. Sprenger summed up with the key measures to counter the new challenges in public health:
- National public health institutes need solid and stable budgets.
- Increased efforts are required to vaccinate vulnerable groups.
- Prudent use of antibiotics should be advocated, while simultaneously controlling the spread of new superbugs.
The theme of this meeting, hosted by the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, is 'Patient and Professional Pathways in Europe'. The topics discussed included investing in the healthcare systems of the future as well as health professionals and the preparation of the EU's new Public Health Programme.
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