NEWS > SPOTLIGHTS
November, 07, 2018
Fourth annual health initiative meets from September 2018 through to April 2019
BRUSSELS – November 7th, 2018 – Today marks the launch and inaugural plenary session of the 4th European Health Parliament (EHP), a group of 60 young people who have been selected to tackle the health issues that matter most to European citizens. The aim is to develop a series of recommendations for European health policy to be presented to policymakers in April ahead of the 2019 European elections.
Bringing innovation to health systems under pressure
The EHP answers Europe’s need for fresh ideas in health. Health systems are facing pressures to adapt their spending and other resources to match ever-changing demographics, rising disease burdens, stronger patient empowerment and modern technologies. This calls for greater innovation and collaboration from all areas of academia, industry and policy.
For Zeger Vercouteren, Vice President Government Affairs & Policy EMEA at Johnson & Johnson, the continued success of the EHP shows we are taking great strides in this forward momentum: “EHP members voice the concerns and aspirations informed citizens have for European health policy. Their recommendations are actionable and to the point. This makes – and has made – their work so valuable to the institutions and policymakers. EHP partners truly pride themselves on preparing and empowering EU young professionals to advocate for what matters most to their generation.”
The EHP works together with DG SANTE’s Unit for Strategy & Coordination to ensure that each edition addresses a pressing need for policy actions. For this edition, EHP members will focus on the following five themes:
The 4th European Health Parliament meets as Europe prepares itself to vote for a new European Parliament next May. EHP members will campaign too, running for health to be a priority in the next Commission and Parliament. Our members will make their voice known throughout the election cycle, both physically at the planned Spitzenkandidaten debate and throughout Brussels, and online through video interviews, a video challenge and social media.
Background information below
The European Health Parliament
The EHP is a multidisciplinary learning initiative enabling the next generation of European health leaders to develop constructive, actionable solutions to improve EU health. Along with their partners – the College of Europe, Johnson & Johnson, Porter Novelli, European Patients Forum, POLITICO, and EU40, the network of young MEPs – the EHP provides young Europeans with a platform to share disruptive solutions to build a healthier and more innovative Europe.
EHP members are selected for their contribution to, and potential to lead in, European health policy. They come from all across Europe (including non-EU countries), they have a wide range of educational backgrounds, and represent all healthcare sectors. They also represent the voice of the young generation, who stand to use more health services as they age.
Ideas generated during previous EHP sessions have gone on to influence European policy decisions: Victor Negrescu, former MEP (S&D, RO), put forward the EP Written Declaration on Electronic Health Records in April 2016, which originated from one of the recommendations of EHP 1. Similarly, Karin Kadenbach MEP (S&D, AT) included proposals by the AMR committee of EHP 3 in her Report on a European One Health Action Plan against Antimicrobial Resistance.
Notable EHP alumni include Eleni Antoniadou (EHP 2), NASA scientist and co-founder of Transplants Without Donors; Lila Stavropoulos (EHP 3) Top 50 Global Health Tech Influencer and Arthur Stril (EHP 2) Co-founder at Onigo.
Contact
To keep up-to-date with the latest news from the first EHP 4 plenary session, check out @healthparl and #WeRun4Health online.
For more information about the European Health Parliament and how to get involved in this year’s activities or the next cohort, visit www.healthparliament.eu.
Interested parties are welcome to attend EHP plenary sessions on 7 November, 5 December, 6 February or 2 April, after registration on the EHP website.
For all media enquiries, contact Luca Bellomo at [email protected].
