Dr Paul GARASSUS, UEHP President
Introduction
Europe shares the same vision when it comes to Health: create conditions for equal terms of good health among the whole European population. But can we really talk of a united Europe when it comes to cancer? We need solidarity to fight Cancer in Europe but is it possible to integrate solidarity in the fight against cancer? Many efforts have been made and clear objectives have been put forward to develop cooperative projects to limit cancer incidence and to improve European citizen wellbeing. The presentation at the European Parliament by Commissioners Von der Leyen and Kyriakides, expresses the real ambition for as renewed European health. . But facts are facts… To improve global health for all citizens, a collaborative process is required. We need coordination between all stakeholders , policy makers, administrations, professionals, and providers. All forces must converge towards efficiency. But new practical solutions must be included in dated schemes, with new partners and an open mind. Therefore, we want to include the private sector as a regular and trusted partner to develop positive solutions and share its relevant experience in the health care sector.
EU inequalities in health, such as in Life expectancy, and more precisely Healthy Life Years (HLY) are still today a painful reality among EU27 Citizens, and are not improving fast enough. Cancer deaths in Europe express this deep, sad, and unfair situation.
We seek to find solutions but first we must look at the current situation regarding three major points: Life expectancy, health expenditure, and death-by-cancer statistics in the EU.
Read the full report here: European solidarity to face Cancer
