On this World Health Day, hospitals and private clinics across Europe are raising their voices to highlight the importance of promoting health, increasing awareness of existing challenges and reaffirming their commitment to making an increasingly decisive contribution.
All healthcare systems and providers are under pressure due to a shortage of healthcare professionals, long waiting lists, difficulties in accessing cutting-edge treatments, digital transformation and growing concerns over healthcare financing. We must do more for citizens’ health addressing one of their main concerns.
Private hospitals and clinics, as key partners for sustainable healthcare, are a crucial part of the solution. That is why UEHP seeks to join forces with patient associations, decision-makers and industry partners to proclaim loud and clear that Health is an absolute priority and that we are all called to work together to find the best solutions for the benefit of both sustainability and citizens.
With this goal in mind, today, UEHP and associations of private hospitals and clinics from several countries are publishing an open letter to European citizens and decision-makers urging them to act so that we are all aligned in providing more and better health care.
This issue is even more worrying today, as discussions about increasing defense spending intensify. It is worth noting that both Health and Defense have been the responsibility of Member States since the Treaty of Rome. However, now, post-COVID and in the current geostrategic situation, there is a growing debate on how to address these challenges at the European level.
Increasing the defense budget cannot, in any way, jeopardize the priority we must give to health, education, and economic growth. Peace is worth it, especially when it serves as the foundation for a more cohesive and prosperous, healthy and cultured community, enabling us to uphold our “European way of living” (By the way, just remember that the symbolic English NHS was born in November 1942, in the middle of the war and with Beveridge recognizing that the war effort could not justify delaying the strengthening of the social contract).
In the coming months and years, Europe will face the classic debate of “butter vs guns”. It is inevitable but two essential issues must be made clear:
Even defense spending must account for health sustainability (critical medicines, adequate offer/capacity and human resources). In times of crisis, few facilities are as crucial as hospitals and there is nothing more strategic for a country or for Europe than its human resources and especially health professionals.
It is absolutely essential to increase investment in Health in Europe. Quoting the Lancet: “Without health there is nothing and health is necessary for all other policies”. People have growing health needs and we must be ready to respond. We need to invest in Health.
We are facing very demanding days. May World Health Day 2025 be marked by concrete progress and, above all, by a stronger collaboration among all the different players in the health systems, by working together every day to optimize resources, we can have a healthier and happier population.
Read the full version HERE
