UEHP, together with other 41 associations representing civil society, patients and health professionals, supported by 5 MEPs from the two largest political groups in the European Parliament (EPP and S&D), addressed an open letter to the newly elected European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Olivér Várhelyi. This joint effort, led by Active Citizenship Network and RPP Group, aims to underline the urgency of tackling Europe’s health workforce crisis to protect citizens’ right to health.
The letter urges Commissioner Várhelyi to prioritize the strengthening of the health workforce, recognizing it as a cornerstone of equitable and effective healthcare systems across Europe.
The letter was signed by MEPs Brando Benifei (S&D, Italy), Ondřej Dostál (NA, Czech Republic), Loucas Fourlas (EPP, Cyprus), András Kulja (EPP, Hungary), Tomislav Sokol (EPP, Croatia) and associations from Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Spain.
The open letter has inspired the #CareForAll communication campaign, in which representatives from Active Citizenship Network and other partner associations across Europe – from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and Spain – have lent their voices and faces to advocate for strengthening healthcare systems.
In the open letter, the MEPs and the undersigned associations call on the European Commission to:
1) Provide clear guidelines and support to Member States to address the current shortage of health workers, particularly in immunization efforts.
2) Update university curricula to include comprehensive immunization training, which is essential to address inequalities and ensure a consistent and effective approach across Member States.
3) Better allocation of resources to support continuing education and knowledge acquisition by health professionals, especially regarding the latest treatments and innovations.
More information and the full letter are available here: https://www.activecitizenship.net/pressreleases/1246-16-december-2024-european-civil-society-unites-to-strengthen-health-workforce-and-citizens-right-to-health.html
