The main European public health associations worried about the health and care systems

The main public health associations of Europe (IEA, ISEE, EUPHA) have released a joint statement concerning the health research programme 2014-2015 (Horizon2020), proposed by the European Commission. These associations warn that this programme “does not address adequately major public health problems of the European population” and “underestimates the importance of health systems and policy research”.

In fact, the statement remarks that “there is a complete absence of priorities on research related to the identification of the effects of the economic crisis and research on intervention programmes to alleviate effects of the crisis in populations and health systems. The word “crisis” appears one single time in the more than 50 pages document in the introductory text”.

The Chair of ISEE-Europe and co-Director of CREAL, centre of ISGloball alliance, says “we call for a major revision of the work programme that will effectively focus health-related research in Europe to the major determinants of health and disease in the European population”.

Kogevinas adds “the major problem is the ageing of the population, an increasing communicable and non communicable disease burden and the fallout from the economic crisis. In combination, these factors are jeopardising the sustainability and equity of European health and care systems”.

The International Epidemiological Association (IEA), the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) and the European Public Health Association (EUPHA) are the major epidemiology and public health scientific associations in Europe representing thousands of health professionals.

You can consult the document, clicking here.