European Union proposes building 'EU Health Union' against future health crisis

The European Union announced plans for building a "Health Union" on Wednesday, November 11 with the objective of protecting its citizens from various health risks. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced, "We cannot wait for the end of the pandemic to repair and prepare for the future. We will build the foundations of a stronger European Health Union in which 27 countries work together to detect, prepare and respond collectively." As per the proposal, the EU will strengthen its preparedness against the pandemic.

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EU prepares to battle the Pandemic 

Vice-President for Promoting the European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, said, "Today, we are taking a big, meaningful step towards a genuine EU Health Union. We are strengthening our common crisis management to prepare and respond to serious cross border threats to health. Our EU agencies need to be equipped with stronger mandates to better protect EU citizens. To fight the COVID-19 pandemic and future health emergencies, more coordination with more efficient tools at EU level is the only way forward." 

The EU member states will be improving data sharing in the areas such as hospital bed availability, specialised treatment, intensive care capacity, and the number of medically trained staff.

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Commissioner for Health and Food safety, Stella Kyriakides said, "Health is more than ever an essential concern for our citizens. In times of crisis, citizens rightfully expect the EU to take a more active role. Today we are reinforcing the foundations for a more secure, better-prepared and more resilient EU in the area of health. This will be a significant change for the capacity to respond collectively. The European Health Union is all about preparing for and facing up to common health threats together, as a Union. We need to do this in order to meet the expectations of our citizens." 

With this, the EU is also preparing to set out the main elements of the Health Emergency Response Authority (HERA) which will be presented by the end of 2021. As per the press release, such a structure would be an important element to support a better response to cross-border health threats.

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(Image Credits: AP)