Trumpโs plan for โethnic cleansingโ in Gaza is illegal, says UN investigator
Navi Pillay, head of UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, also said she would support a charge of apartheid against Israel at the ICC.
Health systems
Advancing early care for cerebral palsy: the BornToGetThere project [Promoted content]
The BornToGetThere project has been set to advance early detection, surveillance, and intervention for infants at high risk of cerebral palsy. Coordinated by the University of Pisa, it brought together global partners to implement evidence-based practi…
Italyโs far-right League party backs Trumpโs WHO exit
โItaly must no longer have to deal with a supranational power center,” Matteo Salvini said.
EU lines up intel-sharing, cyber squads to stop hospital hacks
EU health care sector pummeled with cyberattacks in recent years.
Doctors present first barrier for rare diseaseย patientsย
Overcoming the doctor’s ego is a first hurdle for many rare disease patients in search of a diagnosis.
Cases of flu-like virus are soaring in China. Should Europe worry?
Experts say seasonal surges are to be expected.
Europeโs slow but โinevitableโ march to allow assisted dying
The U.K. is the latest country to move toward legalizing the controversial yet evermore popular practice.
Why Europeโs health policies must prioritize chronic kidney disease
Undetected Chronic Kidney Disease affects millions in Europe, but it could be preventable, manageable and tackled with the right policies.
Keir Starmerโs reset, rated
POLITICO rates the prime minister’s six new “milestones” as he tries to drive change โ and turn the polls around.
UK MPs back assisted dying law at first hurdle in historic vote
LONDON โ MPs have voted by 330 to 275 in favor of a bill to legalize assisted dying in England and Wales for the first time. MPs backed the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, introduced by backbench Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, at second reading, meaning it will now continue through parliament for further [โฆ]
Ensuring affordable innovation for todayโs health issues through repurposing [Promoted content]
James Burt, Chair of the Value Added Medicines Sector Group at Medicines for Europe shares his vision how off-patent innovation can help sustainably address today’s major public health needs such as antimicrobial resistance, cardiovascular disease or t…
EU health systems struggling to address diabetes crisis, reveals new analysis [Advocacy Lab Content]
As diabetes cases surge across Europe, healthcare systems are grappling with an escalation, leaving millions without sufficient access to early diagnosis, preventive care, and innovative treatments.
Israel โmethodically destroyingโ Gaza, say health workers
Visiting doctors share eyewitness accounts after a U.N. inquiry accused Israel of war crimes by targeting Gaza’s health system.
Hungaryโs Vรกrhelyi to face 2nd round of written questions
MEPs hold back the green light for the controversial Hungarian Commission nominee.
How a political hostage deal saved 2 commissionersโ jobs
MEPs resort to mutually assured destruction to get Jessika Roswall and Hadja Lahbib through their parliamentary hearings.
How to watch the commissioner hearings like a pro
Your step-by-step guide to the European election’s season finale.
Diabetes inequity risks damaging Europeโs fragile health systems [Advocacy Lab Content]
Insulin affordability and availability across Europe are just part of the complex diabetes management dynamics challenging the EUโs fragile and diverse healthcare systems. Socioeconomic and regional disparities play their part, but so too does innovati…
Global health expert: EU strategy risks being โall talk, no actionโ
Professor Dr Beate Kampmann, head of Charitรฉโs Center for Global Health, looks at the challenges ahead for the EU’s global health strategy.
Crisis management commissioner puts medical countermeasures at the top of her agenda
โHealth preparedness actions and the overall resilience of health systems must be seen as an investment and not a cost,โ writes Lahbib.
Overcoming the barriers to Europeโs leadership in medical innovation
Over the years, Europe’s share of global medicine R&D investments has dropped. However, with the new EU mandate, there is a chance to turn this around
Germany reports first case of new mpox variant
It is the second European case of the new mpox strain since Sweden reported one in August.
Czechia includes pharma industry in ambitious new economic strategy
The Czech government has designated the pharmaceutical sector as a strategic industry, aiming to reduce dependence on non-EU imports and support national health systems, avoiding shortages.
Itโs time for Europe to harness the power of medical technology
Using the incredible power of medical technology, Europe can positively transform lives and its healthcare systems
Rewriting Alzheimerโs future together โ a call to action for G7 countries
Treatments for this disease have already advanced dramatically, but there is much further to go. We must take this historic opportunity to usher in a new era
Mpox is killing again. It didnโt have to be this way.
Missteps by the World Health Organization, a vaccine manufacturer and an African country led to another health emergency, experts say.
Mission Possible: Working together to reshape the future of cancer care
Q&A with Greg Rossi, Senior VP, Head of Oncology Europe and Canada at AstraZeneca.
Rare disease realities: Patient perspectives across the EU
References [1] Fabry Disease. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16235-fabry-diseaseย [2] Familial Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1444/ย [3] Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis 4B. National Library of Medicine.ย ย https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/medgen/108615 [4] European Reference Networks. European Commission. https://health.ec.europa.eu/rare-diseases-and-european-reference-networks/european-reference-networks_enย [5] CRA Insights. A Landscape Assessment of Newborn Screening (NBS) in Europe. Charles River Associates. https://media.crai.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/28135510/CRA-Insights-NBS-Policy-Updated-28-February-2024-vSTCCR.pdfย
Show me the money, Gastein says
SNEAK PEEK โย Gastein day 1 kicks off with a plea to ramp up investment in health โ and ways to do it. โ Can tech help to close the gender health gap? Some think so, but only if its funded and reaches all in need. โ Is COP29 the breakthrough year for health and [โฆ]
Only bold reform will expand access to innovative medicines in the UK
Greater collaboration between industry, government, policymakers and the NHS will be critical for treatment options in the UK to match the pace of scientific innovation. What is our route to achieving timely patient access across the country like our European neighbours?
Solid science in Europe: a farewell song?
Maintaining the highest standards is the only avenue to strengthen the EU health sector.
Health care helps to stabilize democracies, Gastein chief says
SNEAK PEEK โ Austriaโs Clemens Martin Auer stresses the role of health care in democracies ahead of a major health policy summit in the Alps. โย The European Medicines Agency recommended two updated Covid-19 vaccines โ but targeting different variants. โย Hungaryโs secretary of state for health will present the Hungarian presidencyโs program on health to Parliamentโs [โฆ]
Time to talk sleep: Reducing the burden of chronic insomniaย
Sleep deficiency is a serious health risk that profoundly affects individuals and economies yet conditions like chronic insomnia are worryingly low on the global health agenda
Von der Leyenโs first 100 days: What sheโs promised, what it means and what sheโll really deliver
The Commission president is promising to move quickly with far-reaching reforms. How credible is her plan?
Can global leaders agree on a tough AMR plan?
Some experts lament the lack of bolder commitments in farming.
Europe has the tools to end Hepatitis C. Itโs time to use them.
Global coverage of hepatitis C testing and treatment is โtoo low and stagnatingโ โ even in countries with advanced health care systems, says the WHO.
Itโs time to address this leading cause of death: COPD
A new report about the global state of COPD offers insights from 30 national experts on how policy action can be implemented worldwide.
From a hospital in Gaza: โPlease let me dieโ
We urge the international and medical community to demand an immediate and permanent cease-fire, and to allow access to the humanitarian aid so desperately needed.
UK looking at tighter outdoor smoking rules, Starmer confirms
Ministers are mulling plans to ban smoking in pub gardens, outdoor restaurants and sports grounds.
New mandate, new opportunity: A competitiveness strategy for European life sciences
We have an important chance to regain Europeโs edge in one of its most important sectors โ and, in turn, help people live longer and feel better.
Gaza records first polio case in 25 years
Analysis of sewage samples had first detected the presence of the virus in the region in June.
Heightened mpox vigilance urged by EU as deadly virus spreads
The virus is fast-spreading in Africa, where it has claimed more than 500 lives this year.
Sweden reports first case of more dangerous mpox virus outside Africa
The news comes a day after the World Health Organization declared this mpox outbreak a global emergency.
First imported cases of Zika-like virus detected in Europe
Outbreaks of Oropouche virus, which may be linked to fetal deformities, are reported in several countries in South and Central America and the Caribbean.
Researchers cast doubt over benefits of new Alzheimerโs therapies
Lecanemab and donanemab are two of the most recent medicines to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
EUโs top diplomat condemns Gaza starvation that Israeli minister called โmoralโ
The death toll in Gaza has risen to close to 40,000.
UKโs Labour to reintroduce tobacco ban, but backs off on disposable vapes
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill would ban anyone born after January 2009 from buying cigarettes.
Investment in European healthcare delivering innovation and improved patient care ย [Advocacy Lab Content]
Europe as a centre for health technology innovation has taken off in recent years with dozens of European companies leading the way in developing innovative solutions with the potential to raise the standard of healthcare and health systems globally.
Commissioner Kyriakides rules out second EU term
The health commissioner will return to Cyprus at the end of her mandate.
Letter from Ukraine: How will my mom survive if Iโm drafted?
Itโs undocumented โ or under-documented โ special needs folks like my mom whose lives are at risk because of Ukraineโs new turbocharged mobilization law.
Poland moves closer to easing abortion laws
The new Polish government has been struggling to reach a compromise on how to ease the country’s strict abortion laws.
Combination therapies offer hope to cancer patients โ but we need to act now to ensure access
There is an urgent need to consider solutions to overcome complex access challenges to combination therapies โ payers, policymakers and industry leaders must work together and act now to ensure access.
With national health systems under unprecedented stress, a European Health Union is badly needed
Ahead of Friday’s (21 June) Health Council, Frank Vandenbroucke writes that Europe needs a โtrueโ European Health Union to guarantee the survival of national health systems.
Vandenbroucke is a top pick for EU health commissioner. But the chances are slim.
Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke has a great CV for the EU’s top health post. But will Belgium let him go?
Dengue surges in Europe thanks to climate change
Invasive mosquitos are spreading into previously unaffected areas.
All politics is local: What the EU election is actually about in each country
When EU voters head to the polls later this week, one thing is certain: Almost none of them will be thinking of Europe when they cast their ballot.ย A plethora of studies โ and sky-high abstention rates โ show that most of the blocโs citizens neither understand nor care about the European Parliament vote. Because [โฆ]
Maltaโs Fearne resigns, ends Commission bid, protests innocence
The former candidate for Malta’s next European Commissioner resigned after it was revealed he will face criminal charges of fraud and misappropriation.
Maltese central bank governor, deputy PM face charges in snowballing corruption case
Malta’s political elite is being rocked by impending charges over a 2015 hospital concession deal.
Health systems and employers count economic cost of long Covid
Experts warn better data is required to drive policy as debilitating condition reduces workforce
Denmark relaxes abortion law
New rules will raise the abortion limit from 12 to 18 weeks.
Soviet-era attitudes to disability hinder Ukrainian fightersโ recovery
Injured soldiers face social stigma โฆ and their numbers have soared.
Europeโs amputation crisis, diabetes experts call for urgent new screening programs [Advocacy Lab Content]
Europeans suffer 100,000 amputations a year because of the escalating issue of โdiabetic footโ. Diabetes already burdens health systems, but without more frequent monitoring programmes, experts warn the amputation crisis will get worse.
Unlocking the full value of adult immunization
It is time to adopt a prevention-first mindset.
Future of health: Time for Europe to connect the dots
Innovation can deliver patient-centric, digitally advanced, resilient and sustainable health care โ a new video series shows whatโs possible if the EU seizes this opportunity for transformation.
Why Portland failed where Portugal succeeded in decriminalizing drugs
Oregon lawmakers gave it three years. Portugalโs program took longer to show results.
Ukrainian porn star raises funds for war amputees
The adult celebrity is a “patriot of her country,” said one of the amputees who took part in a flirty photo shoot.
Germany makes cannabis possession and cultivation legal from April
“The fight was worth it,” said the German health minister.
Urgent call to policymakers โ make chronic kidney disease a public health priority
Governments and policymakers must act now to elevate chronic kidney disease (CKD) as an urgent health policy priority, to bring the best possible outcomes for patients, caregivers, health systems, the economy and our planet.
Ukraineโs health system is a symbol of resilience
“I marvel at the resilience of Ukraineโs health system, battered by war and yet still standing.”
POLITICO 2024-02-05 04:00:00
References 1Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (2019), Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. Available at: http://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool. Accessed 12 September 2023. 2Fred Kleinsinger (2020), โThe Unmet Challenge of Medication Nonadherenceโ, The Permanent Journal 22. DOI: 10.7812/TPP/18-033. Accessed 12 September 2023. 3Institut Sapiens (2023), Amรฉliorer lโadhรฉsion thรฉrapeutique: un enjeu de santรฉ publique. Available at: https://www.institutsapiens.fr/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Ameliorer-ladhesion-therapeutique-V1.pdf Accessed [โฆ]
The right to breathe: how policymakers can tackle severe asthma
The international expert group behind the Severe Asthma Index calls on policymakers to take three urgent actions to tackle the disproportionate impact of severe asthma on patients and health systems.
Speed is everything for patients: together we can bring medicines faster
Innovation only matters if it reaches patients.
How the world gets Universal Health Coverage back on track
This Universal Health Coverage Day, letโs focus on what makes a difference: early interventions and funding for noncommunicable diseases.
Gaza health system collapsing, half the people are starving: UN
WHO chief reiterates calls for a cease-fire as Israel continues military offensive.
Biden is making a big push for more mining in US. Hereโs how it could disrupt health care.
Good mining jobs with good benefits can counterintuitively hurt access to care.
[Stakeholder] Optimising Alzheimer’s disease health care pathways across Europe
Despite challenges and barriers across European health systems in the timely detection and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, policymakers have a unique opportunity to be remembered for improving the AD care pathway and transforming the way the…
Transforming HIV prevention in Europe
Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, has revolutionized HIV prevention. New technologies, including injectables, wider availability and the reduction of stigma are the next frontier.
EU health ministers seek coordinated approach to climate change health threats
The EU must take concrete actions to address the public health effects and health systems threats of the climate crisis, EU health ministers urged on Thursday (30 November).
Matt Hancock at the COVID inquiry: All the cringe-inducing moments
The ex-health secretary โ a divisive figure in Westminster โ is facing a two-day grilling on his pandemic response.
All the times top official Jenny Harries told Brits to chill about COVID-19
The UK Health Security Agency boss โ whose early pandemic interventions raised eyebrows in Westminster โ faces the coronavirus inquiry Tuesday.
Czechia opposes transferable vouchers for novel antimicrobial products
The dispute is growing over transferable vouchers for developers of novel antimicrobial products, proposed by the European Commission in the EU pharma package, but Prague is particularly concerned about the potential impact on national health systems.
Squaring the impossible circle: Looking to a future of improved cancer patient experience and efficient care
At a time of economic headwinds and depleted healthcare services, providing patients with a better experience and efficient care doesnโt have to be an either/or situation, as All.Canโs new report highlights.
Speaking Up for COPD: A global call for policy action
Transformation in COPD care is underway as Speak Up for COPD unites policymakers, healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, NGOs, and pharmaceutical industry to help make COPD a public health priority.
Is the EU falling behind in transforming lung cancer care?
Despite its pivotal role in the EUโs Beating Cancer Plan, patients have yet to fully benefit from next-generation sequencing. A groundbreaking report highlights what we can do to change this.
A united front against the global brain health emergency
Aging populations are leading to a rise in brain disorders. Our health systems are not ready to cope.
Regaining lost ground: Itโs time for a future-oriented pharmaceutical policy
Europe must take back its leadership and develop a long-term strategy and policies to regain, sustain, and develop life sciences in Europe.
The lack of care for stroke survivors comes at a great cost
Most European countries lack a plan for how to care for stroke survivors, missing out on an opportunity to ease a big burden weighing on already stretched health systems.
Sales soar at Danish firm behind weight-loss drug semaglutide
Novo Nordisk says it struggling to keep up with demand after becoming Europeโs most valuable companyBusiness live โ latest updatesThe maker of blockbuster weight-loss drug semaglutide has reported a steep rise in sales and profits as health systems aro…
WHO chief scientist warns of endemic dengue in Europe, US
This will have a significant impact on Europeโs health systems, top professor says.
Seeing more than HIV: A person-centered approach to HIV careย
There’s more to the experience of living with HIV than suppressing the virus. Listening, valuing and integrating patient voices in HIV care is critical to leave no one behind.โฏ
Europeโs health resilience relies on its ability to innovate
Only 4 percent of medicines shortages are related to the research-based pharmaceutical sector.
Whatโs in a name? Why unmet medical needs are riling the pharma industryย
The EU wants to steer drug development to cover research gaps, but industry hates the idea.
โฌ1.1bn fund announced to eradicate polio and strengthen global health systems
The European Commission, European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have announced a โฌ1.1 billion โfinancing partnershipโ which seeks to eradicate polio and support global access to health services and innovations.
Why dengue in Europe could spell disaster for the rest of the worldย
Increased investment into previously neglected diseases could see poorer countries left behind.
Putting hearts first when it comes to aging healthily
Heart failure is the greatest health risk facing our aging population. Governments can help prevent premature death and โadd life to our yearsโ with immediate action and investment in accessible diagnostics.
Dwindling donations alarm Ukraineโs frontline hospitals
โHere we treat fresh trauma, and without the necessary materials, God forbid, someone can die.โ
Beyond forgetfulness: Why we must act on Alzheimerโs disease now
Alzheimerโs disease is a ticking time bomb for individuals, families and health care systems, unless we invest in our future health today.
Reigniting vaccine leadership in the EU
How the EU can reclaim its attractiveness on the global stage.
European Health Forum Gastein 2023: Health systems in crisis [Promoted content]
Health systems in Europe were facing significant problems pre-COVID, from underfunded primary and social care to workforce shortages and inequities in access to care, while addressing growing challenges such as ageing populations and the rise in non-co…
Severe asthma โ breaking the cycle of inadequate care
The real cost of severe asthma: Why urgent action is needed to protect patients and reduce the strain on stretched health systems.