Health
First European Parliament’s COVID committee meeting reveals broad scope of topics ahead
The very first meeting in the European Parliament’s new COVID-19 committee (COVI), did not bring about any substantial debate, but revealed the broad range of topics MEPs wish to address in the quest to collect lessons learnt from the pandemic.
Health brief: The barriers to disability inclusion in the workforce
Setting up efficient strategies to create a more inclusive society is complicated by a lack of data, according to a recent publication, despite the fact that nearly 100 million people are disabled in the EU.
ECDC and EASA scrap mandatory mask-wearing on flights
Two EU agencies governing aviation safety and disease control have on Wednesday (11 May) announced that mandatory medical mask-wearing on flights is no longer recommended but that rules will be left to the discretion of each airline.
Citizen voices, trust and solid legal basis needed for efficient use of health data
Health stakeholders welcome the European Health Data Space (EHDS) as an ambitious initiative but highlight citizens’ rights and representation in the system's governance as vital.
Obesity community on a quest of becoming ‘louder’
Obesity is a complex multifactorial disease that affects almost 60% of adults and one in three children in Europe. The obesity community has to become louder and change the harmful narrative of 'eat less, move more', Jacqueline Bowman-Busato told EURACTIV in an interview.
WHO verified over 200 attacks on healthcare in Ukraine
Over 200 healthcare facilities in Ukraine have been attacked since Russia's invasion, according to data verified by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Legal issues, not infrastructure hampers research in health data revolution
A European Health Data Space (EHDS) could enormously impact health research if it can overcome barriers to cross-border secondary use of health data and create trust amongst citizens, according to a Finnish health data stakeholder. PodcastPromoted content
Value added medicines: A patient-centric approach to healthcare
In this podcast created by Medicines for Europe, the presenter informally discusses a key topic related to off-patent medicines with two or more experts, focusing on generics, biosimilar and value added medicines.
EU not on track to reduce livestock antibiotics, say campaigners
EU and national policies are not ambitious enough to reach the bloc's goal of halving antibiotic use in livestock farming by 2030, according to campaigners, who warn that without sufficient action, humans will also be at risk from antimicrobial resistance.
Food supplements: Policymakers ask for more consumer information, fewer grey areas
The use of food supplements is on the rise in Europe and this has prompted calls from stakeholders and lawmakers to revise the 20-year-old legislation currently in place and make sure it is applied uniformly across the bloc.
ECDC: Around 95 cases of mysterious child hepatitis in 15 EU countries
Fifteen EU countries have reported cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children, while health authorities continue trying to figure out the cause.
Europe turns into cocaine hub as multi-billion-euro market expands, EU says
Europe is increasingly becoming a hub for production and trans-shipment of cocaine to other regions of the world, in addition to being a major consumption market, EU agencies said on Friday, warning also about the expanding methamphetamine industry.
EU citizens may sue countries for health-damaging dirty air, top court adviser says
Citizens in European Union countries may be able to sue their governments for financial compensation if illegal levels of air pollution damage their health, an adviser to Europe's top court said on Thursday (5 May).
The mental health impacts of COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine/ The state of press freedom in Europe
In recognition of the upcoming EU mental health awareness week (9-13 May), this week in our Beyond the Byline podcast we are asking: How has our mental health been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine? What...
EU lawmakers back one-year extension of COVID certificate
EU lawmakers backed on Thursday (5 May) a proposal by the EU Parliament's civil liberties committee to extend until June 2023 the EU's digital COVID certificate, set to expire this summer.
Obesity causes 1.2m deaths in Europe each year, says WHO
A new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that obesity causes 1.2 million European deaths every year, while not a single EU country is on track to reach the target of reducing obesity rates by 2025.
MEPs condemn rape as war weapon, call for refugees’ access to abortion
EU lawmakers condemned the use of rape as a war tactic in Ukraine and called on the EU to ensure women refugees can access contraception pills and abortion across the bloc, in a resolution adopted on Thursday (5 May).
Commission, WHO discuss mental health aid for Ukrainians
The mental health of Ukrainians and those in exile was at the heart of discussions for the first time at the WHO mental health coalition meeting on Wednesday (4 May), attended by EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides. EURACTIV France reports.
Health brief: Let’s get digital
The EU health world is facing a paradigm shift, as policymakers have taken several significant steps forward into the sphere of data and artificial intelligence.
Widely criticised IP waiver text to be presented to all WTO members
A widely criticised document produced in international negotiations is set to be presented to all 164 World Trade Organisation (WTO) members in the next step of talks on a waiver on intellectual property (IP) rights for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.
Commission wants GDPR+ protection to facilitate health data revolution
Data protection, citizen rights, and digitalisation are at the forefront of the revolutionary European Health Data Space (EHDS) presented by the EU executive on Tuesday (3 May), according to involved stakeholders.
In Supreme Court shadow, Biden urges voters to protect abortion rights
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday (2 May) appealed to voters to protect abortion rights by backing candidates who support them in November's elections after a leaked Supreme Court draft showed it could soon overturn its 1973 decision legalizing abortion.OpinionPromoted content
On the brink of a post-antibiotic world, the European Commission is failing to tackle the crisis
New EU regulation is on the brink of futility as the European Commission refuses to reserve for exclusive use in humans a single antimicrobial currently authorised for veterinary use. There are two weeks left to change that.