Extend the ECDC’s mandate of an integrated approach to public health

In a letter published today, the EU4Health Civil Society Alliance joins calls for the  Council Working Party on pharmaceuticals and medical devices to strengthen the mandate of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) as part of proposals for a European Health Union.

Learning lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, the letter’s signatories believe that extending the ECDC’s mandate will help prevent and control communicable and non-communicable diseases.  It could also act as an inclusive focal point for national health authorities, policymakers as well as healthcare professionals and the broader medical and scientific community, to better tackle health inequalities and ensure an integrated approach to future health challenges and threats.

The aim to “build back better” from COVID-19 offers a unique opportunity to break down siloes not only between different medical disciplines but also across the EU and between the EU and national governments to ensure better health for all Europeans.