Public Consultation on the New EU Global Health Strategy: considerations and recommendations

At the end of September, the EU4Health Civil Society Alliance contributed to the public consultation on the shaping of the new EU Global Health Strategy. 

The European Commission launched this public consultation as a new Global Health Strategy will be drafted, as the global context, challenges and threats to health have evolved since 2010, when the previous Strategy was adopted. Indeed, this strategy should include considerations on global health threats and their management, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes provisions on crisis preparedness and response. Cross-border threats such as AMR and future pandemics should also be foreseen and considered, as well as the growing impact of climate change on health. A key element will be to include the One Health approach and considerations on the SDGs in the strategy. The latter should as well aim at strengthening global health systems and tackling health inequalities, through the EU’s external policy.  

In its contribution, the EU4Health Civil Society Alliance has particularly stressed the necessity to break silos and take a holistic approach to health and wellbeing at the global level. This implies that (global) health should be included in all policies. Indeed, several policy fields have a clear and direct impact on health policy and health challenges, such as trade, agriculture and food, climate and environmental policy. The contribution also identifies health inequalities, social determinants of health, and the lack of leadership and inclusive governance in global health as obstacles to overcome. 

Furthermore, another important input is the strengthening of cooperation between different actors, the need to increase and strengthen dialogue with key stakeholders at the international level, and to support and include civil society organizations in the development and the implementation of the Strategy. This implies the recognition of the key role that health civil society organizations have been playing in responding to crisis situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine.