EU moves one step closer to a health union

On October 4th, The European Parliament approved both the extension of the mandate of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and a new law on serious cross-border health threats. The two new pieces of legislation aim to improve the EU’s preparedness and response to a health crisis. They are both part of the ambitious European Health Union plan, unveiled in November 2020, to learn from the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. The package included the establishment of the Health Emergencies and Crisis Response Authority ( HERA ) and a stronger role for the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Source (link in German)

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EEA: Health risks from climate change increase

As a result of the climate crisis, health risks in Europe and other regions of the world are likely to increase. In a new report, the EU Environment Agency EEA warned that more Europeans will suffer heat waves or infectious diseases if climate change is not addressed, according to the report by Stuttgarter Zeitung (in German). The Copenhagen-based EEA examined how climate change affects health and well-being in Europe in its report. The EEA focused on the effects of high temperatures and climate-related infectious diseases. Climate change will result in diseases such as malaria and dengue fever spreading further north, increasing disease burdens. Heat waves can become an increasing danger because they become more frequent and severe as a result of climate change. According to the EEA, they were already responsible for 86 to 91 percent of all deaths from extreme weather and climate events in the member states between 1980 and 2020. Unprecedented heatwaves, such as those seen this year, pose the greatest direct climate-related health threat to Europeans, the EEA said. Impacts of climate change, such as floods or insect plagues, have a significant impact on global health. Insect-borne, water-borne, and food-borne diseases are increasing exponentially. In addition, there is a risk of further pandemics. It is likely that new outbreaks will occur. Global warming is causing many animal species to seek out new habitats due to the fact that mankind is invading more and more animal habitats. In this way, diseases could spread more easily to humans.

EU countries agree on ‘key pillars’ of health union

On Monday, October 24th, representatives of the EU member states passed three final regulations to complete the European Health Union, which are to come into force in November, Euractiv reports (link in German). The latest building blocks of the European Health Union relate to the regulation on substantial cross-border health threats, the regulation extending the mandate of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the emergency framework regulation, which provides the EU with additional powers to Health Emergencies Crisis Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA). “The key pillars of our European Health Union are now in place,” Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said in a statement , adding that these are “additional tools to act quickly and respond with determination and unity to emerging health crises.” In addition to the three new regulations, the regulation extending the mandate of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has been in force since March of this year. The four regulations form the package of the European Health Union, first presented by the European Commission on 11 November 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic and future public health emergencies.

German experts: EU wants to set health data standards

EU Commission to define data formats, writes Pharmazeutische Zeitung (link in German). It will be the task of the member states to process e-prescriptions, e-patient summaries, image data, laboratory results and discharge reports into a common European format. Digital health authorities designated in advance in each individual country are to take over this task. These in turn are connected at the same time via the common digital infrastructure called “MyHealth@ EU”, managed by the EU Commission . The responsibility of the Commission should include defining the formats for data exchange. In the future, cross-border projects for secondary data are to be run via the second infrastructure called “HealthData@ EU”. This is planned to be decentralized, so the member states will continue to manage their own health data . However, there is currently no obligation to recognize each other’s data approvals. The EU distinguishes between primary use of data, for example for e-patient files, medical devices or high-risk systems, and secondary use, by which the EU means a trustworthy and networked environment for research, innovation and policy-making. Among other things, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) should serve as a basis. However, since it is about sensitive health data, further regulations will soon have to come into force, concludes Pharmazeutische Zeitung

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Willum Þór: The question remains if our healthcare system is sustainable

On January 1st, Iceland took over the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers. This intergovernmental organisation plays an important role in promoting innovations, health data integration, and cooperation between all major stakeholders in the Nordic healthcare. The Icelandic Health Minister elaborates on his vision to future health in the Nordic region, the Nordic strengths, Iceland’s plans for the Presidency with regards to health innovations, and the coming collaboration with Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies

CIFS ran an all-day session at the Week of Health and Innovation (WHINN) in Odense

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New HIMSS book out on blockchain in healthcare

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