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EuroHealthNet Policy and Strategy meeting 2023 (Partnership-only)

17 February, 2023

The purpose of this meeting is to take stock of the most relevant policy and strategic initiatives of both the EU and the WHO institutions to support achieving health equity. We aim to prioritise, discuss and take decisions on how we can work together to achieve best policy impact across Europe in 2023.

Given the upcoming EU institutional renewal and the constant state of poly-crisis, the meeting will also kick start a participatory process for the EuroHealthNet Partnership to set targets for health and social equity for the post-2023 period.

Download the event report here

Agenda

9:30 Introduction: Our health equity mission, an accelerator for addressing multiple crises and boosting resilience?

Chaired by Martin Dietrich

Martin Dietrich, President EuroHealthNet – How do we fare on the EuroHealthNet Strategic Development Plan (2021-2026)
Dorota Sienkiewicz, Policy Manager – Achievements and policy impacts to date: 2022 in perspective
Caroline Costongs, Director – Reflecting on our policy objectives and strategising ahead of the EU institutional renewal (2023-2024)

Discussion

10:00 Session 1: Improving Health and Social Equity: relevant EU and WHO policy initiatives now and coming up

Chaired by Caroline Costongs

Sandra Gallina, Director General at DG SANTE – SANTE's priorities around health equity, health promotion and prevention – the NCD's healthier together initiative - video message
Stefan Olsson, Deputy Director General at DG EMPL – A new social contract - the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan half-way, what next? Q&A
Oxana Domenti, World Health Organization Representative to the European Union – Taking forward accelerated actions on health equity: what role for the WHO in the EU policies, where and how Non-state Actors can support. Q&A
Nina Lindqvist, Head of Unit, Department of Public Health Analysis and Data Management, Public Health Agency of Sweden - Health equity and wellbeing at the forefront of health promotion and prevention in the EU: Sweden’s example; public health ambitions for the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Discussion

11:00 Break

11:15 Session 2: EuroHealthNet Policy and Strategy Plan 2023

Alison Maassen, Programme Manager – EuroHealthNet policy and advocacy priorities for EU and WHO & Instructions for the working groups.

The aim of the working groups is to discuss, exchange actions and define next steps for EuroHealthNet.

Questions for clarification

11:25 - 12:05 Round of working groups

Working Group 1: Rising cost of living and catastrophic spending on health

Over the last year, the rising cost of living, the threat of poverty, and social exclusion have become some of the most pressing worries of many Europeans. The rising prices have impacted equal access, affordability, availability, and quality of underlying determinants of health. In consequence, people's physical and mental health may worsen, adding pressure to already overstretched health and social systems.

Session aims:

Discuss policy developments and member activities in the area of health equity impacts of poverty and social exclusion reduction, financial protection, and access to health for people in difficulties.
Co-define next steps for the EuroHealthNet Partnership to jointly work on in 2023, linked to key outputs defined in the ESF+ grant.
Discuss impacts on health equity outcomes in the EU and between the states, identify and prioritise actions for joint and cross-country learning approach across the Partnership.

EU and international priorities:

Council Recommendation on Adequate Minimum Income Ensuring Active Inclusion & EU Adequate Minimum Wage Directive
Council Recommendation establishing the European Child Guarantee, EU Crisis Emergency Funds & EU Recovery and Resilience Funds
European Social Climate Fund & Commission Recommendation on Energy Poverty
WHO Europe technical advice on financial protection, out-of-pocket payments, and catastrophic health spending

Guiding questions for discussion:

What is the situation in the countries and how do members act? (What are some of examples of activities and good practice in Member States/regions, and/or that members themselves are involved in?)
What could/should we do together/jointly as EuroHealthNet in terms of policy and advocacy activities, and what support is expected from the EU and WHO?
What gaps and/or emerging issues are there that we should be agile to?

Facilitators: Pia Sundell (Executive Board member) and Dorota Sienkiewicz (Policy Manager)

Working Group 2: Sustainable food, climate and health – inclusive and socially fair green transition

Firmly rooted in EuroHealthNet’s ongoing work on systems-approach to climate, sustainability, air pollution, food, diets and NCDs crises, these issues of concern as well as the emerging policy, practice and research solutions need to be brought to the attention of policymakers. What do members do and what are EuroHealthNet’s policy activities in these areas? How can we help support a socially just green transition and promote a One Health approach, contributing to EU and WHO policy actions?

Session aims:

Discuss policy developments and member activities in the area of climate, food & health.
Co-define next steps for the EuroHealthNet Partnership to jointly work on in 2023.

EU and international priorities:

European Green Deal – including revision of Air quality legislation & Farm to Fork Strategy
One Health Approach – including the Joint Plan of Action
COP priorities – including the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health & looking ahead to COP28

Guiding questions for discussion:

What are some of examples of activities and good practices in member states/regions, and/or that members themselves are involved in?
Is there a particular topic you would be interested to work on (further) in 2023?
What could/should be done jointly as EuroHealthNet in terms of policy and advocacy activities with the EU institutions and WHO?

Facilitators: Plamen Dimitrov (Executive Board member) and Alba Godfrey (Senior Project Coordinator)

Working Group 3: Reflecting on eight years of health in the European Semester – what opportunities for achieving a Wellbeing Economy?

The European Semester is the mechanism of socioeconomic coordination of the European Union. Since its inception in 2011, the Semester has progressively encouraged health and social protection system reform.

The aim is to foster a fairer and more resilient society, reflecting on the principles of equity and wellbeing that lie at the core of the European Union itself. Indicators to measure social fairness and progress have been introduced as part of this process (e.g. the Social Scoreboard and Social Development Goals).

New concepts of Economies of Wellbeing have emerged which have yet to find their place in the Semester process, describing economic models that strive to go beyond the traditional economic indicators, such as GDP, and integrate wellbeing measures to evaluate the progress of our societies and nations.

Session aims:

Discuss challenges and opportunities in introducing Wellbeing Economy models in EU and national settings:
Reflect on the health and social aspects of the European Semester, how they reflect current needs and what can this process do to achieve Economies of Wellbeing:
Present the EuroHealthNet 2023 activities on the European Semester and discuss opportunities for the member organisations.

EU and international priorities:

Guiding questions for discussion:

Could/should the Economy of Wellbeing become a model to assist EU policies developments in the future? How could it support the European Semester process?
What can be the role of health promotion/equity in these processes?
What could be the role of EuroHealthNet in this process? How can we further work together?

Facilitators: Martin Dietrich (President) and Vania Putatti (Policy Coordinator)

Working Group 4: Taking forward social prescribing and strengthening capacities and skills of health and social services and workforce,and their cooperation in caring communities

Many health problems result from social challenges, like social isolation, or from lifestyle issues that can be resolved through non-medical interventions, like more physical activity, better diets and/or other changes to personal habits. Traditional divisions between e.g., the health, social, and civil-society sectors can make collaboration between them difficult and hard for health professionals to develop the capacities, skills and tools needed to provide more personalised, wholistic forms of support, that extend beyond medical care. This is however being addressed, through new and innovative visions and models, like caring communities and social prescribing.

Such models can make more efficient use of available resources and improve outcomes for both the providers and the recipients of care. Adapting health and other systems to accommodate such models is not, however, self-evident. The aim of this workshop is to discuss developments in members’ countries, and their activities and experiences, around this topic.

Session aims:

Discuss key EU and WHO policies that could help to achieve this, and if there are initiatives that members would like to work on together, regarding this topic, in 2023.

Guiding questions for discussion:

What are facilitators and barriers to implementing and scaling innovations like social prescribing, community care models and health promoting primary care?
What is needed to support progress in these areas?

Facilitators: Daniela Kállayová (Executive Board member) and Ingrid Stegeman (Programme Manager)

Short Plenary feedback round (15 min) – Moderated by Alison Maassen

12:20 Session 3: Reflections, Foresight and Target-setting process

Pia Sundell, Vice-President, EuroHealthNet – WHY? The need to define our collective vision, priorities and targets ahead of the EU elections
Mojca Gabrijelcic, Honorary Advisor, EuroHealthNet – HOW? Proposals for the EuroHealthNet Foresight Exercise and participatory approach
Sumina Azam, Vice-President, EuroHealthNet – WHAT? First outline for a useful and attractive Outcome and Advocacy statement (2023-24) with targets

Open discussion moderated by co-chairs

Concluding words

Martin Dietrich, President EuroHealthNet
Caroline Costongs, Director EuroHealthNet

13:00 End of meeting

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