WHO and EU – allies in the fight against health inequalities
This article is created for the project “Efivos in Europe”
Author: Asya Atanasova
The right to health of millions of people worldwide is increasingly threatened. Diseases and disasters cause death and disability. Military conflicts are devastating for thousands of lives, causing death, pain, hunger, and psychological stress.
The emissions from vehicles running on traditional fuels are one of the contributors to the climate crisis and deprive us of the right to breathe clean air,
as indoor and outdoor air pollution claims a life every 5 seconds
According to the WHO, at least 140 countries recognize, in their constitution, health as a human right. However, states fail to adopt and implement laws that guarantee their population’s right to access healthcare services in practice. Evidence of this is the fact that more than 4.5 billion people (which is more than half the world’s population!) didn’t have full access to essential health services in 2021.
Every year on April 7th, we celebrate World Health Day. This date marks the establishment of the World Health Organization in 1948, which annually selects a current theme and declares it a priority area.
The theme for the World Health Day in 2024 is “My health – my right”
This year’s theme is chosen to protect the right of every person worldwide to have access to quality healthcare services, education, and information, as well as safe drinking water, clean air, good nutrition, quality housing, decent working conditions, and a safe environment, free from discrimination.
What are the EU commitments?
The “EU4Health Programme 2021-2027” is a vision for a healthier European Union. It was adopted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to enhance crisis preparedness in the EU. The pandemic highlighted the instability of national healthcare systems. The goal of the EU4Health programme is to contribute in addressing long-term health challenges by building stronger, more resilient, and more accessible healthcare systems.
EU4Health sends a clear message that public health is a priority for the EU and is one of the main tools for advancing towards a European Health Union.
The program will pave the way for a European Health Union by investing in urgent health priorities:
- Strengthening the EU’s resilience against cross-border health threats;
- European plan for combating cancer;
- Pharmaceutical strategy for Europe;
- Support for global commitments and health initiatives of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Other areas that will be incentivized by the EU include the digitization of healthcare systems, reducing the number of antimicrobial-resistant infections, and improving vaccination rates.
The EU plans to expand successful initiatives such as the European Reference Networks for Rare Diseases and to continue seeking international collaboration on global health threats and challenges.
Biology alone cannot explain serious health inequalities. The differences between countries and within them are due to their socio-economic policies, which influence the environment in which people live. Addressing this inequality is a matter of social justice and human rights. WHO and the EU share a common vision and unite their efforts to achieve a healthier world.
The article was created as part of the CERV Efivos project in Europe. EFIVOS II program is funded by the European Commission (CERV), with partners Network Children’s Rights (Greece), CIP (Cyprus), HESED (Bulgaria), GEYC (Romania), Dedalus (Italy), Pacto Verde (Spain), Crossing Borders (Denmark).
The support of the European Commission for the preparation of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the content. The publication reflects only the views of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use of the information contained therein.
