Launched in 2018, All Policies for a Healthy Europe is an intersectoral initiative that brings together a diverse group of non-governmental organisations, think-tanks, associations, companies, and individuals. Their combined mission is to put citizens’ health & well-being at the heart of European policy-making. EHTEL is a Knowledge Partner in this initiative.
What is the All Policies for a Healthy Europe initiative?
The AP4HE initiative is chaired by Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis, the World Health Organization (WHO) Special Envoy for the European Region and former European Commission Health and Food Safety Commissioner. Financed by three companies - J&J, Vodaphone, and the Suez Group - the coalition gathers under one umbrella more then 20 non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The diverse NGOs cover many different sectors. They represent topics like digital health, med tech, the environment, and citizens and patients.
All Policies for a Healthy Europe (AP4HE) works through three main clusters within which the major determinants of health and well-being are addressed:
- an Economy that works for people,
- the European Green Deal,
- Europe fit for the Digital Age, underpinned by Promoting the European Way of Life.
The European Health and Well-being Deal
On 12 October 2023, the coalition launched a new and revised manifesto entitled “A European Health and Well-being Deal”, covering a wide variety of sectors relevant to this appeal. Read its four-page summary of the manifesto here. Overall, the deal wants well-being in Europe to be more than a buzzword. Alongside 20+ other signatories, EHTEL fully supports the initiative’s manifesto. Learn more about it here.
The AP4HE’s initiative’s ambition is to lobby for placing a high priority on health and well-being policy in both the next European Parliament and the next European Commission. It does so mainly through its manifesto. More activities will clearly materialise after Europe’s June 2024 parliamentary election.
Why is EHTEL part of the AP4HE initiative?
EHTEL has a deep commitment to many of the aspects of the initiative, especially those around digital empowerment and prevention. The association has been fully supported in this commitment by its Board.
Being part of Health Europe is an opportunity for EHTEL to network with other NGOs, gain more visibility, contribute to this dynamic platform by sharing use cases that come from EHTEL members, and gain access to European policy makers and decision makers.
Knowledge Partners, like EHTEL, contribute to the strategic direction of All Policies for a Healthy Europe, by providing data and guidance on content and input on political and communications activities. Knowledge Partners participating in this initiative are united in the goal of fostering appropriate health & well-being policies at European level.
Scottish EHTEL member, Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre, is already actively involved in the Healthy Europe ecosystem, as facilitators of the Digital Working Group.
EHTEL believes strongly in contributing to multi-stakeholder policy initiatives devoted to the digital transformation of health and care systems across Europe. AP4HE is a particularly important initiative in this regard.
What's next?
Healthy Europe, like EHTEL, believes that the outcomes of the June 2024 European elections will begin to mark the need for a more holistic approach to health and care. Thus, the common ambition will be to create a "Well-being Europe". All partners, EHTEL included, are looking forward to building together a bold vision for citizens' health and well-being.
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For your reading interest:
- Consult the All Policies for a Healthy Europe deal.
- Learn more about the initiative and its members on the initiative's official website.
- Delve into the book, "A European Health Union: A Blueprint for Generations", co-edited by Mr Andriukaitis and Gediminas Cerniauskas.
