EU health and foreign ministers to meet on 9–10 February to discuss promotion of global health
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EU foreign and health ministers will convene for a joint ministerial conference in Lyon, France, on 9 February, and EU health ministers for an informal meeting in Grenoble on 10 February. At their joint conference, foreign and health ministers will discuss how to promote EU measures in the field of global health to support low- and middle-income countries. The meeting of health ministers will focus on the public health dimension of the European Health Union. Finland will be represented at the meetings by State Secretary Eila Mäkipää and at the joint ministerial conference also by Teemu Tanner.
The joint ministerial conference of foreign and health ministers organised by the French Presidency of the Council of the EU will take place in Lyon on 9 February and discuss how to promote EU measures in the field of global health to support low- and middle-income countries. Also on the agenda are consolidating the EU’s leading role in health architecture and increasing Europe’s attractiveness by strengthening cooperation and expert organisations in global health issues.
Finland considers it important that the right to health under the WHO Constitution, gender equality and cross-sectoral cooperation required by global health will be included in the EU’s key policy guidelines. Finland stresses the importance of strengthening global health security and health systems.
Finland also attaches great importance to the international dimension of the European Health Union, because large-scale public health emergencies and their threats are global in nature. Finland is in favour of strengthening the EU’s role in global health and has worked actively to promote it. Finland, together with the other EU Member States and the European Commission, is committed to solidarity in ensuring the equal distribution of vaccines necessary to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Finland supports the economy of wellbeing approach, which aims at economically, ecologically and socially sustainable development. Finland has been active in strengthening the EU’s role in global health. Now it is time to position the EU as a strategically significant actor in global health and the economy of wellbeing,” says State Secretary Eila Mäkipää.
During its EU Presidency in 2019, Finland launched an initiative to strengthen the EU’s role in global health. A group of several consecutive EU presidencies was formed around this theme to systematically promote the EU’s role in global health.
Inquiries:
Reetta Honkanen, Senior Specialist, [email protected]
Sampo Varjonen, Special Adviser to the Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services, [email protected]