CPME President highlights chronic underfunding of healthcare in Implementation Dialogue on the EU's Medical Countermeasures Strategy with Commissioner Hadja Lahbib

They emphasised the following key messages:

🔹 Chronic underfunding of healthcare is a significant barrier to improving preparedness in the EU. Without reliable long-term investment, we risk being unprepared for the next health crisis while struggling to cope with today’s challenges. Future emergencies may look different from COVID-19, including possible climate-related health emergencies, and Europe needs to move from a purely reactive approach and ensure that Europe maintains the baseline capacities needed to respond before a crisis occurs.

🔹 Supply chain vulnerabilities are becoming an increasing challenge for Europe’s preparedness. Despite progress, Europe remains highly dependent on third countries for the production of key medicines and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs). The limited number of manufacturing sites, combined with dependence on external suppliers and raw materials, creates fragile and less transparent supply chains that are vulnerable to disruptions. We are looking to the recent review of the legislative framework to see if there are any tangible improvements.

🔹 Healthcare workforce resilience must be a priority. Looking ahead, healthcare professionals will only be ready for the next crisis if health systems invest in combatting workforce shortages, ensuring safe staffing levels and improving working conditions that support retention. The pandemic demonstrated that health system resilience during moments of crisis depends on a protected, well-supported and motivated workforce.

🔹 Investment in training programmes targeted at doctors and other healthcare professionals is crucial. Training should support the development and implementation of preparedness plans, strengthen surveillance capacities and ensure that healthcare professionals have the knowledge and skills needed to deploy medical countermeasures effectively. Cross-disciplinary training and training on risk communication are essential to ensure coordinated responses and maintain public trust.