Brussels, 31/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - The Commission has proposed that the EU adopt a more coherent approach on health promotion throughout the world and providing more effective help for developing countries in getting back on track towards achieving health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In is in the fourth MDG, “reducing infant mortality”, number five, “improving maternal health” and number six, “combating HIV/Aids, malaria and other diseases”, that most ground has to be made up.
The communication, “The EU Role in Global Health”, which was adopted on Wednesday 31 March, on the initiative of Commissioners Andris Piebalgs (Development) and John Dalli (Health), sets out for member states the path to be followed and prepares the EU position for the UN conference in the autumn which will take stock of progress towards the MDGs (New York, 22-24 September). The strategic framework sets out four priorities:
enhance global governance on health: the EU should defend a single position within UN agencies and work to reduce the multiplicity of health projects;
progress towards universal health coverage: the EU should ensure that development aid supports developing countries build sustainable health systems and should promote division of labour among all players, public and private, bringing knowledge and funding to the health sector; the Commission will propose a list of priority countries, mainly the ones most off-track from the health MDGs, where the EU should concentrate its aid;
ensure better coherence between EU internal and external policies in relation to global health;
increase global health knowledge: ensure that research and innovation lead to accessible and affordable products and services, and that no diseases are neglected. The EU's Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7) includes international cooperation towards achieving health-related MDGs and extensive research on diseases which can devastate developing countries. The Commission points out that, in the first three years of FP7 (2007-2009) alone, the EU has invested over €200 million in research projects on controlling and treating HIV/Aids, malaria and tuberculosis.
Just like the communications on food security and humanitarian aid, adopted the same day (see previous article), this communication will be discussed at the Foreign Affairs Council on 11 May. (A.N./transl.rt)