The European Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakides, and the United States Secretary of Health, Xavier Becerra, launched the EU-US Health Task Force in Brussels on Wednesday 17 May.
This working group, established to develop the EU-US partnership in the area of health, will focus on cooperation in three areas: priorities in the area of cancer, global health threats and strengthening the global health architecture.
Technical working groups on these priority areas are being set up. The discussion also focused on Ukraine, with the EU and the US pledging to “continue supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes”. (https://aeur.eu/f/6y5 ).
Cancer. The task force has established two expert-level working groups on childhood and young adult cancer and on lung cancer, as part of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the US Cancer Moonshot. This collaboration aims to facilitate peer learning, share best practice and advise on the development of possible joint initiatives to improve cancer outcomes worldwide.
The aim is to promote the establishment of a new structured dialogue on cancer.
“It is only natural that we bring together our expertise and know-how to work in the same direction, with strong unity of purpose and aligned priorities to bring positive change for cancer patients not just in the EU and the US, but globally”, Ms Kyriakides told the press.
Health threats. Discussions also focused on current and emerging health threats, such as avian influenza, Marburg disease and antimicrobial resistance. Both sides also stressed the importance of improving understanding of post-Covid-19 conditions and their impact on health, societies and economies.
“Later this year, we will be hosting a meeting of the Transatlantic Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance – TATFAR - to step up our work in this area further”, the Commissioner said.
The EU and the US discussed cooperation between the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) and the US Department of Health’s Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), securing supply chains and vaccination programmes.
Both blocs want to ensure the success of the ‘pandemic agreement’ currently being negotiated at the WHO. Both parties hope these negotiations will be concluded by May 2024.
The EU and the US have welcomed the success of the first call for proposals of the Pandemic Fund. Both sides stressed that strong women’s rights are fundamental values of democracies. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)