UEMO attends the HERA Civil Society Forum on health emergency preparedness and response

On 10 November, UEMO participated in the HERA Civil Society Forum, which brought together civil society organisations and healthcare professional associations to discuss European priorities, developments in health emergency preparedness and response, and lessons learnt from the health crises that the world has witnessed in recent years.

The meeting provided an overview of the European Commission’s ongoing work through the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), including discussions covering the implementation of the EU Medical Countermeasures (MCM) Strategy. Key priorities include strengthening threat intelligence and detection, accelerating research and innovation, ensuring the availability and equitable access to medical countermeasures, and reinforcing international cooperation.

Participants also received updates on the latest engagements at the international cooperation level, civil-military preparedness, as well as lessons learned from recent health emergencies, including the Hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks. A presentation by Médecins Sans Frontières offered insights into the challenges encountered during the Ebola response, uncovering persistent gaps in healthcare infrastructure, funding continuity, coordination, and access to effective countermeasures. The presentation, however, did show that the system acted faster than in the previous COVID-19 outbreak, especially with regards to vaccine studies and clinical trials development, highlighting that at each crises systems get more responsive and better prepared.

Further discussions addressed a recent policy paper released by the European Cancer Organisation, the short report presented from the WG discussions that took place before the start of the Forum, the European health procurement mechanisms and the forthcoming MCM Preparedness Roadmap, which places particular emphasis on affordability, equitable access, collaboration with endemic countries, inclusive research and community engagement.

UEMO’s participation in the Civil Society Forum reflects its continued engagement with European-level developments and initiatives relevant to healthcare professionals and the strengthening of resilient healthcare systems across Europe.

Credits: HERA