ESMO has recently contributed with the written input to the stakeholder survey launched by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (EOHSP), in support of the European Commission’s DG SANTE, to collect in-depth feedback on EU health priorities, which will inform the mission of the next Commissioner of health ahead of the upcoming European elections in 2024.
In the face of escalating cancer incidence in Europe, set to increase from 4.4 million in 2022 to 5.32 million in 2040 and unprecedented health challenges globally, ESMO has recommended the following actions:
- Prioritise the ongoing healthcare workforce crisis, including cancer workforce by implementing measures on both EU and national levels to improve education, training and retention, which are instrumental to boosting overall survival rates of patients with cancer.
- Ensure that current coverage and access gaps to quality cancer care across the EU for patients with cancer and cancer survivors are addressed without them facing financial hardship.
- Strengthen the robustness of EU healthcare systems, especially on the secondary and tertiary levels of care where patients with cancer are predominantly treated to ensure that adequate, continued and timely access to cancer and palliative care services and medicines is fulfilled, avoiding competition with resources required for health emergencies.
In the face of the upcoming EU elections, ESMO believes that the next EU Commissioner of health should demonstrate a stronger position in the area of health prevention to deliver on the commitments of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (EBCP), including timely revision of the EU Tobacco Products Directive, Tobacco Tax Directive and Tobacco Advertising Directive, alcohol labelling and consumption, air quality standards as well as the use of pesticides (especially glyphosate).
Given that cancer is a growing disease burden, the EU should also work to accelerate cancer research, by prioritizing cancer in the upcoming 10th EU Framework Programme (FP10) and launching a dedicated European Partnership on rare cancers. FP10 should be supported by a ring-fenced budget of at least €200 billion.
Finally, a call for a legislative action at EU level shall be equally pursued to eliminate current fragmentation of Right to Be Forgotten (RTBF) measures across EU Member States to end discrimination of cancer survivors when accessing financial services, which should include a call for a revision of the EU Mortgage Credit Directive.
ESMO stands ready to work with all stakeholder on the key priority areas for the next EU mandate in the area of health as envisaged in its 2024 Manifesto for a Healthier Europe.
For further information, please contact: publicpolicy@esmo.org