EPHA has submitted its response to the European Commission’s public consultation on the EU4Health Work Programme 2026. Its design and annual work programmes shape EU action on prevention, crisis preparedness, cancer, digitalisation, and health systems. By responding to the consultation, EPHA contributes to ensuring that the programme delivers on its promise of better health and reduced inequalities for all Europeans.
EPHA’s consultation response calls for:
- Strengthen prevention: Prevention is cost-effective but underfunded. Actions are fragmented and focus too narrowly on single diseases, while broader determinants – including tobacco, alcohol, food environments, pollution and climate stressors – remain insufficiently addressed.
- Put equity at the centre: References to marginalised and vulnerable populations exist, but without a systemic approach. EU4Health needs a cross-cutting strategy to reduce health gaps across Europe.
- Sustainable support for civil society: NGOs provide expertise, legitimacy, and community reach, yet rely on fragmented projects. Sustainable and predictable funding is needed.
EPHA calls for a 2026 Work Programme that delivers on pressing public health challenges and reduces inequalities.
For the full contribution, please see the document below: