Informal Meeting of EU Health Ministers: Bucharest, 15 April

EU Health Ministers will have an informal meeting at the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest on 15 April. Event – organized by Romanian Ministry of Health – will be chaired by Romanian Health Minister Sorina Pintea. It takes place under Romania's EU Council Presidency.

Meeting is to be attended by Ms.Anne Bucher – Director General European Commission Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) and Ms.Leen Meulenbergs – Director, Strategic Partnerships, WHO/Europe, and WHO Representative to the European Union (EU), World Health Organization.

There will be two working sessions, which will be dedicated to the following topics:

- Access to medicines – patient access to innovative and expensive medicines and treatments;

- Information on cross-border healthcare – patient mobility. Health plays an essential role in guaranteeing access to health for all European citizens, being a central pillar of EU health policy. Investing in health is a crucial element in reducing social and economic disparities.

In the first working session, participants will discuss possible solutions on patient access to innovative therapies and for continued treatment of patients with clear therapeutic benefits following their participation in clinical trials.

In the second working session, talks will focus on improving access to planned cross-border healthcare, improving access to appropriate information, and exchanging experience on implementation of the EU Directive. This approach allows EU citizens to reap the benefits of cross-border healthcare. Also, medical systems, especially those in border regions, can become more efficient through cross-border collaboration. Health ministers from EU Member States will also debate patient mobility under the age of 18 and with rare diseases.

Source:Romania2019.eu