The issue of health inequalities and how to address them was first placed on the EU agenda under the last UK Presidency of the Council in 2005. The theme has been continued by successive presidenices and also the European Commission, which produced proposals for action to tackle health inequalities, following a public consultation.
The consultation sought views on how the European Union can contribute to reducing health inequalities and the NHS European Office worked with NHS organisations to prepare a response highlighting NHS activities in this area.
The European Commission's proposals, set out in a communication, focus on a series of actions which could be taken at EU level to support and complement member states’ efforts to tackle health inequalities, including:
- producing indicators to monitor health inequalities and support further collection of data;
- promoting research and dissemination of good practices;
- developing actions and tools to train professionals on health inequalities and how to address them;
- launching initiatives in collaboration with member states to raise awareness of and access to health services for vulnerable groups;
- encouraging and assisting member states to make better use of EU funding streams to support activities aimed at tackling health inequalities.
In response to the Commission communication, health ministers from the European country discussed the issue of health inequalities at the Health Council on 8 June and agreed a set of Council conclusions (essentially a strong political statement) highlighting the need for continued efforts to tackle health inequalities, both within and between EU countries.
Next steps
The European Commission will monitor how the actions proposed are taken up and implemented across the EU, and a progress report will be produced in 2012. The NHS European Office will follow this work and will keep NHS organisations informed of relevant developments.
Funding opportunities for tackling health inequalities
The European Commission has published a call under its PROGRESS programme for activities aimed at reducing health inequalities across the EU. To find out more please visit our Other health funding web page.