Taking Action: EPF Organises Meeting to Present and Discuss Next Steps to Achieve Universal Health Coverage

After almost one year of intense work on Universal Health Coverage, EPF will present the conclusions of its campaign on Access to Healthcare during a high-level policy roundtable on Wednesday 6 December. The campaign’s roadmap containing recommendations to decision-makers to achieve Universal Health Coverage for all by 2030 will be launched on this occasion.

What have we achieved during the Campaign on Access to Healthcare? What are the next steps?

After one year of campaigning to raise awareness on the UN Sustainable Development Goal on Health, the closing event of the EPF Campaign, hosted by MEP Miriam Dalli (S&D, Malta), will be the opportunity to:

  • present EPF’s Roadmap towards Achieving Universal Health Coverage for All by 2030;
  • call for political action, commitment and a sense of responsibility to achieve a vision where equity of access and universal health coverage is a reality for all patients in the EU;
  • share patient testimonials of existing unmet needs and unequal experiences in access to healthcare within the EU.

Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis, has confirmed his presence, as well as four MEPs – champions of our campaign – who will be presenting the roadmap’s recommendations.

A panel discussion will follow the presentation of the roadmap’s recommendations and look at the pivotal role of attaining Universal Health Coverage in the successful implementation of the UN Sustainable Goals.

The participants will be invited to exchange and share their views on the political actions needed in view of implementing the roadmap’s recommendations both at European and national level.

More than 150 participants from the wide spectrum of stakeholders in the healthcare sector have already registered to the event. We look forward to welcoming them and for what promises to be a highly rich and fruitful discussion.

Those who cannot attend are invited to follow the debate on social media via the hashtag of the campaign #Access2030.

More information on the event and agenda are available here.

About the campaign’ roadmap

The roadmap, developed in consultation with EPF membership and the wider health community provides EU and national decision-makers with recommendations to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for all patients in the EU by 2030. It calls on Member States and the EU to commit to a long-term vision where equity of access and UHC is a reality for all – a target of the UN Sustainable Development Goal on ensuring health lives.

These recommendations are needed because while Universal Health Coverage is a well-recognised goal for all healthcare systems in the EU, this basic right is not yet a reality for all patients in the EU. In this respect, the roadmap raises awareness of unmet needs and barriers patients face when accessing healthcare.

More on the campaign

Finally, note that you can further support the EPF Access Campaign by signing our online petition. Join the 530+ people that already signed and show that you also care for Universal Health Coverage!

More information on the campaign is available here.

                                                           #Access2030

Contact person: Sara Gayarre, Communications Assistant: sara.gayarre@eu-patient.eu