The European Patients' Forum's EU Elections campaign 2024

Why is this important?

Despite an unprecedented focus on health during the COVID-19 pandemic, the subject seems to be attracting less and less attention from the European institutions, as seen by the €1 billion cut to the EU4Health programme. The inclusion of a sizeable health budget as part of the next multi-annual financial framework (2028-2034) – which accounts for over 60% of the EU budget – will be a decisive factor for the achievement – or not – of the European Health Union.

In this context, the European Patients’ Forum (EPF) and its members have been actively involved in the #Vote4Patients campaign launched ahead of the 2024 EU elections. As the cornerstone of the campaign, the EPF's Patients Organisations Manifesto, adopted at our EPF’s 20th Anniversary, puts forward 10 principles for greater involvement of patient organisations in healthcare systems. For example, it calls for patient organisations to be involved at all stages of policy development (participation in parliamentary committees, health policy working groups), and to be meaningfully involved in health technology assessment (HTA). It urges decision-makers to provide unrestricted, sustainable, and long-term operating funding to support patient groups’ daily activities and allow them to fulfil their public health mission.

To empower patient organisations, support our petition for a patient-centred 2024-2029 EU mandate!