Anyone listening to a recent MEP debate in Strasbourg can have been left in little doubt about the scale of the challenges that confront European governments and healthcare providers. Belgian MEP Liesbet Sommen described the situation as “a ticking time bomb, while MEP Alicia Homs Ginel from Spain argued, “The health workforce crisis in Europe puts the sustainability of our health systems at risk.”
It seems that legislators are increasingly clear that the combination of rising demand and a constrained workforce is impacting across Europe. However, the “crisis” described by MEPs could potentially be mitigated, in part, by earlier intervention, medicine adoption and reshaping patient interventions to address the rising demand.
That message has also been a common theme that has emerged from our recent series of articles exploring European healthcare. Experts and patient representatives from areas as diverse as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Parkinson’s disease, have consistently told us that early interventions to alter disease progression can improve outcomes for patients and make the best use of limited resources.
Health systems are at the core of our society. Without healthy citizens we will not have competitive and productive economy
MEP Vytenis Andriukaitis
What has been equally clear is that achieving those twin goals will require new thinking.
Swedish MEP Jessica Polfjärd, who sits on the influential SANT Committee, told The Parliament that innovation will be key if Europe is to respond to the challenges identified by her colleagues.
“New treatments and more prevention will be vital parts in meeting the future growth in demand for healthcare while increasing productivity and maintaining Europe’s competitiveness on a global stage," MEP Polfjärd told us.
Thinking holistically about our healthcare systems can create long-term, system-wide value, ensuring a sustainable European healthcare future. According to Croatian MEP Tomislav Sokol, it is also potentially critical for Europe’s economic future.
“Health is essential for the overall strength of the European economy,” he said. “Investments in healthcare should be seen as essential economic infrastructure that underpins future success.”
Olaf Weppner, Vice President Europe Region North, for pharmaceutical company AbbVie, agrees. He told The Parliament that with demographic pressure growing it is vital that the economic benefits of a healthy workforce are understood by policymakers.
“Healthy populations underpin healthy economies and more sustainable healthcare systems,” Weppner explained. “Across all European countries, I have seen examples of how health investment through early intervention and ambitious health standards, particularly in chronic conditions, is vital to a globally competitive Europe.”
Lithuanian MEP Vytenis Andriukaitis, a former Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, told The Parliament that tackling health inequalities must be recognised by policymakers as an economic as well as a human priority.
“Health systems are at the core of our society, without healthy citizens we will not have competitive and productive economy,” he explained. “Unfortunately, health inequalities are still very much persistent in the EU. Even in countries with high-quality healthcare services, Member States do not manage to ensure health for everyone.”
To address this, Andriukaitis and other MEPs have created a new European Parliament Interest group on Health Inequalities, Prevention and Risk Factors, to raise the awareness and promote policies focused on prevention.
As Andriukaitis argues, in the past health has often been overlooked as a driver of a globally competitive Europe. However, it appears that situation is starting to change, and the importance of the relationship between health and competitiveness is increasingly understood by policymakers and legislators. Indeed, following her re-election as President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen proposed new measures to boost the competitiveness of the EU pharmaceutical industry and to tackle drug shortages.
“At the beginning of a new mandate, I would encourage leaders to think about the links between delivering European competitiveness in pharmaceuticals and addressing the health of individuals across the continent,” Weppner says. “They are connected.”
MEP Polfjärd shares Weppner’s view, telling The Parliament that there is a strong relationship between healthcare and the European economy.
"Reliable and resilient healthcare systems, providing patient-centred care, are essential for the health and well-being of both European citizens and the European economy,” she told us. “Access to high-quality healthcare is an important factor in ensuring that European companies can attract and retain a skilled workforce.”
Europe is well-placed to take a globally leading role in driving those essential changes, thanks in part to the presence of a thriving pharmaceuticals sector. On average, European pharmaceutical firms invest €46.2bn in R&D each year, providing a solid foundation for innovation.[1]
Despite such investments, the recent Draghi report highlighted the need for Europe to regain control over key sectors, including pharmaceuticals, where innovation trends largely show a steady increase in growth outside of the continent.
It is a prescription for the future that MEP Sokol believes can ultimately benefit citizens across the European Union.
“Aligning pharmaceutical innovation with public health goals is central to supporting Europe’s future competitiveness,” he told us. “That could bring benefits to patients, providers, and the economy.”
AbbVie SA/NV - BE-ABBV-250044 (V1.0) - March 2025
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