The Polish presidency asked to act on multiple fronts on health security

The Polish Presidency is focusing on three key priorities to improve security in healthcare, whilst members of the European Parliament are asking to embrace other relevant ones.

In its semester at the EU Council presidency, Warsaw aims to make progress in the digital transformation of healthcare, the promotion of mental health among children and young people in the context of digital media, and cancer prevention.

As Minister of Health Izabela Leszczyna told in a debate at the European Parliament Committee on Health Matters, Poland will primarily implement the European Health Data Space (EHDS) regulations, with a focus on ensuring confidentiality and the continued digital transformation across the EU. She called for increased funding for the implementation of EHDS, particularly through programs like EU4Health.

Leszczyna acknowledged AI‘s potential to improve health outcomes and emphasized the importance of innovative solutions that benefit both patients and healthcare workers. The Polish presidency is determined to shift focus on all these matters at a conference in Brussels on the European data space concerning health, set for March 18.

The EPP is also asking for the presidency by the mouth of its member Andras Kulja. The Hungarian deputy expressed concern about Europe’s growing shortage of healthcare workers, particularly doctors and nurses. He stressed that this issue must be addressed urgently, as the aging population in Europe could soon face a lack of medical professionals. His colleague Tomislav Sokol brought to attention the critical issue of funding for healthcare, noting the recent 20% reduction in the EU health budget. He urged Leszczyna to advocate for an increase in the EU health budget to support essential initiatives like the Cancer Plan, the Critical Medicines Act, and the European Health Data Space, all of which require significant financial investment.

Financial constraints were also raised as a concern by Stine Bosse, a member of the Renew group. She focused her intervention, especially on countries’ ability to address cybersecurity challenges. The ECR group highlighted the importance of addressing security and external threats, emphasizing that Europe is currently unprepared for such challenges.

The member of the S&D group Vytenis Andriukaitis persuaded the Polish government representative to focus more on the European Health Union instead of fully committing to broader security.

In her follow-up remarks, Leszczyna acknowledged the growing need for cybersecurity in medical devices, which are often underfunded in this area despite handling sensitive data. She welcomed the European Commission’s action plan for hospital cybersecurity and the priority it has placed on this issue. She also reiterated the potential benefits of AI in alleviating pressure on healthcare systems and assisting medical professionals while recognizing that AI is an inevitable part of the future of healthcare.