Towards a New EU Global Health Strategy: Civil society shadow Global Health Strategy

The EU hosts many of the best healthcare systems in the world and brings its extensive technical and managerial experience to advancing global health. It has tremendous convening power, a wide scope of action and partnerships, presence in international organisations and global health initiatives’ governing bodies, and the political leverage to address the structural barriers that prevent people from enjoying their right to health.

The EU can also provide coordination and long-term planning and financing of its actions. However, the EU’s Global Health Framework (European Commission Communication and Council Conclusions) dates back from 2010, and much has changed in global health since then. The EU needs to refresh and renew its vision on global health so it can robustly address new and neglected global health challenges, and adapt to an altered political and policy environment.

This shadow European global health strategy has been developed by civil society actors in the field of global health to inspire and spur the European Union towards a more comprehensive vision and role in global health. It proposes three priorities: strengthening resilient health systems to deliver universal health coverage; tackling health inequity and addressing health determinants; and addressing neglected issues within the health sphere.