The meeting of Germanophone Health Ministers continued today in Vienna with talks on health in all policies and the health dimension of the refugee crisis.
At the invitation of Austrian Minister of Health Sabine Oberhauser, her German, Swiss, Liechentenstein and Luxembourgish counterparts congregated at the Albertina Museum in Vienna for the annual meeting. The so-called 'health quintet' discussed potential strategies for dealing with the global rise in medicine prices and how the rise in measels cases could be curbed.
In terms of the first subject, on rising drug prices, with the five Ministers demonstrating a united conceptualisation of the issue. The common aim was stated as the provision of access to new, high-quality medicines, whilst maintaining the financial sustainability of health systems and promoting innovation.
The group of Ministers there agreed to an in-depth exchange within each of the five countries of possible new strategies of pricing. The discussion process aimed too determine under what conditions co-operative approaches could create added value fr the health care systems of the five countries involved, with particular regard to high-priced medicines.
Measles was also cited as topic of concern, with the final declaration of the Ministers stating: "We have observed the increasing number of measles outbreaks with great concern. Vaccine depletion and the rejection of vaccinations has become an increasing challenge for immunisation programmes and for responsible public health policy".
Measles is not a harmless childhood disease and can in fact have serious consequences including fatal encephalitis. In Austria, 304 people were infected with measles in 2015, up from the previous year. The Ministers therefore pledged to strengthen awareness and available information on the disease to continue its prevention.
The matter of 'Health in all Policies' was also discussed, as it has become a facet of both national and international strategies. A variety of individual, social and socio-economic factors are able to massively impact the health of the population.
According to the Ministers, equal opportunities through the implementation of Health in all Policies require the intersectoral cooperation between different ministries and national entities. The 'health quintet' therefore agree within the final declaration to exchange successful models and practices in obtaining the common goal of the improvement of health in populations.
"We acknowledge the fact that people who are fleeing persecution and looking for protection from us, need to receive healthcare," it was stated in the final declaration. "To this end, we have agreed to establish a professional exchange between the German-speaking countries."
Photo by Minister of Health (L-R: Mauro Pedrazzini (Liechtenstein); Lydia Mutsch (Luxembourg); Sabine Oberhauser (Austria); Hermann Gröhe (Germany); Alain Berset (Switzerland))
