Lydia Mutsch has once again called on EU Member States to collaborate in the field of pharmaceuticals, following a declaration of intent signed by Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands in September 2015 to engage joint action to combat rare diseases.
At the informal Council of Health Ministers held in Amsterdam on Monday, the Luxembourg Minister of Health highlighted the benefits of the cooperation agreement, stating her conviction that "joint action between Member States can make a real difference in patient access to quality care, particularly in the field of rare diseases" and that "each Member State, regardless of size or characteristics, can be an important actor in this kind of collaboration".
The debate forms part of the result of discussions held under the Luxembourg Presidency in relation to access to personalised medicine.
Ministers recognised that current measures aimed at combatting obesity and related chronic diseases are failing, instead examining the potential of reformulating foods, particularly regarding salt, added sugars and fatty acids. Minister Mutsch joined her European counterparts in welcoming the roadmap proposed by the Presidency which called for the involvement of all sectors concerned and a strengthened exchange of good practices between Member States. The Luxembourg Minister further embraced "the commitment of the Dutch Presidency in favour of healthy food choices and better food quality, therefore resuming the discussions under the Luxembourg Presidency in relation to the presences of trans fatty acids".
A stronger political will emerged in favour of reinforced action against microbial resistance based on concrete actions. The first Global Week of Antibiotic Resistance was held in November 2015 and was preceded by a Luxembourg conference in October between US and EU representatives looking to develop a five-year action strategy targeting the problem.
At the Council meeting, ministers highlighted the importance of national plans based on an approach combining both human and veterinary dimensions. Luxembourg has started work on the development of a related national plan for this year, and the subject is expected to feature on the agenda of the next G20 summit.
The result of the three topics of dicussions will be entered into Council conclusions, the formal adoption of which is anticipated for June 2016.
Photos by eu2016nl (Top: Editch Schippers, Minister of Health, Minister of Wellbeing and Sports of the Netherlands. Bottom L-R: Lydia Mutsch. Edith Schippers)
