PHSSR European Union Investing in Health 2025

30 Investing in Health for a Competitive, Secure, and Resilient Europe: A Strategic Call to Action The Partnership for Health System Sustainability and Resilience3. Annexe PHSSR and its research Launched in 2020, PHSSR is a non-profit, multisector, global collaboration between the London School of Economics, the WHO Foundation, the World Economic Forum, AstraZeneca, Philips, IQVIA, and the Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation, motivated by a shared commitment to strengthen health systems and improve population health. PHSSR receives financial support from AstraZeneca and Philips. PHSSR’s primary objective is to study and support the development of health systems that are sustainable and resilient, capable of withstanding both short-term shocks and long-term challenges. It provides research tools and resources, facilitates collaboration and knowledge exchange among countries, and serves as a platform to disseminate breakthrough insights and foster their implementation. PHSSR has engaged in research with academic institutions from 25 countries worldwide, including 10 EU Member States, to develop reports on country health systems. Country-level research conducted on behalf of PHSSR is based on an assessment framework developed by LSE in collaboration with experts in each country, encompassing seven domains: health system governance, financing, workforce, medicines and technology, health service delivery, population health, and environmental sustainability. Formation of the PHSSR EU Expert Advisory Group and its work Recognising the increasingly important role that the European Union plays in supporting Member State health systems, PHSSR established an EU Expert Advisory Group in 2023 to make recommendations to EU institutions on how they can improve the sustainability and resilience of health systems across the region. The members of the group are leading experts in health policy in Europe, including senior policymakers, academics, clinicians, economists, and patient representatives. For its first report, published in November 2023, “A Stitch in Time: Early Intervention to Tackle Europe’s NCD Crisis,” the Expert Advisory Group chose to focus on prevention and early detection of non-communicable diseases. This decision was based on the group’s assessment that NCDs represent both an urgent health challenge and an area where EU-level action could provide significant added value. The 2023 report highlighted the concerning trend of low percentages of healthcare investment allocated to preventive care despite the high prevalence of chronic diseases, and recommended increasing investments in primary care and health promotion activities, and improving access to diagnostics. Rationale for focusing on sustainable financing at the EU level Following the completion of this first report, PHSSR’s steering committee identified sustainable financing for health as another critical area requiring EU-level attention and coordination, and selected this as the theme for the EU Expert Advisory Group’s second report. This decision was driven by several compelling factors. Sustainable financing is fundamental to ensuring the long-term viability of health systems across Europe, particularly in a post-pandemic economic landscape which has created new fiscal realities while highlighting the importance of resilient health systems. With the EU allocating over €22 billion for health across key financing mechanisms in 2021-2027, there is a significant opportunity to optimise investments to address shared European health challenges and advance the objectives of the European Health Union. Although health systems remain primarily a Member State responsibility, the EU’s supporting role through policy guidance, technical assistance, and financial support has become increasingly