iv Investing in Health for a Competitive, Secure, and Resilient Europe: A Strategic Call to Action The Partnership for Health System Sustainability and ResilienceInvesting in health for a competitive, secure, and resilient Europe: A strategic call to action A critical juncture: Health systems at the heart of Europe’s future Europe stands at a crossroads. Faced with war on its borders, global power shifts, inflationary pressure, and widening social disparities, Europe’s ability to remain competitive and cohesive depends on its internal resilience. Nowhere is this more evident than in the health systems that underpin Europe’s prosperity. The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the costs of chronic underinvestment in health—lost lives, economic paralysis, and fractured supply chains. Despite hard-learned lessons, we now face the risk that health is being politically sidelined again, overtaken by other priorities such as defence, migration, and EU enlargement. The Partnership for Health System Sustainability and Resilience (PHSSR), alongside a high-level EU Expert Advisory Group, warns: the sustainability of Europe’s health systems is not a sectoral issue— it is a strategic imperative. Failing to act now will undermine not only Europe’s health, but Europe’s productivity, sustainability, social cohesion, and geopolitical relevance. Health: A high-return strategic investment—not a budgetary burden Viewing health expenditure merely as a budgetary pressure is a misjudgement and a mistake. Projections developed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) suggest health spending could rise significantly unless action is taken to boost efficiency and long- term sustainability.iYet health investments, when well targeted, deliver immense returns: up to €14 for every €1 spent.ii Public health measures—particularly in prevention and early diagnosis of non-communicable diseases (NCDs)—can reduce costs and enhance system efficiency. For instance, every euro invested in early detection of NCDs can yield up to €4.90 in economic returns.iii Preparedness and prevention are not expenses to be delayed—they are cost-effective tools to future-proof public budgets. The economic rationale for investing in health extends well beyond traditional commitments to equity and solidarity. Finance ministries should see health not as a fiscal liability, but as a strategic asset for workforce productivity, economic growth, and budget sustainability. Why all stakeholders must act now This report sends a direct message to ministers of finance, health, and innovation: we cannot meet our objectives without investing in health. Health systems are the social and economic infrastructure on which all EU priorities rest. Investments in health sustain: � Economic competitiveness. Investing in human capital by fostering a healthy, capable workforce drives productivity and reduces absenteeism and presenteeism (the act of attending work while ill). Additionally, better working-age health reduces early retirement and social welfare costs. � Strategic autonomy and defence. Health systems are as vital to security as energy or military capabilities. Moreover, Europe cannot rely on non-EU suppliers for essential medicines, technologies, equipment, or personnel in times of crisis. � Demographic resilience. With a projected shortfall of 4.1 million healthcare workers by 2030 (according to the World Health Organisation),iv under-resourced systems risk collapsing under ageing populations.

PHSSR European Union Investing in Health 2025