Healthcare and austerity Archives

The European Commission announced yesterday (15 May) that it opened a formal investigation into Aspen Pharma's pricing practices for cancer drugs.

Six southern member states have signed a common declaration, aiming to enhance their cooperation and jointly negotiate with the pharmaceutical industry on drug pricing.

Greece's health ministry announced this week the creation of an electronic platform designed to tackle corruption in the healthcare system and protect patients’ “dignity”.

As we debate the future of Europe, the EU must not abandon public health, writes Nina Renshaw.

In an effort to combat rare diseases and improve patient accessibility, the European Commission launched the European Reference Networks (ERNs) yesterday (28 February).

Patients are “punished” due to a lack of innovation-driven structural reforms in a crisis-hit public health system, the head of the Greek pharma industry said in an interview with Euractiv Greece.

Pressure is mounting on pharmaceutical companies to reconsider the way they do business by refocusing their efforts on meeting patient needs and health outcomes rather than their own profits.

People on the bottom rung of the socioeconomic ladder may live two years less on average than those at the top, according to a large-scale study published Wednesday (31 January) in the British journal The Lancet.

We are halfway through this European Parliament’s mandate and, as ever, many laws have been voted, with many more to come. But will they be effectively introduced at the national level in the area of health? Denis Horgan asks.

In the wake of the Brexit vote and Donald Trump being sworn in as US president, the divisions in crucial parts of the Western world are clear and stark, warns Denis Horgan.

Health spending in countries that belong to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is "at best ineffective and at worst wasteful", a new report has found.

The Greek government launched an official investigation into pharmaceutical giant Novartis, following the publication of allegations of corruption and bribery in national news media.

There is a great need to raise awareness and enhance education on diabetes and a healthier lifestyle “at every level”, Stella de Sabata, head of the International Diabetes Federation, told EURACTIV.com.

The introduction of digital technology in healthcare systems might be viewed by health stakeholders in a positive light. However, policymakers are yet to address issues related to data collection and use that are considered crucial in the management of chronic conditions like diabetes.

Efforts to digitalise healthcare for chronic disease patients – including those suffering from diabetes – are helpful, according to the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA). But the move towards digitalisation should not exacerbate existing health inequalities, it warns.

The rise of diabetes is causing avoidable deaths and imposing substantial costs on ailing healthcare systems. Alarmed, lawmakers are attempting to improve prevention and get the emerging pandemic under control.

The Maltese EU presidency will seek more transparency in the way pharmaceutical companies negotiate with member states on medicines’ pricing, Health Minister Chris Fearne said in an interview with EURACTIV.

Europeans live almost 7 years more compared to 1990, but this does not necessarily mean that these years are healthy, a new report has found.

Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia remain underdiagnosed in most European countries, Jean Georges told EURACTIV.

Malta has the highest proportion of obese adults in Europe, according to EU figures released yesterday (20 October), while Romania is the least obese.

EXCLUSIVE / National healthcare systems should embrace the digital era and use Health Technology Assessment (HTA) to become truly sustainable and cost-effective, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis told EURACTIV.com in an interview.

The European Parliament will seek an increased EU role in regulating the pharmaceutical market and controlling rising drug prices, according to a draft report seen by EURACTIV.com.

Patient groups and the pharmaceutical sector agree that access to medicines needs to be improved - but the way to do it seems to divide them. EURACTIV.com reports from Sofia.

Bulgaria and Romania will soon sign an intergovernmental agreement to jointly negotiate the pricing and availability of medicines with pharmaceutical companies, Bulgarian Health Minister Petar Moskov said in an interview with EURACTIV.com.