Delivering healthcare in conflict-hit areas has changed over the decades, thanks to technological developments. EURACTIV spoke to doctors with longstanding experience in the field to see how the sector has evolved.
As 2023 is the European year of skills, one question inevitably springs to mind: Is the healthcare sector ready to upskill and unlock advancements in digital technologies?
The risk of unmet medical needs increases as certain medical examinations and treatments can be accessed only in the biggest hospitals, resulting in late diagnosis and worsening chronic conditions for those living in rural and remote areas across Europe.
The revolutionary EU health data space has been hailed as the dawn of a new era for medical devices but its proper implementation presents the sector with some challenges on regulatory aspects and on confidentiality of business information.
EU lawmakers questioned EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides about the risk of medical device shortages as the transition into a new framework for these products is not progressing smoothly.
The EU and the US are expected to extend the mutual recognition for manufacturing standards to plasma and vaccines, as well as to keep monitoring the worrying protectionist developments in China on medical devices.
Following a warning from health ministers, the EU executive agreed on a list of actions to ease the transition into the new framework for medical devices as its sluggish implementation threatens a shortage in Europe.
The European Commission has proposed a progressive roll-out of the regulation on in vitro diagnostic medical devices in a bid to fight shortcomings. However, MEPs criticised the lack of notified bodies to assess their conformity and the delays of more than a decade in their application.
The EU’s strict approval procedure for medical devices must temporarily be relaxed during the COVID-19 outbreak in order to allow ramping up production of vital equipment such as ventilators, a German lawmaker in the European Parliament has warned.
The EU health sector is in the middle of a defining moment but the sector is “up to a decade” behind other sectors in terms of digitalisation, Deputy Director-General for Health and Food Safety Martin Seychell told EURACTIV.com.
With increased powers, Health Commissioner-designate Stella Kyriakides is tasked with striking a difficult balance between making sure there is a steady supply of affordable medicines and ensuring that EU pharma industry remains a world leader in innovation.
Medicine supplies and food safety standards are both vital and the EU cannot prioritise one over the other in the event of a no-deal Brexit, Vice President of the Commission Jyrki Katainen said on Thursday (4 April).
The EU pharma industry has prepared for a hard Brexit scenario but this is not enough as EU leaders need to take specific measures to ensure medical supplies after the UK departure, EU pharma chief Stefan Oschmann has said.
The French transposition of the European directive on trade secrets has hindered access to certain documents required for the “Implant Files” investigation. EURACTIV France reports.
The most comprehensive EU regional development instrument is the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). But in most cases, its work remains largely unknown to the public. An example from Berlin shows how it literally saves lives. EURACTIV Germany reports.
The Commission’s upcoming proposal on Health Technology Assessment (HTA) will focus on clinical aspects and leave member states to decide on economic or ethical parts, a European Commission spokesperson told EURACTIV.com.
Regulatory uncertainty in the wake of Brexit could leave Britain's multi-billion-pound medical technology industry out in the cold, with separate regulatory systems threatening exports and jobs.
After almost five years of talks with member states, on Wednesday (5 April), the European Parliament adopted two new regulations imposing stricter rules on medical devices’ safety.
A French court on Friday ordered German safety certifier TUV to pay €60 million in compensation to 20,000 women who received defective breast implants that the group had approved.
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 implementation of new rules on medical devices should avoid extra burdens and unnecessary bureaucracy, health industry officials have told EURACTIV.com.
The European Parliament on Tuesday (22 October) voted to improve the control on medical devices via strengthened traceability rules and transparency of information for patients and medical staff, but without creating additional burdens for small manufacturers.
The European Parliament's committee for the environment and public health (Envi) on Wednesday (25 September) voted for stricter rules on medical devices, including a new pre-market approval system, more transparency and better traceability.
Danish Health Minister Astrid Krag wants phthalate chemicals, which are used to soften plastic, phased out as part of the EU's new medical devices regulation.
