SANT | Next meeting | 1 June | Non-communicable diseases & mental health
Meeting of the Subcommittee on Public Health
Thursday 1 June 2023, 14.00 – 16.30, Brussels, Room: ANTALL 4Q1
HEARING
Preventing non-communicable diseases
The hearing will focus on measures to prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs). NCDs refers to a group of conditions that are not mainly caused by an acute infection, result in long-term health consequences and often create a need for long-term treatment and care (cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and chronic lung illnesses). More details on the programme are available here.
Background
Parliament’s previous work on NCDs includes the recommendations and activities of the Special Committee on Beating Cancer.
***
EXCHANGE OF VIEWS
Mental health
SANT members will hold a first debate on their upcoming own-initiative report on mental health.
Background
During her 2022 State of the Union address and letter of intent to the European Parliament, President von der Leyen mentioned a new initiative on mental health as part of the 2023 Commission Work Programme, stemming from the conclusions of the Conference for the Future of Europe on health. The initiative is expected to be launched in June 2023.
A July 2020 Parliament resolution on the EU's public health strategy post-COVID-19 recognised mental health as a fundamental human right and called for a 2021-2027 EU action plan on mental health.
In a plenary debate in April 2022, MEPs called again for a European strategy on mental health, following the widespread negative impact of the pandemic and the war of aggression against Ukraine on Europeans’ mental well-being. Parliament also demanded better mental health protection in the digital work space and urgent action to mitigate the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of children and young people.
Most recently, MEPs debated in plenary in October 2022 on the upcoming EU plans to address mental health in a comprehensive manner.
***
Next meeting: 29 June 2023, Brussels
Follow us on Twitter: @EP_PublicHealth