Dalli to focus on health determinants

European Commissioner designate for Health and Consumer Policy, John Dalli has said that the unequal distribution of health outcomes across the EU posed “a challenge to the EU’s fundamental  objective of solidarity and cohesion.”

Tackling health determinants would be part of what Mr. Dalli called his “overarching long term goal", to ensure "the wellbeing of EU citizens”.

“Concentrating on health determinants will lead to better health outcomes and therefore, address health inequalities,” he said.

Mr. Dalli acknowledged that while consumer and pharmaceutical policy are important new aspects of the European Commission’s work on health, he said that prevention was also a priority.

“To secure sustainability we must focus on prevention,” he said.

“It is imperative to focus on the health determinants of disease and ill health,” he added.

Mr Dalli was speaking at a hearing by the European Parliaments committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety.

The new portfolio for the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy has changed considerably from the responsibilities taken up by former EU health chief Androulla Vassiliou.

It now incorporates pharmaceutical policy in addition to consumer policy, a shuffle which has caused some concern that the focus of the new European Commission may shift towards industry and consumer interests, taking emphasis from the public health aspects.

Also discussed at the hearing for Mr Dalli was the failure of the Council of Ministers to reach agreement on the Cross Border Patients Right Directive during the Swedish Presidency.

Delays in finalizing the pharmaceutical package, healthy ageing, GMO research and its impact on food safety and product labeling for consumer information were also on the agenda.

You can read John Dalli’s written responses to a questionnaire from the committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety here.

His speech at the hearing is available to download here.