Health 2020: A European policy framework and strategy

Health 2020 is a policy framework aimed at providing European politicians and policy-makers key strategic advice to support action for improving health, well-being and health equity, in a way that is sensitive to each country’s situation, political and organisational circumstances.

The report puts emphasis on political commitment, as well as professional expertise and the engagement of civil society.

It identifies four priority areas which include

(1) Investing in health through a life-course approach and empowering people
(2) Tackling Europe’s major health challenges: non-communicable and communicable diseases
(3) Strengthening people-centred health systems, public health capacity and emergency preparedness, surveillance and
(4) Creating resilient communities and supportive environments. Within the third priority it highlights:

"Health 2020 remains committed to a primary health care approach as a cornerstone of health systems in the 21st century. Primary health care can respond to today’s needs by fostering an enabling environment for partnerships to thrive, and encouraging people to participate in new ways in their treatment and take better care of their own health, making full use of 21st-century tools and innovations such as communications technology – digital records, telemedicine and e-health – and social media can contribute to better and more cost-effective care. Recognizing patients as a resource and as partners and being accountable for patient outcome are important principles"

Health 2020: a European policy framework supporting action across government and society for health and well-being

2013, 180 pages
ISBN 978 92 890 0279 0

Available in English, Français, Deutsch, Pусский