EU health challenges focus of Brussels briefing

(Vatican Radio) Brussels, Belgium, was the scene this week of an encounter with health and science journalists, in which reports were presented on the state of national health systems and new public health initiatives in member states. The Acting Director of the European Commission’s Public Health Directorate, John F. Ryan, told Vatican Radio that coordinating communication among member states is one of the central challenges facing the EU in the ongoing efforts to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. “Legislation obliges member states to inform each other when there are outbreaks of communicable diseases which could affect another member state,” Ryan said, citing tuberculosis as a pertinent example. Ryan also spoke of the spread of diseases typically not seen in Europe, such as malaria and dengue fever, which have recently appeared in European countries. “We need to be aware of these diseases coming in,” he said, explaining that climate change is one possible reason for their appearance in Europe. Ryan also discussed the developing awareness of threats posed by diseases such as avian influenza – bird flu – and others, which risk becoming pandemic. “The scientists are telling us to expect, on the basis of history…that we should expect something to happen – and that’s why we need to have in place the systems, which allow the member states to prepare.” Asked about his Directorate’s programmes aimed at raising awareness of health risks posed by lifestyle choices, Ryan said that reaching those on the margins of society is a major challenge. “I’m talking here about illegal migrants, for example,” he explained, “but also populations like the Roma [peoples], where they’re outside the health system – so therefore, whatever we do in a normal information campaign, whether it be about smoking, or obesity, vaccination, or whatever, they are not going to get these messages. So, we need to be sure that the people [on the margins of society] are somehow given special treatment, because these are the people who are most vulnerable: they’re outside the school system, they’re outside the hospital system, and we must make sure that they are not forgotten.” Listen to Salvatore Sabatino’s conversation with John F. Ryan of the European Commission’s Public Health Directorate: