Joint EU-US press release on strengthened cooperation in the area of health
Following the signature by the Commission and the US Department of Health and Human Services of an arrangement to strengthen cooperation on preparedness and response to public health threats, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, and Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra today met in Washington DC to reaffirm their shared commitment for the EU and the US to work closely in the area of health. The discussions during the meeting focused on health preparedness and response, cancer, and global cooperation.
The Commissioner and the Secretary emphasized that strengthening global pandemic prevention, preparedness and response is a common responsibility that requires strong commitment and international cooperation. They underlined that strong research and manufacturing ties between the EU and the US have contributed to the successful deployment of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. Both sides agree on the importance of continuing collaboration on research and development of new vaccines that elicit broader, stronger, and longer-lasting immune responses and stand ready to engage with developers of such promising new vaccines and to work with partners to facilitate their development.
The Commissioner and the Secretary also discussed Europe's Beating Cancer Plan and the US Cancer Moonshot SM in view of exploring further cooperation and support under the respective initiatives. Both sides emphasised the shared priority of improved cancer prevention, detection and care and welcomed the renewed discussions on research and innovation in the EU and the US, notably on topics related to pediatric, rare, and adult cancers. They also expressed commitment to work together with a view to facilitating the exchange of health information, in line with data protection rules.
In light of Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, they confirmed their support and solidarity to Ukrainian patients in need of urgent treatment. Finally, they reconfirmed their cooperation in the context of the ongoing work to negotiate a new instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, the reform of the International Health Regulations (IHRs) as well as the reform and strengthening of the WHO. The newly established Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF) for pandemic preparedness and global health security aims to contribute to this work. They underlined their joint commitment towards a common leadership in ensuring global health security and fostering equitable access to vaccines for low and middle-income countries, building on the experience gained from the ACT-Accelerator and its COVAX pillar.