#EAPM - Difficult to keep up, but here’s the (sort of) latest in EU health care

In our personalised medicine sector, we’re used to science moving quickly, for example. But nothing is moving as quickly as the situation surrounding the COVID-19 virus. We’d need three updates per day, to be honest, writes European Alliance for Personalised Medicine (EAPM) Executive Director Denis Horgan.

Europe has been described as the current epicentre of the virus as infections slow in China and is reacting accordingly. While all EU countries have put their own individual plans in place - whether it be school closures, leisure venues shutdown, mass-gatherings banned, tighter border control, fines for violating self-isolation measures - the European Commission has now stepped in with an unprecedented move - namely barring travellers from outside the EU-plus for 30 days.

That will be a minimum, at an educated guess.

Included are 26 of the bloc’s member states with the addition of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. At the time of writing, the UK is not included. However, despite not being Schengen sign-ups, Britain and the Republic of Ireland will be invited - and are expected to join - the arrangement.

The virus has already killed between 7,500-8,000 globally and is the reason that EAPM is holding next week’s conference online, rather than as a gathering. 

As it happens, the event due to be held in Brussels would not have been allowed to go ahead, as Belgium is to apply even stricter rules that it already has as of this afternoon. It’s not quite a total lockdown, but it’s close. 

Here at the Alliance we did foresee this, however, and links to the virtual conference on the 24 March can be found here and the programme here. 

Back to the EU ban - the travel restrictions will affect all non-EU nationals except long-term residents, family members of EU nationals and diplomats, cross-border and healthcare workers, and those transporting goods.

For those of you who appreciate that freedom of movement within the Schengen area is sacrosanct, this is an extraordinary step. However, desperate times call for desperate measures.

It is a salutary lesson that the EU as a bloc can, when needs be, act in a coordinated fashion relatively quickly. Given that this is essentially a healthcare issue, this is an interesting precedent, for sure.

The measures are set to be implemented without delay by all Member States with Commission president Ursula von der Leyen stating: "They said they will immediately do that," adding that "This is good, so that we have a unanimous and united approach [where] the external borders are concerned.”

(On a down side, vdL has raised eyebrows by suggesting that a vaccine could be widely available by the autumn. As it turns out, most experts believe that, even at top speed, producing an effective vaccine and getting it to market will take a year to 18 months minimum.)

Von der Leyen also said recently that “it is of utmost importance to keep our internal market going” while announcing the Executive had adopted an “export authorization scheme for protective equipment”. 

Under the export ban, items such as face masks “can only be exported to non-EU countries with the explicit authorization of the EU governments”, she said.

Back to the UK, which most agree is a few weeks behind the infection rates of mainland Europe, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Brits that "We must act like any wartime government”. Hmm. We know he loves Winston Churchill, but some may think that’s a bit of a stretch…

Meanwhile, not surprisingly, the latest round of Brexit talks has been delayed. Funny how Brexit has taken a back seat after three years of non-stop headlines.

EAPM’s take on it all - enhanced co-operation where and when possible! 

EAPM has always been a supporter of the EU per se, but we have often questioned whether or not  it works in practice when it comes to co-operation and co-ordination.

Obviously, the coronavirus issue is a huge and unique issue, but the coordinated action on borders organised by the Commission does beg the question of why coordinated action of EU healthcare couldn’t be better in general. The ongoing rows over HTA are a case in point.

This shocking and potentially disastrous virus outbreak shines a light on what the EU can do and how it can do it. And the von der Leyen Commission should be commended this week for organizing the co-ordinated action on borders.

Of course, with cash-strapped health-care systems even in normal circumstances, and an ageing population, the current situation highlights the need for Europe to coordinate more effectively on healthcare every day.

The questions are clear. How we can rationally allocate the resources so as to have a true EU approach, while respecting the much-guarded sovereignty based on different peoples, and different needs, in each country?

Meanwhile, how do we boost public-private partnerships so that they can work in practice? We need to ensure that the private sector can supply more of its innovation to the public sector more effectively, not just now during a time of crisis, but all the time.

GDP and life expectancy

There is no denying that the COVID-19 outbreak has huge fiscal implications; Stock markets have been tumbling around the world, talk of an upcoming recession is everywhere and even computational biologists and are getting involved.

One such, Francois Balloux, has argued on Twitter that: “There’s no such thing as a choice between managing the pandemic vs. protecting the economy.”

He added that there’s an “essentially perfect” correlation between GDP per capita and life expectancy. 

“If the COVID-19 pandemic leads to a global economy collapse, many more lives will be lost than Covid-19 would ever be able to claim,” he wrote.

In these fast-moving and fast-changing times it could be argued that an economic slowdown is not all bad, however. Take the environment - already, air quality is improving and emissions are down. That has a positive impact on health, of course. Good to know when good news is scarce.

Cash for patients and HCPs - not conferences

ECCO - the European Cancer Organization - has asked that those organisations in the healthcare sphere who have had to cancel conferences - such as ourselves - be eligible for some support of public funding and relief.

EAPM has to acknowledge its surprise at this, as it’s hardly the most pressing issue of the day, and public money could surely be going elsewhere. On the other hand, if you don’t ask, you don’t get, right? But, still…

We would like to make it clear that the Alliance believes that the most crucial target areas for any monies to be spent are in support of patients plus doctors and their families. This is our key ask in this context.

Many of our partner organisations share this view. Essentially, patient, doctor and families and elsewhere within the broader public health-care sector is where public money at EU and Member state level should be spent.

EU working from home

As of this week, Commission officials “in non-critical functions” will work from home, while “critical” staff such as Cabinet officials will work in shifts in the EU’s Berlaymont HQ, reports Politico.

Meanwhile, the European Parliament has postponed or canceled all committee meetings, with the Council cancelling most gatherings.

And finally…

Once again, amidst all this turmoil, a further reminder that the EAPM conference will go ahead as planned online on 24 March. Here is the link to register, the programme here and be sure to join us on Tuesday. Till then, stay safe…