Issue 501 | 23 September 2019

We’ve put health policy under the microscope in our latest issue, with European Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis fronting the magazine as we look ahead to this year’s European Health Forum Gastein.

Andriukaitis tells us about his time as the EU’s top health official, previews his appearance at Gastein, offers some advice for his successor and discusses how Europe can meet its future health challenges.

We also bring you a preview of the Gastein summit, with content and analysis of the issues being discussed over three-day summit, Europe’s biggest health policy events, including thoughts from the forum’s president, Clemens Martin Auer.

Also featuring coverage of both the ECCO Cancer and the Global Vaccination Summitsm, with comment from Veronica Manfredi, Director for Quality of Life at the European Commission’s DG ENV and Andrea Ammon, Director, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) as they share their views on Europe’s biggest health issues.

The European Week of Sport has come a long way since kicking-off five years ago. This year, 47 partner associates from 41 countries across Europe organised sporting events to promote healthier lifestyles. Telling us more about this important event are Themis Christophidou, Director-General at DG EAC, and Marc Tarabella (BE/S&D) President of the Parliament’s Sports Intergroup.

The 1st of October was designated the International Day of Older Persons by the United Nations General Assembly back in 1990. We've talked to Anne-Sophie Parent, Secretary General of AGE Europe, and Birgitta Sacrédeus, Swedish EPP Committee of the Regions rapporteur for the Active and Healthy Ageing report.

Finally, we also look at European Biotech Week. Featuring comment from Slovenian EPP MEP Franc Bogovič.