We often hear the phrase “prevention is better than cure” – and in public health, this couldn’t be more true. Prevention is cheaper, more humane and more sustainable. Yet healthcare systems across Europe allocate the vast majority of resources to treating illness, rather than preventing it.
As a physician, I have seen first-hand the devastating personal and societal costs of this imbalance. As a Member of the European Parliament, I am working to shift the political and financial focus towards prevention and early intervention – because it is one of most cost-effective investments we can make for Europe’s future.
The creation of the EP’s Committee on Public Health (SANT) shows a desire to put health back on the political agenda. But rhetoric must now be matched with action, funding and long-term planning.
Less than 3% of EU health spending is dedicated to prevention, while chronic diseases – most of which are preventable – account for more than 70% of healthcare costs. Conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, many cancers and most mental health challenges are heavily influenced by our environment, education and socioeconomic status.
This article is part of The Parliament's latest policy report, "Building a healthier Europe."
By acting earlier, we can prevent suffering, spiralling health expenditures, labour shortages and economic stagnation. Along with my colleagues, I have proposed a series of targeted amendments to the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the EU’s long-term budget, to ensure sufficient resources to prevention.
A need to fight health misinformation
Prevention goes beyond awareness campaigns. It means ensuring clean air, safe housing, access to nutritious food, and mental health support in schools and workplaces. It also means boosting health literacy – empowering citizens to make informed choices – and fighting the spread of misinformation that undermines trust in science and institutions.
We also have inventions that have saved millions of lives, yet we take their impact for granted. Over the past century, vaccines have helped double life expectancy, reduce infant mortality by 98% and eliminate or control diseases once thought untouchable.
These achievements are fragile. In recent years, anti-science rhetoric and populist narratives have eroded public confidence in medical sciences – often under the false pretence of defending ‘sovereignty.’ We must promote vaccine access and uptake, but also actively defend the role of evidence-based science in policymaking. If we fail to do so, we risk preventable suffering and political backsliding.
Making prevention visible
A prevention-oriented approach reduces avoidable hospital admissions and chronic conditions, helping to mitigate burnout and moral distress among health professionals. On the upcoming employment and social affairs and SANT committees’ joint own-initiative report on healthcare workforce shortages, for which I am the EPP shadow rapporteur, I will emphasise that a prevention-oriented approach can ease pressure on health systems, support healthcare professionals' wellbeing, and strengthen overall system resilience by healthier populations.
We must reframe how we define success. Prevention often lacks visibility as it is difficult to measure diseases that never occurred, but that doesn’t make it less valuable. EU health strategies, funding instruments, and national recovery and resilience plans must embed prevention across all stages – with better data and metrics to capture long-term benefits.
Prevention should be seen as a strategic investment and a core component of the EU’s defence and preparedness strategy. It is a central pillar of economic, health and security policy and is vital for building a future-proof, resilient EU.
The Critical Medicines Act (CMA), where I am shadow rapporteur for ENVI opinion, plays an important role. Beyond addressing the security of supply of medicines, CMA can support a prevention-focused approach by strengthening pharmaceutical resilience, improving access and fostering innovation that reduces long-term dependency on emergency care.
Europe has the knowledge, infrastructure, and innovation to lead the world in prevention. We now need the political will to move from rhetoric to action.
The future of European healthcare does not lie in more hospital beds or expensive treatments – it lies in keeping people healthy.
Sign up to The Parliament's weekly newsletter
Every Friday our editorial team goes behind the headlines to offer insight and analysis on the key stories driving the EU agenda. Subscribe for free here.