EU4HEALTH PROGRAM

Questions and answers

• What areas does the EU4Health program cover?

  1. Strengthening and improving health

  1.1. Disease prevention and health promotion.

  1.2. International initiatives and cooperation in the field of health care.

  2.  Overcoming cross-border health threats

  2.1. Prevention, preparation and response to transboundary health threats.

  2.2. Supplementation of national stocks of essential products (goods or means) to overcome the crisis.

  2.3. Create a reserve of medical, nursing and support staff.

  3. Improvement of medicines, medical devices and goods.

  3.1. Ensuring access to medicines, medical devices and goods.

  4. Strengthening the healthcare system, ensuring sustainability and resource efficiency.

  4.1 Strengthening the system of medical data, digital tools and services, digital transformation of healthcare.

  4.2. Improving access to health care.

  4.3. Development and implementation of EU healthcare legislation and evidence-based decision-making.

  4.4. Integration between national health systems of the member states.

• What are the forms of participation in the EU4Health program?

  Grants are divided into grants aimed at achieving EU policy objectives - action grants, grants aimed at the functioning of a body whose purpose is to formulate and support EU policy - operational grants, and direct grants, which are mainly directed to scientifically authorized state bodies.

  The program also provides for such a form of participation as procurement conducted by the European Health and Digital Agency (HaDEA).

• Who can participate in the program and receive funding?

  A wide range of Ukrainian organizations and institutions may apply for the grant: government agencies, scientific, academic and educational institutions, educational institutes, research institutes, hospitals, expert networks, private organizations, member state authorities and civil society organizations, healthcare professionals’ associations, trade unions, patient organizations (associations, foundations, non-profit and similar organizations), public procurers, central procurement agencies, private organizations, national and regional health authorities, expert networks, etc.

• What do I need to do to become a member of the program?

  To apply for a grant, participants must meet the following requirements:

  1. Grant applicants (organizations, government agencies) and partners must meet the following selection criteria:

  a) have stable and sufficient sources of funding to support their activities throughout the duration of the grant and participate in its financing;

  b) have sufficient operational and professional capacities to implement the activities for which co-financing is required (“operational capacity”).

  2. Organizations participating in multiple projects should have sufficient financial and operational capabilities and the ability to implement multiple projects.

  The financial capacity test does not apply to international organizations and government agencies.

  Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  a) compliance with the priorities of the call for proposals;

  b) quality of the proposed action;

  c) the impact of the proposed action.

  Grants are subject to co-financing. The maximum possible rate of Union co-financing has been increased to 60% of the total eligible cost of the action, unless otherwise specified in the specific measures for proposals. In cases of extraordinary utility, the Union's contribution may be increased to 80% of the total eligible costs.

  The proposals will be rated in accordance with the criteria described in the call for proposals.

  3. Beneficiaries and affiliated organizations must register in the Register of Participants¹ - before submitting a proposal - and must be verified by the Central Verification Service (REA Validation). For verification, they will be asked to upload documents confirming their legal status and origin.

• Deadlines for applications for participation

  Stage	Date
  Publication of announcements	15.09.2022
  Submission of applications	15.09.2022
  Application deadline	26.01.2023
  Assessment	By the end of May 2023
  Announcement of results in separate letters	By the end of June 2023
  Preparation of agreements with the winners	September 2023
  Signing agreements with the winners	October 2023
  Getting started	From the date of signing the grant agreement

• Apply for participation

  Submit documents

• Questions and answers about participation

  What is the EU4Health program?

  EU4Health is the fourth EU health program, which will run from 2021 to 2027.

  It is an ambitious health response to the COVID-19 pandemic and general health challenges.

  EU4Health will allocate EUR 5.1 billion over the lifetime of the program to improve and promote health to reduce the burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases by:

  - protecting people from serious cross-border health threats;

  - improving the availability and affordability of medicines, medical devices and other products;

  - strengthening national health systems.

  The EU4Health program goes beyond the COVID-19 crisis, supporting, among other things, disease prevention measures, including cancer, digital transformation of health systems, health system strengthening and health professionals’ skills. This program will pave the way for strengthening the health sectors of the participating countries and improve and protect the health of all citizens.

  What makes EU4Health different from other previous programs?

  This is the largest grant ever invested by the EU in healthcare. The pandemic has shown that the healthcare system needs more coordination during health crises.

  EU4Health is a separate program with a budget that is ten times larger than that of previous health programs. Actions such as tackling cross-border health threats, providing affordable medicines, and strengthening and digitalizing health systems will receive financial support.

  What are the main objectives of the EU4Health program?

  The EU4Health program has the following objectives:

  1. Improving and promoting health by:

  - Supporting actions to prevent disease, promote health and tackle the problems that determine health;

  - Supporting global health commitments and initiatives.

  2. Protecting people from serious cross-border health threats by:

  - Strengthening Ukraine’s capacity to prevent, prepare for and respond to cross-border health threats;

  - Supporting actions that complement the national stockpiling of essential crisis-related products;

  - Establishing a structure and training resources for a pool of medical and support workers.

  3. Increasing the availability and affordability of medicines, medical devices and products by:

  - Encouraging sustainable production and supply chain innovation while supporting the efficient use of medicines.

  4. 4. Strengthening the resilience of health systems and the efficiency of resource use, while

  - Strengthening health data, the use of digital tools and services, and the digital transformation of health systems, including by supporting the establishment of a national health data space;

  - Promoting best practices and facilitating data exchange;

  - Improving access to quality, patient-centered, outcome-based health care and related services;

  - Supporting integrated work between member states, including their health systems.

  How will the new program address non-communicable diseases, such as cancer?

  Non-communicable and lifestyle diseases are among the biggest challenges facing health systems. Non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes are the leading causes of disability, health-related retirement, and premature death in Ukraine, resulting in significant social and economic costs. It is important to focus on prevention, coupled with efforts to strengthen health systems, to reduce the impact of NCDs on individuals and society and reduce premature mortality to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by one-third by 2030.

  EU4Health will support disease prevention programs (including cancer screening and early diagnosis) and health promotion programs. EU4Health will facilitate networking through Ukrainian and European reference networks, which are virtual networks aimed at facilitating discussion of complex, rare and non-communicable diseases, improving access to diagnostics and providing high quality healthcare.

  Will the program contribute to the implementation of the Cancer Action Plan in Ukraine and the EU?

  The pandemic has severely impacted cancer care by disrupting treatment, delaying diagnosis and vaccination, and affecting access to medicines. Even before COVID-19, it was estimated that cancer cases would increase by almost 25% by 2035, making it the leading cause of death. To reverse this alarming trend, the EU4Health program will also finance measures to combat cancer, which is one of the Commission's top priorities. This will be done by providing funding to eligible legal entities based in the participating countries, such as healthcare organizations and non-governmental organizations.

  How will EU4Health address cross-border health threats?

  The Commission is working to improve prevention, preparedness, surveillance and response to cross-border health threats. EU4Health can fund a pool of medical and support staff, as well as stocks of medical equipment.

  Cross-border health threats require cross-border cooperation, and the EU will play a greater role in supporting capacity building and responding to new challenges in Ukraine.

  Will this also solve the problem of shortages of medicines and personnel?

  EU4Health can finance additional stockpiles of medicines, medical devices and other emergency medical supplies to supplement national reserves.

  One way to make sure that we have enough medical supplies is to use what we have more efficiently, particularly antimicrobials. Another way is to encourage domestic pharmaceutical production and innovation. EU4health will support Ukraine’s Antimicrobial Action Plan and Pharmaceutical Strategy.

  It is not enough to have the right amount of medicines and medical supplies. We will also need a strong health workforce equipped with the necessary skills to face cross-border health threats. That is why EU4Health will also support training of healthcare workers in specific areas.

  How will this improve the healthcare system?

  By making health systems more resilient, EU4Health will not only help prepare Ukraine for the upcoming health crisis, but also prepare member states for long-term challenges such as ageing populations and health inequalities. Vulnerable groups need to have access to health and health care services, and inequalities between member states and between regions within those member states need to be addressed.

  How much funding will be available under the EU4Health program and how will it be spent?

  EU4Health is investing EUR 5.1 billion over seven years to solve health challenges. Around EUR 316 million has been allocated for the first annual budget. Over the 7 years of its existence, the program will take into account a number of provisions for overall spending:

  - a minimum of 20% for health promotion and disease prevention;

  - maximum 12.5% for the accumulation of crisis-related products at Union level;

  - a maximum of 12.5% to support global health commitments and initiatives;

  - a maximum of 8% for administrative costs.

  The program should also contribute to the integration of climate action into EU policies and achieve an overall target expenditure of at least 30% of the total budget and Recovery Instrument for climate action.

  How will EU4Health be implemented?

  EU4Health will be implemented primarily by the Commission through direct management, including delegation to an implementing agency. The program will be implemented with relevant legal entities from member states and third countries, which will receive EU funding in the form of grants, prizes and procurement, as well as indirect management by relevant EU agencies, such as the European Medicines Agency or the European Center for Disease Control.

  The new Healthcare and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), which will start operating on 1 April, will be tasked with developing and managing annual work programs.

  The EU agencies - the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control and the European Medicines Agency - play a key role in protecting Europe from serious cross-border health threats and pandemics, both on the prevention and crisis management fronts. The program’s actions will improve the work of these EU agencies, as well as the European Food Safety Authority and the European Chemicals Agency.

  To prepare annual work programs and monitor results, the EU4Health Regulation also establishes an EU4Health Advisory Steering Group, which brings together the European Commission and the member states. The Steering Group will consult on annual priorities, promote coherence and complementarity with member states’ health policies, monitor EU4Health implementation and propose any necessary adjustments based on evaluations.

  In addition, the Commission will consult with relevant stakeholders, including representatives of civil society and patient organizations, to obtain their views on the needs to be addressed through the annual work program, annual priorities and deliverables.

  The results of the stakeholder consultations and steering group discussions will be presented once a year to the European Parliament before the last steering group meeting.

  How will the program support research and innovation?

  The EU4Health program is a tool for implementing EU health policy and can support and encourage innovation in medicines and medical devices, as well as products related to crisis situations in Ukraine.

  EU4Health will work closely with Horizon Europe’s main research program, which includes the Health Cluster. Horizon Europe will fund research and innovation on topics such as good health throughout life; environmental and social determinants of health; non-communicable and rare diseases; communicable diseases; tools, technologies and digital solutions for health and health systems. The program will also include Horizon Europe’s research and innovation mission on cancer, one of the Commission’s top priorities in health policy. The EU4Health program will help ensure that research results are used to their best advantage and will facilitate the uptake, scale-up and deployment of health innovations in health systems and clinical practice.

  What areas are covered by the program?

  The program includes four general and ten specific goals.

  EU4H is investing EUR 5.3 billion for 10 defined objectives in 4 key areas:

  1. Promote and improve health

  1.1. Disease prevention and health promotion.

  1.2. International initiatives and cooperation in the field of health care.

  2. To address cross-border health threats

  2.1. Prevention, preparation and response to cross-border health threats.

  2.2. Supplementation of national stocks of essential products (goods or means) to overcome the crisis.

  2.3. Create a reserve of medical, nursing and auxiliary personnel.

  3. Improve medicines, medical devices and goods to overcome the crisis.

  3.1. Make medicines, medical devices and crisis-related products available and affordable.

  4. 4. Strengthen health systems, their resilience and resource efficiency.

  4.1 Strengthen the system of medical data, digital tools and services, digital transformation of healthcare.

  4.2. Improving access to health care.

  4.3. Development and implementation of EU healthcare legislation and evidence-based decision-making.

  4.4. Integration between national health systems.

  In 2022, the program allocated EUR 7 million to the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for Displaced Persons Arriving from Ukraine activity.