EPF Joins SDG Watch Europe As A Member!

EPF is pleased to announce that we have become a member of SDG Watch Europe! SDG Watch Europe is an EU-level, cross-sectoral civil society organisation alliance of over 100 NGOs from development, environment, social, human rights and other sectors. Its goal is to hold governments to account for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs).

EPF’s 2017 campaign on Access to Healthcare is about paving the road to universal access in the EU by 2030 and calls on Member States and the EU to commit to a long-term vision where equity of access and universal health coverage is a reality for all patients in the EU. EPF’s campaign is very much linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goal on good health and wellbeing and one of its targets: to achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.

EPF and European civil society organisations’ challenge (CSO) is to make the UN Sustainable Development 2030 Agenda a reality, making sure we reach all of the Sustainable Development Goals and targets, within Europe and globally. These goals can only be fully achieved with active and broad-based civil society engagement. CSOs will need to advocate for the policies required, raise awareness of goals and targets amongst the general public, monitor progress in implementing the SDGs and push for action where needed. For this reason, EPF has joined SDG Watch Europe.

Contributing to two work strands

EPF has committed to contributing to two work strands of SDG Watch Europe’s work:

• Work strand 1 on Joint High-Level Policy & Coordination for Ambitious and Integrated EU SDG Implementation and;
• Work strand 3 on Engaging CSOs & Citizens at Local, National and EU level.

In addition to contributing to the alliance’s work, as a member, EPF will also benefit from information on SDG-related work at a European level as well as the opportunity to exchange with other members.

In EPF’s next programming period, equity of access will continue to be a high priority for EPF. EPF will support the 2030 Agenda focusing on SDG3 on health, building on the outcomes of our 2017 campaign “Universal Health Coverage for All”. Working together with SDG Watch Europe and other similarly engaged CSOs will enable us to gain knowledge. Furthermore, we will be able to contribute the patient perspective to SDG Watch Europe initiatives, which will serve as a vehicle to further amplify our messages.

EPF thanks SDG Watch Europe for the positive exchange so far and looks forward to successful future collaboration.

Click here for a video introducing SDG Watch Europe’s members and work and here to consult their newsletter.

Contact details: Katie Gallagher, EPF Policy Officer, katie.gallagher@eu-patient.eu