Five Years After COVID-19: Lessons Learned and the Path Forward
Today marks five years since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The health crisis claimed seven million lives and exposed the deep vulnerabilities in healthcare systems worldwide. It was a time of immense loss, resilience, and hard-learned lessons.
Patients Left Behind: The Need for Better Communication and Care
During the pandemic, people with chronic conditions faced limited access to care and a lack of clear information. As revealed by the Periscope survey, nearly half of patients reported inadequate communication from health authorities, and two-thirds struggled to find reliable public health guidance. At the same time, disruptions in medical treatment—including delayed appointments, diagnostic tests, and medication access—affected more than a third of patients.
To prevent this in future crises, authorities must coordinate closely with patient organisations so they can relay accurate, tailored information to their communities. Additionally, maintaining continuity of care, through strengthened healthcare infrastructure, must be a top priority.
Investing in a Stronger, More Prepared Healthcare System
Now, as the world faces new geopolitical shifts and uncertainties, we cannot afford to forget the past. Reflecting on what went wrong and what we did right, it becomes crucial to building a stronger, more prepared future.
EPF’s mission remains clear: to push for sustainable, patient-centered healthcare systems that can withstand global health crises. Because when the next pandemic comes, our health systems must be ready to protect, support, and save lives.
For Europe to be truly prepared for future health crises, adequate and sustained health funding is essential. As EU institutions shape the next Multiannual Financial Framework, we urge them to prioritise a strong, integrated, and well-structured EU health budget. This budget must focus on strengthening healthcare resilience and sustainability, advancing health and digital health literacy, and ensuring civil society organisations play a central role in public health efforts through institutionalised, sustainable, and inclusive funding mechanisms.
A proactive approach is essential to ensure that medical countermeasures are readily available in future pandemics. For instance, the PROACT EU-Response project, of which EPF is part, aims to strengthen Europe’s preparedness by building on existing networks of experts and civil society focused on clinical therapeutic platform trials in hospital settings across the continent.
In the event of an outbreak, this network will be able to rapidly pivot to conduct large-scale, multi-country trials assessing the effectiveness of therapeutic and diagnostic tools. By uniting scientists, social science researchers, and civil society, PROACT EU-Response will help reduce mortality and morbidity, lower the societal and economic burden of diseases, and enhance Europe’s research and innovation capacity in the fight against communicable diseases.
Looking to the Future: EPF Congress 2025
The 2025 EPF Congress will bring stakeholders together to explore solutions for building a more resilient and secure future for European healthcare systems. As healthcare continues to evolve, patient engagement in preparedness strategies is more crucial than ever.
Health is an investment in Europe’s future. A safe and equitable patient-centered healthcare system is not only essential for protecting lives but also for ensuring economic stability and social well-being.