In 2022, the European Commission launched a new Global Health Strategy — a visionary document that, for the first time, integrates health into the Union’s foreign policy, making it a geopolitical lever to promote stability, development, and multilateral cooperation. The strategy — aptly titled “Better Health for All in a Changing World” — was shaped in the shadow of the pandemic, but its outlook reaches far beyond emergency response.
The first monitoring report, published in July 2025, COM(2025)392, provides an updated picture of the EU Global Health Strategy’s implementation. Though technical in nature, the report carries significant political weight, offering valuable insights into where Europe is truly making a difference — and where it continues to chase ambitions not always backed by adequate resources and structures.
The pillars of the strategy
The EU’s strategic vision is built around three main priorities:
- Improving health and well-being for people around the world
- Strengthening health systems and achieving universal health coverage (UHC)
- Preventing and addressing global health threats, including pandemic preparedness and response
These priorities are supported by 20 guiding principles, including the One Health approach, health equity, human rights, open science, and multilateral cooperation (see table).
Tangible progress achieved
The report highlights key achievements from the 2023–2025 period:
-
Increased international funding: The EU has strengthened its contributions to the Global Fund, Gavi, Pandemic Fund, WHO Investment Round, and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
-
Promotion of local vaccine production: Through the MAV+ project and support for BioNTech Africa, the EU has backed regional manufacturing capacity in low-income settings.
-
Strengthening of European agencies: With the development of HERA (Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority), Europe now has a permanent mechanism in place to address future health crises.
-
Support for mental health, chronic diseases, and health workforce training: Delivered through programs such as Global Health EDCTP3 and EU4Health.
The following chart illustrates the growth in EU contributions to major global health initiatives:
“Team Europe” and “Health in All Policies”
Two key operational approaches define Europe’s identity in the field of global health:
- Team Europe: A structured model of cooperation between the European Commission, Member States, development banks, and other actors, aimed at maximizing collective impact in partner countries.
- Health in All Policies: A principle that views health not as the sole responsibility of health ministries, but as a priority to be integrated across all public policies — including environment, trade, security, and technology.
In 2024, a dedicated Joint Action was launched under the EU4Health program, involving 24 Member States to foster knowledge exchange, map priorities, and promote policy synergies.
A more engaged Europe in multilateral forums
The strategy has made the European Commission more active on the global stage:
- It has taken part in negotiations for the new WHO Pandemic Agreement and the reform of the International Health Regulations (IHR).
- It contributes over €250 million to the WHO Investment Round.
- It leads the Global Health Policy Forum, a platform for dialogue with NGOs, academia, and the private sector.
All of this strengthens the EU’s position as a global actor — not only economically, but also in the fields of health and science.
The shadows behind the vision
Despite progress, several critical issues remain:
-
Financial Sustainability
The pledged funds are significant but still tied to political cycles and fragile budgets. While the chart shows growth between 2022 and 2025, the real test will be maintaining these levels through 2030. The Global Gateway target — mobilizing €300 billion by 2027 — is ambitious but lacks transparency in its operational structure. -
Weak Intergovernmental Coordination
The strategy can only succeed if cooperation between the Commission, Member States, and external partners is operational, not merely formal. In many areas — from health workforce training to vaccine procurement — fragmentation persists, limiting overall effectiveness. -
Monitoring and Transparency
The 2025 report acknowledges the lack of a shared, reliable indicator system to measure real-world impact. Currently, monitoring is described as “under development” — a euphemism that signals delays. Without transparent data, there is a risk that the strategy becomes more of a narrative exercise than a tool for true accountability.
Beyond Strategy: what kind of global health do we want?
The real question is not just how much Europe invests, but how it defines its role in the world. Global health is not neutral — it is shaped by priorities, visions, and power dynamics. The EU advocates for a model of multilateral cooperation, but in a world marked by health nationalism and strategic regionalization, this approach must become more impactful and less self-referential.
Conclusions
The EU Global Health Strategy marks a step change from past approaches. It redefines health not merely as an expenditure, but as a strategic lever. Yet its effectiveness will depend on:
- Clearer and more coordinated governance
- Stable, impact-driven funding
- Inclusive, transparent public monitoring
The report COM(2025)392 is a valuable starting point — but it cannot be the final destination. Europe has shown the ambition to lead. Now it must prove it can do so with rigour, realism, and responsibility.
