Swedish Embassy and AstraZeneca host first ‘Prevention Summit’ to strengthen public health strategies in Europe

Embassy of Sweden and AstraZeneca organized in Madrid first ‘Prevention Summit‘, bringing together health authorities and public health experts from Spain and SwedenThe main objective was to put prevention at the top of the European agenda, with a particular focus on infectious diseases of the respiratory system.

The summit highlighted the importance of global and public-private sector collaboration to prepare for and respond to potential public health threats. Rick SuarezPresident of AstraZeneca, stressed that “we are at a historic moment marked by the constant threat of global health challenges such as epidemics, climate change or overpopulation. In this situation, one of the cornerstones on which we must build our strategies is prevention: anticipating potential crises and minimizing their impact if they occur.”

Infectious respiratory diseases such as Covid-19, influenza, RSV or hMPV continue to pose a significant health risk, especially for the most vulnerable populations.

The summit also discussed the evolution of the public health concept in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr. Pedro GullonDirector General of Public Health and Equity at the Spanish Ministry of Health, stated that “the vision of public health must play a central role in health policies at local and global level. The areas of prevention, the vision of social determinants of health and the inclusion of health in all policies are the only way to face current and future health challenges.”

In addition, the lessons and challenges faced by the various Autonomous Communities during the pandemic were discussed, highlighting the importance of vaccination campaigns and personal protection measures to control the spread of the virus and mitigate its most serious consequences for the population. The experts agreed on the need allocate resources for prevention to avoid future health crises and ensure the sustainability of the health system.