The European Approach to Global Health

November 13, 2009

The advent of the Obama administration offers an important opportunity to launch a serious dialogue on strengthening transatlantic collaboration on global health issues. This dialogue will require high-level commitment and engagement from both Europe and the United States. And it will naturally emanate from each side’s internal processes and strategic approach to global health. his paper, based on a series of interviews with senior European health leaders, seeks to shed light on European approaches to global health; the interactions among the European Union (EU), the European Commission (EC), and member states; and, finally, European perceptions of U.S. global health policies. All of those interviewed strongly support the need for a more consistent and reciprocal dialogue between the United States and Europe, although there were varying opinions on what the initial focus of such a dialogue should be. The paper concludes with suggestions for enhancing U.S.-EU engagement to better identify partnership opportunities in improving global public health in the long term.