Commissioner Lahbib's Video Message to the Global Health Policy Forum

European Commission -Speech Commissioner Lahbib's Video Message to the Global Health Policy Forum Brussels, 15 May 2025 It is a pleasure to speak to you for the 2025 EU Global Health Policy Forum. In today's interconnected world, our approach to health must be holistic and global. Diseases don't respect borders — they spread fast and cross continents far from where they began. COVID-19 made this painfully clear. What happens in one corner of the world can dramatically impact families, businesses, and societies on the other side of the globe. But global health is not just about fighting diseases. It is about fairness and human dignity. Everyone, no matter where they are born, deserves the chance to lead a healthy and fulfilling life. Yet millions of people still lack this basic right — without access to healthcare, medicines, or clean water. For the growing number of people living in conflict and fragile settings, these challenges are even worse — and their health needs are rising fast. We must take urgent collective action to change this. Cooperation is our greatest strength in tackling these challenges. We must all join forces —governments, international organisations, NGOs, academics, and the private sector – all of you here today – to develop effective solutions. At a time when some of our closest allies are questioning the rules-based order, Europe stands firm. We remain committed to defending multilateralism and remaining a reliable partner in global...