Press Releases

Distinguished guests

Let me first thank the American University of Cyprus for the opportunity to address this Workshop titled “Strengthening Public Health Capacity: Adapting to a Changing Landscape.”

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe in March 2020, health has moved considerably higher on the European political agenda. The European Commission has been building a robust European Health Union that focuses on both urgent and long-term health priorities. These priorities range from responding to the COVID-19 crisis and increasing resilience, to cross-border health threats, to Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe, and advancements in digital health.

In line with these goals, Cyprus has introduced a range of measures to protect and improve the health of its people, support the modernisation and digitalisation of health systems and infrastructure, and enhance the resilience of the healthcare system to better prevent and address future pandemics.

The implementation of the new integrated General Healthcare System has transformed the healthcare environment in Cyprus, bringing together the public and private sectors into a single market. Major and fundamental changes have been recorded across all areas of the health system, including in administration, financing, health service provider remuneration, health cover, access, freedom of choice, benefits, and financial protection.

I would also like to emphasise the significance of the establishment of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Office in Cyprus since March 2023.  This office will support Cyprus in achieving its public health goals, such as tackling infectious and noncommunicable diseases, and facilitate the sharing of our expertise and experience in health innovation across the WHO European Region.

Within its supervisory role, the Ministry of Health has introduced the establishment and operation of a Capacity Master Plan for Health with a 10-year horizon. This plan will provide a framework for planning and decision-making within the Cyprus healthcare system. Its goal is to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry and other healthcare stakeholders to undertake effective planning and decision-making to meet the current and future health needs of our people. One key pillar of the project is strengthening Human Resources for Health planning, which will allow the Ministry to assess the current capacity of the system and develop workforce planning models to meet future demand.

Other future challenges and areas for development in public health are addressed in the Health Axis of the Cyprus Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021–2026, funded by the EU Recovery and Resilience Mechanism and the state budget. The Health Axis focuses on interventions that include:

• Modernisation and digitalisation of healthcare infrastructure and equipment.
• Purchase or replacement of medical equipment in hospitals.
• Deployment of cross-border e-health services in Cyprus.
• Accreditation of public and private hospitals.
• Enhancement, modernisation, and upgrade of public hospitals.
• Establishment of a National Centre for Clinical Evidence and Quality Improvement.
• Design of an electronic platform for the surveillance of nosocomial antibiotic consumption and healthcare-associated infections.
• Gradual shift towards value-based models of healthcare provision and reimbursement.
• Investments to strengthen civil protection, particularly through the use of smart technologies to effectively handle emergency situations.

Healthcare is dynamic, with new research, treatments, and disease strains emerging all the time. In order to thrive in a constantly changing environment, we must ensure that the healthcare system is able to adapt to these changes in real-time.

We must remain vigilant, invest in data collection, utilise technological solutions, cross-train a skilled workforce, establish facilities that can cater to high-risk medical needs, ensure effective inventory management of medical equipment and medicines, and, ultimately, create a sustainable healthcare model that is always ready to meet contingencies with minimal disruption.

Concluding, I would like to thank you all for this opportunity to address you here today. I hope that you have a fruitful and productive workshop!

(IA)