European health sciences
European Health Sciences ( English: European Public Health ) is to include a relatively new discipline that deals with health from an international and European perspective to bridge the gap between national and international health policy and organization.
Since the Maastricht Treaty , in which the subject of public health became a European field of competence for the first time , growing cooperation and coordination between European governments and organizations are more necessary than ever. A growing together European Union will assume an increasingly present role in all political areas of its member states in the coming years. This will also affect health problems and issues.
In the European Union, there is a need to address health problems across borders. This includes, on the one hand, the intra-European cooperation between hospitals, rescue services, health insurances and doctors. On the other hand, the rights and obligations of insured persons and patients who work in the relevant member states or want or have to undergo medical treatment there must be regulated. The European Union supports and promotes the free movement of goods , services, capital and people across borders and health sectors. This creates a demand for European health specialists who not only focus on a national health system, but can promote collaboration through overview.
The focus of European Health Sciences is in the political, organizational and management areas - not so much in the practical medical care of individuals. The aim of this subject is to create and support a "health for all" principle in all member countries as well as equal access to health facilities for all population groups. European health sciences work with the World Health Organization's definition of health , which states that health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not just the absence of illness or ailment.
Field of work
The fields of work of European health specialists are:
- Cross-border treatment and cooperation:
- Hospitals
- Insurance companies
- Health authorities
- Ministry of Health
- Ministry of the Environment
- Regional / national / international health agencies
- Institutes of Public Health and Environmental Protection
- Patient organizations
- Food safety
- Legal Agencies in Brussels
- European and supranational institutions
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- European Parliament and Commissions
Descriptions of the field of work of European health specialists include: health lawyers, consultants, information officers, project managers, personal European affairs , civil servants, researchers. It is also possible to work in non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
European Health Sciences - Study
European health sciences are a relatively new field of science. The course has so far been limited to postgraduate master’s courses at various universities within Europe. The currently only Bachelor's degree in European Public Health is offered by Maastricht University at the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences .