Speech by Commissioner Lahbib at the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) Implementation Dialogue

Speech by Commissioner Lahbib at HERA Implementation Dialogue

We are here because we all have something in common: we believe that health security is not the job of one institution or one sector. It is all our responsibility.

Last month, I went to Bunia, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the heart of the Ebola outbreak. I wanted the people there, and our partners, to see the European Union standing by their side in a moment of crisis, not just with words, but with action.

We delivered over 400 tonnes of medical supplies and supported the response from the earliest days. But being there, alongside the doctors, nurses, first responders, and humanitarian workers, showed something no report can ever capture. I saw exactly what it takes for aid to reach people. A response built in real time, under pressure.

It left me with one clear takeaway: a policy is only worth what it delivers for those in need.

That is the whole point of our Medical Countermeasures Strategy. We are building Europe's capacity to prepare for and respond to health emergencies, so that we can anticipate and prevent health crises, and when the moment comes, that treatments and vaccines reach people.

Here is what that looks like in practice:

• Strengthening research and innovation,
• Cooperating more with Member States, industry, and civil society,
• Scaling up crisis procurement through initiatives like RAMP UP,
• New funding through HERA Invest,
• Wider surveillance through the EU Wastewater Sentinel System,
• And stress tests of our readiness through real exercises.

We have made real progress, but being prepared is not something you fix once and forget. It is about seeking constant improvement.

That is why I am here today. To listen, to share ideas, and to make ourselves stronger together. I want to hear what is still standing in our way. What would make this work better?

Industry representatives, tell us where are the bottlenecks that affect manufacturing and supply chains.

Healthcare workers, tell us what challenges you encounter on the front line.

Researchers, tell us where the real gaps in our knowledge are. And how we can support innovation.

Civil society, tell us how to reach the people that get left behind.

The last few years changed how we think about health emergencies. Preparedness is not a luxury reserved for the moment a crisis hits. It is an investment made well in advance.

The real test is not what is written in a strategy document. It is what happens the day the next emergency strikes. Can we coordinate across borders and sectors? Can factories ramp up production fast enough? Can our health systems get treatments to the people who need them? Can a hospital in a small town get the same treatment as one in a capital city?

No single government can answer that alone. We need everyone on board.

Companies innovating and producing; doctors and nurses turning lab results into patient care; researchers generating the evidence to act on; civil society building trust; and international cooperation helping us respond to threats that spread beyond borders.

Each piece is vital. They are all links in the same chain.

Today is not just about talking. It is where those strong links are forged.

As policymakers, our job is to clear the path for innovation, while keeping public health at the heart of every decision, to tear down the barriers that slow implementation, and to build cooperation across sectors and across borders.

So tell us what is working, tell us what is not working, help us build something better.

The next health emergency will surely come. Our job is to make sure that when it hits, Europe is ready and able to protect the people who need us.