Members of the European Parliament have set out their views on the EU’s €446 million programme for stimulating innovation in healthcare.

In a report endorsed by the European Parliament’s Public Health Committee, MEPs expressed their view that the “Health Programme” of set aside funds, shouldtarget the problems of ageing populations and chronic illness and reduce health inequalities. They also called for the programme to promote "health literacy" in order to boost prevention measures.

One of the points made in the MEPs report is that increasing the number of "healthy life years" enjoyed by older citizens can enable more individuals to continue working as they grow older.

The focus of the overall Programme is to focus financial support for projects in areas where EU action can bring real added value to the healthcare sector, such as sharing best practice or developing innovative approaches. The €446 million budget is indicative and will be confirmed when the EU's overall budget plan for 2014 to 2020 is adopted.

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