The coordination of the Joint Action towards the European Health Data Space by Cyprus is a recognition of the work done in the country at the technical level, and especially in the legislative framework, said Health Minister Michael Damianou during his address at the ”Athens Digital Health Week 2024′ conference, which was read on his behalf by the President of the National eHealth Authority of Cyprus Christos Schizas.
According to the Minister, the event was a very important initiative in a period of extensive change and technological progress, aiming to contribute to the digital transformation in Europe, with an emphasis on eHealth, to serve the European citizen nationally and across borders, to support the implementation of the European Health Data Space, to foster synergies and collaborations between eHealth initiatives and projects, to promote the debate on regulatory and legal issues and to contribute to the implementation of eHealth projects.
He added that in this context, the Proposal for a Regulat
ion on the European Health Data Space, which is being promoted for discussion and adoption by the European Parliament, was one of the main topics of the conference, with Cyprus actively participating in the discussion of this Regulation on the basis of its national legislation and the human-centred philosophy it has adopted for the promotion and implementation of eHealth.
He also said that these positions are shared by the European Commission and are reflected in the original proposal of the Health Data Space Regulation for a common European health data space to promote better exchange and access to different types of health data (electronic health records, genomics data, data from patient registries, Electronic Health Records etc.) and a common European data space, not only to support healthcare delivery, the so-called primary data use, but also for health research and health policy purposes, the so-called secondary use of health data.
He noted that the entire health data system will be built on transparen
t foundations that fully protect citizens’ personal data and enhance the portability of their health data, as stated in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
According to Damianou, the European Commission, in cooperation with Member States, is involved in the preparatory work and development of the European Health Data Space, with Member States supported by a new co-funded EU Health Programme “Joint Action on the European Health Data Space” to facilitate the exchange of health data for public health, therapeutics, research and innovation in Europe, an issue he said was discussed at length by the European eHealth Network, with its recommendation to the Commission being positive and supportive of the adoption of the Regulation.
He added that at the same time, the European Commission’s Joint Actions to support the proposed Regulation have been announced and their funding by the European Commission through the EU4Health programme has already started.
Based on the above, the National eHealth Authority
of Cyprus has been proposed by the European eHealth Network and has taken on the coordination of a Joint Action funded to create the specifications and recommendations in relation to the European Health Data Space and primary use, the Minister continued, adding that the project was launched on 29 November 2023 in Brussels and will last 30 months with a total budget of pound 5.9 million, with the participation of the competent eHealth authorities of all 27 Member States and Norway.
He added that the common objective is to develop all standards and define the specifications related to the Electronic Health Record of the Citizen (content, security, circulation, management, and interoperability) in order to enable national and cross-border healthcare between Member States.
“The coordination of the Joint Action by our country is a recognition of the work done in Cyprus at the technical level, and especially in the legislative framework expressed by the e-Health Law of 2019. This legislation is a unique example b
ecause it establishes all issues of health data management and use with a focus on the citizen, and it is this philosophy that Europe is trying to establish for all Member States with the introduction of the European Health Data Space Regulation”, Damianou stressed, adding that Cyprus is looking forward and investing in the implementation of the new Health Data Space Regulation and the universal implementation of eHealth as measures to strengthen the General Health Plan.
Source: Cyprus News Agency