ScanBalt Chairman Jaanus Pikani: Implementing a Digital Health Agenda for the BSR
I am happy that ScanBalt Forum 18 October in Tallinn pays special attention to digital technologies and health data in a Baltic Sea region cross-border perspective.
In particular I am satisfied that we have already taken practical steps towards implementation of a Digital Health Agenda for the BSR.
Estonian EU Council Presidency: Free flow of data
The Estonian Government holds the EU Council Presidency of Europe from July to December 2017. Its main focus is related to the free flow of data in the European Union, the fifth fundamental right of European Citizens, after the free flow of persons, products, services and capital.
Healthcare systems are today transformed by digital technologies, and most of the European policy-makers have defined strategies to implement digital health solutions, even if some barriers are still to be overcome.
The European Commission has recognized the importance of eHealth and digital innovation in addressing the common challenges that the European health systems face in terms of increasing cost of healthcare and population ageing associated with a rise of chronic diseases and multi-morbidity .
ScanBalt: Strategic focus on digital health
In ScanBalt we during 2015 – 2017 had intense strategic discussions resulting in digital health coming out as a top priority.
ScanBalt Forum in Tallinn hosts a discussion on practical implementation of a digital health agenda for the Baltic Sea Region and it is satisfying that the discussion is backed up with concrete ongoing project examples.
Projects like the Baltic Fracture Competence Center and ProVaHealth – funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme – and IC Health funded by Horizon 2020, all promote the region as a global hotspot for digital health.
This is beneficial for patients, health care professionals, citizens and companies alike.
I am looking forward to an inspiring and fruitful ScanBalt Forum presenting and discussing the ongoing activities of the EU Baltic Sea Region strategy flagship ScanBalt.
We wish to accelerate new projects, to promote coordination between existing ones and to promote synergies.
See you in Tallinn 18th of October!
