Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development

How can the world prevent future pandemics? Professor Mario Monti, Chair of the Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development explains the Commission’s call to action.”

The Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development is an independent and interdisciplinary group of leaders convened by the WHO Regional Office for Europe to rethink policy priorities in the light of pandemics.

Comprising former heads of state and government, distinguished life scientists and economists, heads of health and social care institutions, and leaders of the business community and financial institutions from across the European Region, the Commission brings together individuals with outstanding expertise and experience.

The mandate of the Commission is to draw lessons from the ways in which different countries’ health systems have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and make recommendations on investments and reforms to improve the resilience of health and social care systems. It seeks to build consensus on these recommendations and to elevate health and social care as societal and political priorities, recognized as being critical to both sustainable development and social cohesion.

The group of 19 Commissioners is chaired by Professor Mario Monti, President of Bocconi University and former Prime Minister of Italy and a former European Commissioner. Professor Elias Mossialos, Founder and Director of the London School of Economics Department of Health Policy, is the Commission’s Scientific Coordinator, and its deliberations are supported by a Scientific Advisory Board.

The Commission’s work will culminate in a report to be published in September 2021 with recommendations on investments and reforms to improve health and social care systems.