Nel 2009 la Commissione europea ha adottato la comunicazione su “Solidarietà in materia di salute: riduzione delle disuguaglianze sanitarie nell'UE ", al fine di ridurre le disuguaglianze sanitarie fra gli Stati membri e nelle politiche dell'Unione.

La relazione (il pdf è disponibile nel box download) raccoglie i dati sulle disuguaglianze sanitarie nell'UE a partire dal 2000 e descrive le azioni principali intraprese dalla Commissione a partire dal 2009.

«Today the unfolding effects of the financial crisis impact on not only the economic situation but also our capacity to protect people’s health and manage health systems. The 2013 Annual Growth Survey recognises the need to improve the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of health systems while maintaining access to high-quality healthcare. In the context of achieving the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy for inclusive growth, the Commission’s communication on ‘Social investment for growth and cohesion’ and the accompanying document on ‘Investing in health’ highlight the need to invest in sustainable health systems which can improve cohesion and boost economic growth by reducing health inequalities, enabling people to remain active longer and in better health».