Summary of commissioner Cecilia Malmström’s speech at the EP on Women’s health and diabetes. 7 November 2012 European Parliament 6 Q1
Thanking Anna-Maria Corazza Bildt for the invitation to speak at the seminar on the important topic of Diabetes and women’s health! Also thanking Alexandra Charles and the important work of the 1,6 million club in Sweden and now also in Europe.
Reminding the participants that the health issues are not her portfolio issue, but as the commissioner of home affairs, the portfolio has gender dimensions and issues linked to women’s health. In legislative proposals, on both asylum and trafficking, women’s particular situation have been included. For example in 1) the directive on reception conditions for asylum seekers. Women who have been raped need special care and medical treatment. Now, the directive is very clear on that. 2) Also the strategy against human trafficking – the fact that 80 % of the victims of human trafficking are women – is not forgotten – on the contrary highlighted – concerning the measures and rights of the victims.
Commissioner Cecilia Malmström confirms the EU commission commitment to raising awareness on the relationship between gender and health. The EU supports Member States in gathering relevant and comparable data and in addressing health disparities through gender-sensitive health promotion, prevention, early detection and care. Not taking this issue seriously, means lost productivity, lost resources, and even lost lives.
Stating that unhealthy diets and a lack of physical exercise are the leading cause of avoidable illness in the EU, and the rising prevalence of obesity across Europe represents a major public health concern. And that European Commission has a ”Strategy for Europe on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity-related health issues”, from 2007, set to end in 2013 and it’s currently being evaluated. The strategy promotes healthy diets and lifestyles and measures like consumer information, nutrition labelling, and protection from misleading information. Asking the seminar participants to seize the opportunity to provide policy makers, industry and each other with inspiration and ideas for the future efficient measures and appropriate strategies.
Ending by stating that every woman everywhere should have high-quality care at every single stage of life and therefore there is a need for researchers like Kerstin Brismar, to provide the health sector with the knowledge to meet women’s particular needs and lobbyists like Alexandra Charles and Susanne Lögstrup to change the minds and attitudes of those policy makers who can provide that healthcare.