Health

9.1) Improve understanding of mental health issues and ways of addressing them, including from early childhood and early diagnostics, building on good practices developed throughout the EU, which should be made readily accessible through the Public Health Best Practice Portal. To raise awareness, EU institutions and relevant stakeholders should organise best practices exchange events and help their members disseminate them in their own constituencies. An EU Action Plan on mental health should be developed, that would provide long term Mental Health Strategy, including on research and also tackle the issue of availability of professionals, including for minors and the setting up in the near future of a dedicated European Year of Mental Health.

9.2) Develop at EU level a standard educational programme on healthy lifestyles, covering also sexual education. It should also encompass actions targeting both healthy lifestyle and environmental protection and how they can help prevent many diseases, such as for instance bicycling as a healthy mean for everyday mobility. It would be available free of charge to Member States and schools to use in their curricula, as appropriate. Such a programme would address stereotypes on those who are ill or disabled.

There are currently no implementing initiatives that address this particular CoFE measure.

9.3) Develop first aid courses - including a practical component - that would be made available to all citizens free of charge and consider regular courses as standard practice for students and in workplaces.There should also be a minimum number of defibrillators available in public places in all Member States.

There are currently no implementing initiatives that address this particular CoFE measure.

9.4) Expanding the health week initiative, which would take place across the entire EU in the same week, when all health issues would be covered and discussed. Also consider health year initiatives, starting with the year on mental health.

There are currently no implementing initiatives that address this particular CoFE measure.

9.5) Recognise as regular medical treatment in terms of taxation the hormonal contraception products used for medical reasons, such as in the cases of fibromyalgia andendometriosis, as well as female sanitary products. Ensure access to reproductive treatments for all individuals suffering fertility problems.