Health and care

Unified political support and cooperation across various public administration departments are key to enhance access to health services in rural areas Patricia Martínez, policy analyst at the Rural Pact Support Office, emphasised at Interreg Europe’s webinar of 5 June 2024. Achieving collaboration among departments dealing with education, health, agriculture, and rural development is needed to prevent working in silos and ensure respective regulations are rural-proofed.

The European Commission has mobilised previously unallocated Horizon Europe funding to increase the 2024 budget of the EU's research and innovation programme by nearly EUR 1.4 billion. The amendment features opportunities for green and digital development in rural areas.

A survey by the Rural Health Compass – a social enterprise working to improve rural communities’ access to healthcare and other services – seeks to identify rural women’s experiences with access to health services.