Europe to double e-health research

Viviane Reding today announced that the European Commission will double funding for e-health research over the next two years.

The European Commissioner for Information Society and Media said that over the next two years the Commission will invest €163m in e-health research. The funding will be channelled through its framework seven funding call.

Speaking by video link to the e- Health 2009 conference in Prague the Commissioner said the current economic crisis facing Europe had not deterred investment in e-health research but “put the long term benefits of e-health into sharp focus”.

The Commissioner said that the European economic recovery plan had already committed €1 billion of investment to make broadband universally available, and this would provide a vital spur to e-health.

“The investment will support e-health services based on broadband like telemedicine,” said the Commissioner.

She said that the current economic challenges made it clearer that ever “we need to continue on e-health action plan”.

She concluded: “I am confident we can realise dream of European e-health action space.”