Hosted in Lisbon, the 2-day forum brought around 100 representatives together both in-person and online from national health authorities, European institutions, international organisations, and project partners to exchange knowledge, share progress, and shape the future of coordinated stockpile management across Europe.
A Shared Vision for Health Security
The Partnership Forum provided a unique platform for experts and project participants to discuss innovative approaches to stockpiling, deployment, sustainability, and crisis response.
The event was opened with welcoming remarks from the project leader, Prof. Otto Helve from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), from the Portuguese host partner Dr Cristina Santos, Portugal's National Institute of Health (INSA), and from name of the speaker here, the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). “Sustainability of stockpiles of medical countermeasures is crucial,” said Prof. Otto Helve, opening the forum.
Participants also heard an engaging presentation from the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), which emphasized the critical importance of effective stockpiling and the active participation of all Member States. Showcasing Progress Across JA STOCKPILE
A central focus of the forum was the presentation of the Work Packages (WPs) about achievements (they have so far) and ongoing tasks while creating opportunities for the project participants for discussion, knowledge exchange, and future collaboration.
Work Package leaders and co-leaders shared insights on:
- Identifying and quantifying stockpiles of medical countermeasures
- Building a coordinated layered stockpiling system
- Developing sustainable stockpile management approaches
- Improving deployment and utilisation of medical countermeasures
- Enhancing training, sustainability, communication, and evaluation activities
Bringing Stakeholders Together
One of the forum's highlights was the participation of key international and European stakeholders, including representatives from:
- European Commission services
- European Medicines Agency (EMA)
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- UNICEF
- Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
- National crisis management and public health authorities
Their contributions provided valuable perspectives on preparedness, emergency response, supply chains, and international cooperation.
Learning from National Experiences
The forum also featured insights into country experiences on preparedness and stockpile management. While the panel discussion for WP leaders provided opportunity to share work experience.
Forum closed with discussion with the WP leaders and external advisors within the framework of Advisory Board.
Looking Ahead - as JA STOCKPILE continues its work and taking steps on its journey to the successful end