Cross-border public health in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion: applying a cross-border lens to the Essential Public Health Functions Framework

Overview

This report focuses on public health in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion (‎EMR)‎, more specifically the border areas between Belgium, Germany and Netherlands (‎Kingdom of the)‎, and examines a range of public health policies, interventions and activities aimed at improving health in border regions in general. Non-EMR-region case studies and the challenges they pose are also presented to illustrate the range of public health issues that can affect these regions. The report considers the applicability of the WHO Essential Public Health Functions (‎EPHFs)‎ in addressing these issues. It also emphasizes the need for sustainable solutions to border-related health challenges and better integration of cross-border health initiatives into national frameworks. The analysis calls for the application of a cross-border lens to the EPHF framework, as well as the bolstering of a number of EPHFs to strengthen the effectiveness of public health services in border regions.