Judit Bidló: Hungary’s agenda for EU health

The Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU (HUPRES) is steering the European Union boat to face present and future challenges for the health of Europeans. We had the chance to discuss them in a conversation with Dr. Judit Bidló, Hungarian Deputy State Secretary for the Professional Management of Health at the Ministry of the Interior, to dive deep into the HUPRES health agenda.
 
Every six months, one of the EU Member States takes control of the Presidency of the Council of the EU, one of the legislative bodies of the European Union. From July to December, it is Hugary’s turn to hold this prestigious position, which allows it to set the priorities for its six-month term and guide discussions on legislative and policy issues. Dr. Judit Bidló helps us understand the rationale behind Hungary’s top priority choices in health and their impact on the European and national context.
 
HUPRES decided to put under the spotlight two key topics: cardiovascular diseases and organ donation and transplantation. Cardiovascular diseases, responsible for almost one third of all deaths in the EU, are “Europe’s No. 1 killer”, and a well-known health emergency with insufficient harmonisation in prevention policies. The organ transplantation landscape is highly fragmented in Europe, with good-performing countries and others suffering organ shortages. 
 
Why were these topics chosen, and what is the impact of this choice in the EU health agenda and in the reshuffling of health political priorities? What type of policy recommendations can we expect from HUPRES? How does HUPRES intend to act on drafting a prevention plan for cardiovascular diseases, especially when it comes to promoting healthy lifestyles and limiting tobacco and alcohol consumption? How is HUPRES continuing the work on mental health initiated by the preceding presidencies? Listen to Dr. Bidló discuss these and other topics in this episode of the Euro Health Podcast!
 
🗣SPEAKER
 
Dr. Judit Bidló is the Deputy State Secretary for the Professional Management of Health at Hungary’s Ministry of the Interior. 
 
With an academic background in pharmacy, economics, and biomedical and medical engineering, she started working at the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund in 2009, focusing on pricing, reimbursement of medicines, and health services. By 2018, she was appointed Deputy General Director, where her responsibilities included managing the availability of drugs and medical devices for patients and overseeing the funding and reimbursement processes.
 
In March 2023, Dr. Bidló took on the role of Deputy State Secretary for the Professional Management of Health at Hungary’s Ministry of the Interior, which contributed to draft the health priorities of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU (HUPRES).

🎙 EURO HEALTH PODCAST  Euro Health Podcast focuses on European health policy by giving voice to leading experts. The goal is to bring complex and evidence-based information, which could lead to a better Europe. Podcast is hosted by Jiří Svoboda.
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