At the invitation of the Luxembourg Minister of Health, Lydia Mutsch, the so-called health quintet addressed, among other things, the various approaches and strategies for preventing and combating addiction. The common goal is to permanently reduce the number of addicts, both legal and illegal, and to prevent young people in particular from becoming addicted.
The discussions also focused on challenges and opportunities in the area of digitization of the healthcare system (e-health) and the strengthening of health and patient competence. In Germany, the E-Health Act was passed last year. It contains a roadmap for the introduction of a digital infrastructure with the highest security standards and the introduction of useful applications on the electronic health card.
Increasing health literacy among the population not only benefits each individual patient, but also all those responsible in the healthcare system. Because the more knowledge patients have about their own health, disease, symptoms and treatment options, the more successful therapy can be. At the same time, well-founded health knowledge is an important basis for preventing diseases such as type II diabetes from developing in the first place.
The annual meetings of the health quintet promote exchange and cooperation in the health sector across national borders. In a final declaration, the health ministers laid down their common concerns.