Strengthening health in the European Child Guarantee

The European Child Guarantee (ECG) aims to reduce child poverty and improve children’s health and wellbeing by addressing a wide range of factors, including access to healthcare, education and social services, healthy food, safe housing, physical activity, recreation, protection from commercial influence, and a pollution-free environment. Strengthening the ECG is essential to meet the 2030 European Pillar of Social Rights target of lifting 5 million children out of poverty.

Currently, 24.8% of children in Europe are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, with some countries seeing increases in recent years. Challenges such as uneven recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, rising living costs, socioeconomic uncertainty, and increased use of social media all affect children’s physical and mental health. Strengthening the ECG also needs to take account of new EU strategies, including the Preparedness Union Strategy and the EU Skills Union.

EuroHealthNet’s policy brief sets out recommendations to reinforce the Child Guarantee and improve children’s health and wellbeing. The proposals reflect the perspectives of health organisations at national, regional and local levels and aim to ensure equitable access to the conditions children need to thrive.

Read the policy brief here.