Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
The European Health Data Space (EHDS) marks a major step toward a coordinated and secure framework for health data exchange across the European Union ( EU). By enabling individuals to access and control their electronic health data while supporting better care delivery, research, and innovation, the EHDS has the potential to transform health systems. Yet its implementation unfolds at a time of increasing geopolitical fragmentation, raising questions about interoperability, governance, trust, and the balance between national and European priorities.
This World Health Summit 2025 session – co-hosted by the Federal Ministry of Health of Germany (BMG) – examined both the opportunities and the challenges that lay ahead as Europe worked to operationalize this ambitious digital health initiative. Moderated by Naomi Lee (Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford), the discussion explored the objectives of the EHDS, the barriers to implementation, and strategies to ensure secure data use, patient empowerment, and equitable access across countries and sectors.
The Speakers, Aldo Faisal (UK Research and Innovation Artificial Intelligence Centres for Doctoral Training) , Elisabeth Kasilingam (European Patients’ Forum), Terje Peetso (North Estonia Medical Centre), Emilie Passemard (French Ministry of Health and Prevention, Digital Health Delegation), and Joe Lennerz (BostonGene) offered perspectives from research, patient advocacy, clinical innovation, regulation, and industry. Together, they assessed how Europe could overcome technical, legal, and political hurdles, and how the EHDS might influence global approaches to health data governance.
The session highlighted the transformative potential of a connected and trusted health data ecosystem to strengthen healthcare delivery and drive innovation across Europe and beyond.
The World Health Summit is the leading global platform bringing together science, politics, civil society, and the private sector to catalyze collaborative and innovative solutions for key health priorities. Learn more at www.worldhealthsummit.org.
The European Health Data Space (EHDS) marks a major step toward a coordinated and secure framework for health data exchange across the European Union ( EU). By enabling individuals to access and control their electronic health data while supporting better care delivery, research, and innovation, the EHDS has the potential to transform health systems. Yet its implementation unfolds at a time of increasing geopolitical fragmentation, raising questions about interoperability, governance, trust, and the balance between national and European priorities.
This World Health Summit 2025 session – co-hosted by the Federal Ministry of Health of Germany (BMG) – examined both the opportunities and the challenges that lay ahead as Europe worked to operationalize this ambitious digital health initiative. Moderated by Naomi Lee (Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford), the discussion explored the objectives of the EHDS, the barriers to implementation, and strategies to ensure secure data use, patient empowerment, and equitable access across countries and sectors.
The Speakers, Aldo Faisal (UK Research and Innovation Artificial Intelligence Centres for Doctoral Training) , Elisabeth Kasilingam (European Patients’ Forum), Terje Peetso (North Estonia Medical Centre), Emilie Passemard (French Ministry of Health and Prevention, Digital Health Delegation), and Joe Lennerz (BostonGene) offered perspectives from research, patient advocacy, clinical innovation, regulation, and industry. Together, they assessed how Europe could overcome technical, legal, and political hurdles, and how the EHDS might influence global approaches to health data governance.
The session highlighted the transformative potential of a connected and trusted health data ecosystem to strengthen healthcare delivery and drive innovation across Europe and beyond.
The World Health Summit is the leading global platform bringing together science, politics, civil society, and the private sector to catalyze collaborative and innovative solutions for key health priorities. Learn more at www.worldhealthsummit.org.
