At the Euronews Health Summit in Brussels (March 2026), a clear message emerged from EU leaders, the World Health Organization, ministers, and industry experts: health is now Europe’s greatest strategic challenge — and its greatest opportunity. EU Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi underlined that the European Union is accelerating reforms to strengthen health sovereignty and resilience, from new pharmaceutical rules to faster pathways from innovation to treatment....

Health tourism is gaining strategic importance in Europe, with discussions at the European Health Tourism Industry Summit 2026, held on 17 March at the European Parliament, underlining the need for stronger coordination between tourism, healthcare and policy. Organised by Health Tourism Industry (HTI) under the leadership of Ivana Kolar and hosted by MEP Nikolina Brnjac, the summit brought together policymakers, tourism leaders and healthcare experts...

Medical Spas and Climate Health Resorts Offer Powerful Solutions to Europe’s Growing Health Challenges The Synthesis Report, published in December 2025, has revealed that Europe faces an urgent need to modernise its health systems to cope with rising chronic diseases, ageing populations and workforce shortages. The report highlights four critical priorities for action: prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), digital health transformation, strengthening primary care and...

Interview with Karina Kyppas, CEO in Medical Spa Narva-Joesuu, Estonia Winner of the ESPA Innovation Award 2025 in catergory Innovative Medical Spa Q: "What's the single most important practice or insight from your Anitsress Centre that could help anyone dealing with chronic stress?" If I had to choose just one thing, it would be sleep. Because everything in our wellbeing begins there. When your sleep is...

The third session of “SUBSTANCE: CONTENT & NATURE,” held as part of the ISMH–ESPA Joint Medical Session, focused on the theme “Stress-related disorders: an opportunity for spa medicine.” This session brought together international experts to explore how balneotherapy can address modern healthcare challenges. Opening the session, Prof. Christian-François Roques, President of the International Society of Medical Hydrology and Climatology, delivered a recorded address emphasizing the...

EU countries spent €90.4 billion on preventive health care in 2022, which was the last full calendar year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Preventive health care expenditure in the EU was equivalent to 0.57% of GDP in 2022.  This information is part of the online publication Health in the European Union and, more specifically, is part of the domain of healthcare expenditure statistics. It presents key statistics...

Hydrotherapy is a medicine of public utility Organized by the Senator of Puy-de-Dôme Jean-Marc Boyer, under the high patronage of the President of the Senate Gérard Larcher, this day reaffirmed a reality: hydrotherapy is a medicine of public utility, scientifically proven, which must be defended and strengthened. It was an opportunity to reaffirm the essential role of thermal medicine in public health responses to the...

Italy’s Largest Urban Thermal Park The largest urban thermal park in Italy, spanning over 16,000 square meters, has been inaugurated. The project blends wellbeing, sustainability, and innovation for urban regeneration, involving a €57 million investment and creating 100 new jobs.   De Montel Stables, designed in the 1920s in Milan, have been transformed into a grand thermal park, with water drawn from a depth of 400 meters....

Scientists from Klaipėda University, Lithuania have conducted a unique scientific study that revealed the importance of natural resources in combating stress and ageing. The study documented impressive transformations in participants' well-being - decreased stress, anxiety, depression, and fatigue, along with improvements in skin appearance, increased energy, better sleep, reduced pain, decreased biological age, and enhanced other health indicators.  Researchers conducting the study confirmed that natural...

UAB Eglės sanatorija –Lithuania emerged as the winner in the Innovative Medical Spa category at the ESPA Innovation Awards 2023, owing to its groundbreaking mobile app designed for the mutual benefit of patients and the clinic. The app facilitates seamless self-registration upon arrival, providing patients with instant access to their schedules and any potential changes related to treatments or other services via their smartphones. We...

The municipality of Noordwijk wants everyone to be able to enjoy the 13-kilometre-long sandy beach, including people with disabilities. They want everyone to have the personal and contributing elements to their health and vitality of the seaside resort. Beach chairs are available at five locations on the Noordwijk beach. These beach wheelchairs can be reserved for free. A beach caterpillar is also available. There...

Romania is blessed with a varied and at the same time unitary relief, in which the proportionality of the three characteristic forms is noticeable: mountains 34%, hills 35%, plains and meadows 31%, arranged in an amphitheater against the Carpathian arch that surrounds the great interior depression of Transylvania and, gradually, decrease in altitude towards the periphery. The location along the 45th parallel gives its...