Live debate: What lessons can Europe learn from the COVID pandemic?

euronews.com:

It's been more than two years since the COVID-19 pandemic upended society as we know it, forcing governments to rethink the importance of health policy.

While the virus is still present, much of the world has tried to move on, even as infections and hospitalisations continue to rise and fall.

Europe quickly became one of the early epicentres of the pandemic in 2020, with Italy the second country to implement strict lockdown measures after China, and so the European Union took centre-stage to help member states with the fallout.

But the bloc also faced criticism over member states' unilateral actions to close borders and the EU's early struggle in the vaccine rollout.

So what can we learn from these past years of living with COVID-19 and how can that help us to be healthier in the future?

These are the key questions that Euronews will address in a debate on 29th June in association with the European Health Parliament initiative entitled European Health Policy – recommendations for a healthier future.

Alongside guests from European institutions and civil society, we will look at the lessons learned from the pandemic and the challenges of transforming the healthcare system for the better.

Watch the debate in the video player above on 29 June at 3:30 pm.

One main theme is the impact that COVID-19 played on mental health and other illnesses.

In the first year of the pandemic, for instance, the prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25%, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

One of the major factors, the WHO said, was the increase in stress due to social isolation during multiple lockdowns across the world. Young people were among the worst impacted by the stress of the pandemic.

The disease also caused disruptions