The University of Malta, through its Faculty of Medicine & Surgery, proudly hosted the Annual Meeting of the Horizon Europe RAPIDE Project between 19 and 20 May 2025 at the University’s historic Valletta Campus.
— Regular and Unplanned Care Adaptive Dashboard for Cross-Border Emergencies — is a pan-European research project that seeks to strengthen health system preparedness and resilience in times of crisis. The project aims to improve care delivery through smart reconfiguration of services, including the relocation of care from hospitals to community and home settings, without compromising quality or equity.
The Malta meeting brought together partners from across Europe for two intensive days of collaboration, reporting, and forward planning. The event was officially opened by Prof. Joseph Cacciottolo, Pro-Rector for Academic Affairs, who welcomed attendees and underlined the University’s commitment to impactful international research and health innovation.
The meeting featured presentations from all work packages, with fruitful discussions confirming that the project is well on track with its objectives and milestones. Discussions focused on two core challenges:
- Predicting which care and how much care needs to be shifted along the care chain during health emergencies.
- Identifying feasible, effective, and acceptable strategies to make such care reconfiguration a reality.
These aims will be achieved through innovative resource modelling, patient flow optimisation, and the use of digital tools — all co-designed with key stakeholders and validated through extensive dissemination and a dedicated Table Top Exercise.
The local RAPIDE team is led by the Faculty of Medicine & Surgery with Dr Sarah Cuschieri as Principal Investigator, together with Prof. Julian Mamo and Mr Andrea Cuschieri. The University of Malta plays a central role in work related to stakeholder engagement and communication.
Following a productive first day and a successful networking dinner, the meeting concluded with deep-dives into specific tasks and planning for upcoming deliverables. Participants left Malta with strengthened partnerships and clear direction for the next phases of the project.
RAPIDE is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Programme.
More information about the project is available .
