Innovation

[2013 Patients’ Rights Day] Putting patients in the driver’s seat

On the occasion of 2013 Patients’ Rights Day (May 15) EPHA would like to stress that, although much progress has been made, there is still a lot of scope for health systems to benefit from an obvious, yet commonly underutilized and underestimated resource: patients themselves. As patients and consumers of health services - and we all fall into this category throughout our lives - we build up an enormous amount of knowledge over the years that takes various forms. Some individuals, (...)

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Also about: Health Rights and Patients , Healthcare services , Health Inequalities , public health , patient rights , health system , Health-promoting environment , health economics

[EPHA Briefing] Access to Medicines in Europe in Times of Austerity

When discussing the topic of access to medicines in the context of the economic crisis we have to consider three determinants: affordability and availability, in terms of access to medicines, and innovation in terms of developing new methods of assuring best possible health outcomes. AFFORDABILILTY Usually, health expenditures are mostly covered by public funding and supplemented by private spending. The economic crisis has forced public expending to be cut making patient co-payment (...)

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Also about: Access to Medicines , Pharmaceuticals and Medicines , Research , Economic crisis , technology , equality , Austerity

Policy responses to the economic crisis – a shift towards investing in health?

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Also about: EU Institutions , Civil Society , Access to Medicines , Economic crisis , financial , patient rights , economic policies , health system , council of the european union

Medical Devices at EU Socialists & Democrats Workshop: an evolving debate

On 19 March 2013 a workshop on medical devices took place in the European Parliament to continue discussions over the legislative proposal presented by the European Commission in September 2012. The workshop was organised by the S&D Group (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament) and was chaired by the Rapporteur for the Medical Devices report, Dagmar Roth-Behrendt MEP (Germany, S&D). The discussion over the two proposals on Medical (...)

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Also about: Health professionals , Research , Patient safety , technology , medical devices , patient rights

European Parliament Civil Liberties Committee discusses amendments to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

The European Parliament’s committee for Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) held a discussion on Wednesday 20 March 2013 on the amendments submitted to the General Data Protection Regulation. The discussion was held in the presence of the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), Peter Hustinx, and the chairman of the Article 29 Working Party, Jakob Kohnstamm. Jan Albrecht MEP (Greens/EFA, Germany), rapporteur of the file, opened discussions by informing the Committee (...)

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Also about: Pharmaceuticals and Medicines , Research , Patient safety , technology , patient rights , data protection

[EPT] Fund for European Aid - European Fund - Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (updated on 18 March)

Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived The European Commission (DG Employment) has proposed to set up a European Aid Fund to help the most deprived persons in the EU. A successor to the Food Aid to the Most Deprived, this new Fund would support member state schemes not only by providing food aid to the most deprived people, but also clothing and other essential goods to homeless people and materially-deprived children (such as shoes, soap and shampoo). The proposal is yet to be (...)

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Also about: EU Institutions , Civil Society , Sustainable Development , CAP reform , Research , poverty and health , food safety , vulnerable groups , farmers , prevention , council of the european union , EU funds , Europe 2020 , social policy , agriculture , food security , social determinants of health , Children health

UK Chief Medical Officer warns of danger of Antimicrobial Resistance

The threat posed by growing antimicrobial resistance (AMR), should be considered as serious as terrorism, according to the UK’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Professor Dame Sally Davies. In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, Professor Davies urged the British government to raise the issue at the upcoming G8 Summit and warned that AMR poses a ’catastrophic threat’ to the population. Mirroring comments made by the WHO, she added that, unless concrete steps are taken (...)

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Also about: Pharmaceuticals and Medicines , Patient safety , patient rights , antibiotic , Health-promoting environment , Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

[EPHA Recommendations] Public health priorities towards Horizon 2020

Negotiations among EU Institutions are about to begin on the future research programme after the adoption of the partial general approach by the Competitiveness Council and the report by the Industry, Research and Enegery Committee in the Parliament. EPHA highlights seven ways in which EU leaders can ensure that investing research and innovation brings the greatest possible advancements in health and science, while creating accessible public goods. In its policy document, EPHA provides (...)

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Also about: Civil Society , Research , technology , EU budget , global health , data protection

[EPHA Statement] General Data Protection Regulation & Implications for Health Research

Data for health research must remain available for the benefit of society as a whole, whilst respecting the rights of the individual. 27 February, Brussels - The European Commission proposal for a regulation concerning data protection, released in January 2013, contains a number of exemptions and provisions crucial to facilitating vital health research within a framework of individual rights and protections. The public health community welcomed the proposal and its recognition of the (...)

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Also about: Cross Border Healthcare Directive , eHealth , health literacy , technology , patient rights , Health in all policies , cross-border , health system , Fundamental Rights

Collaboration between Medicine Patent Pool and ViiV Healthcare will increase access to HIV medicines

On 27 February, the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) presented the position on innovative Paediatric Collaboration between the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and ViiV Healthcare. The agreement will facilitate and increase the provision of HIV medicines for children in a whole world. The European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) supports the collaboration between Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and ViiV Healthcare. The license for paediatric formulations of the antiretroviral medicine abacavir (...)

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Also about: Access to Medicines , Pharmaceuticals and Medicines , Health Rights and Patients , HIV/AIDS , Patient safety , patient rights , Children health