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, (...)

[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 (...)

[EPT] Medical devices - Regulation (recast) - Medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices (17 April 2013)

Medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices. The term “medical device” covers an extremely diverse range of healthcare instruments – from simple bandages and dressings to tongue depressors, medical thermometers and blood sugar meters to pacemakers and life-supporting products, as well as eHealth devices which communicate remotely. The medical devices industry constitutes a key sector for healthcare. It is one of the most dynamic sectors, improving and saving (...)

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

EPHA report expert workshop on future of public health research

On January, EPHA attended a workshop on the future of European public health research. This workshop was part of the on-going work of an Expert Group, whose purpose is to take stock of the benefits, challenges and limitations of EU-funded public health research. Among other goals, this event was aimed to assess the impact of Community funded research activities in the field of public health. Another objective of the workshop was to identify priorities for future research together with (...)

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 (...)

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 (...)

[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 (...)

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 (...)

[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 (...)