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In the last few years, many initiatives – both Institutional and grass-root ones – have been focusing on the patients’ right to avoid unnecessary suffering and chronic pain. At EU level, the EU Parliamentary Interest Group “Brain, Mind, Pain” is working hard to strengthen awareness and spread knowledge of this phenomenon at institutional level. The MEP Interest Group “European Patients’ Rights & Cross-Border Healthcare” also devoted its most recent meeting to the topic of the degree of patient’s pain, which was related to the implementation of the EU Directive on cross-border healthcare.
“Reducing waste and inefficiency in healthcare systems and increasing quality of patient care depends on collaboration… It requires active commitment from individual bodies, including Member States, European institutions, patients and health professionals”.
The words of the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitiswere the perfect conclusion of the tenth edition of the European Patients' Rights Day (EPRD), held on 4 May 2016in Brussels with the participation of leaders of civic and patient associations of 25 countries, representatives of the European Parliament and of the European Economic and Social Committee, as well as key stakeholders involvedon the topic at international level: European networks, doctors, managers and companies.
Article 38 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, approved in Nice in 2000 states that, "Union policies shall ensure a high level of consumer protection", confirming and strengthening to put consumers at the heart of the European policies. But it is only recently, with the implementation of the European Directive 83/2011/EU, that consumers have greater protection with regards to unfair trade practices throughout the internet.
Last week in the European Parliament, the Presidents of two parliamentarian groups have written to all the MEPs inviting them to take part of the new Interest Group on “European Patients' Rights and Cross-border Healthcare”, which Secretariat is led by the Representative office to the EU of Active Citizenship Network.
Civic societies and patient organizations together with Members of the EU Parliament strengthen the protection of patients’ rights in the European framework. This is the main message coming from the celebration of the IX Edition of the European Patients' Rights Day, organized as always by Active Citizenship Network, the EU branch of the Italian NGO Cittadinanzattiva and realized last 12th May at the EU Parliament.
Between a trip to Brussels to take the measurements of the office and another to buy the necessary furniture, the big day is coming up. The opening of Cittadinanzattiva’s representative office at the European Union in Brussels marks an important historical moment in the 37 years of our organization.
Active Citizenship Network along with patient and civic associations from within and outside the EU, are calling to all the European Institutions to bring to your attention on the institutionalisation of the European Patients’ Rights Day.
The recognition of Patients’ Rights across the European Union is due to an increasing demand from European citizens and we all know that the reinforcement of these rights will become effective only with the cooperation and commitment of all the stakeholders in each EU country.
As all of us well remember, during the Informal Meeting of European Health Ministries, held on September 22nd and 23rd 2014 in Milan, Ministers from the 28 EU member states reached a common position on the need to create a European network ensuring training of professionals in the sector and exchange of information on the effectiveness of therapies for the weakest population groups.
In order to respond to the growing challenges of our society such as the increasing incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases, how can the effectiveness of medical research and innovation be incentivized to ensure that there are adequate treatment options for patients? As stated in the EU Research and Innovation Programme (Horizon 2020)
In Italy the contributions of Cittadinanzattiva–Tribunal for patients’ rights “opened” the Report concerning Law no. 38/10 on “the right to not suffer” that Italian Ministry of Health realized for the Parliament. In a specular way, at European level, Cittadinanzattiva-Active Citizenship Network “closed” the report presented by the Italian Ministry of Health during the informal meeting of the 28 European Health Ministries held on September 22nd and 23rd 2014 in Milan in the context of the Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Cittadinanzattiva APS
p.iva: 02142701008
via Imera, 2
00183 Roma
Tel: (+39) 06.36.71.81
Fax: (+39) 06.36.71.83.33
Rue Philippe Le Bon, 46
1000 Brussels - Belgium
Tel: (+39) 3408465097
