Political advocacy is a vital tool for driving systemic change in healthcare, especially when addressing complex and widespread challenges like airway diseases. Advocacy serves as the bridge between the lived experiences of patients, the expertise of healthcare providers, and the policymaking arena where decisions are made.
EUFOREA believes advocacy is more than influencing policies—it is about giving a voice to underserved populations, empowering healthcare providers, and fostering collaborative solutions to create a more equitable and effective healthcare system. Through targeted campaigns, strategic partnerships, and active community engagement, we aim to prioritise airway disease management in political agendas and healthcare policies worldwide.
Together, we can shape policies that ensure early diagnosis, equitable access to treatment, and comprehensive care for all individuals living with airway diseases.
In 2021, the European Commission launched the ‘Healthier Together – EU non-communicable diseases (NCD) initiative’ to support EU countries in identifying and implementing effective policies and actions to reduce the burden of major non-communicable diseases, and to improve citizens’ health and well-being. Respiratory Diseases were one of five focus areas including: a) cardiovascular diseases, b) diabetes, c) chronic respiratory diseases, d) mental health and neurological disorders, and e) health determinants.
Each focus area of this initiative aims to address health inequity, support improved knowledge and data, diagnosis and treatment management, and improve patient’s quality of life. These EU-wide ambitions are at the heart of EUFOREA’s mission of ‘Raising the bar in Respiratory Care.’ EUFOREA takes a holistic approach in its programme development- including the representation of real patients in discussions with top medical experts as the organisation develops tools for use in clinical practice.
On 20th April 2022, EUFOREA celebrated the launch of the very first Global Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps (CRSwNP) Awareness Day at the European Parliament in Brussels. This campaign aimed:
Click here for more information about this yearly initiative!
The EUFOREA symposium took place in the main parliamentary chamber of the Maltese Parliament with the Prime Minister, The Honourable Leader of the opposition and prominent members of the parliament in attendance.
Key members of the medical community discussed and debated aligning a structured approach concerning the implementation of the role of digital technology in the transformation of healthcare and climate change. Digital and educational solutions were proposed to improve patient quality of life to agree on a consensus to formulate EUFOREA’s 2019 – 2020 Patient Educational Programme in Allergy and Airway Diseases ‘From Self-Assessment to Self-Management’.
Press Release by the Office of the Speaker - EUFOREA Malta Symposium 2019
The EUFOREA symposium took place in the main parliamentary chamber of the Maltese Parliament with the Prime Minister, The Honourable Leader of the opposition and prominent members of the parliament in attendance.
Key members of the medical community discussed and debated aligning a structured approach concerning the implementation of the role of digital technology in the transformation of healthcare and climate change. Digital and educational solutions were proposed to improve patient quality of life to agree on a consensus to formulate EUFOREA’s 2019 – 2020 Patient Educational Programme in Allergy and Airway Diseases ‘From Self-Assessment to Self-Management’.
Press Release by the Office of the Speaker - EUFOREA Malta Symposium 2019
Air pollution and climate change represent two major health threats of the 21st century. These threats particularly impact chronic respiratory and allergic diseases, but there is insufficient recognition of the problem. mHealth will represent a major improvement in the understanding and mitigation of air pollution.
The EU Summit in Vilnius followed a GARD General Meeting (Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases, WHO) held in Brussels (November 10, 2017) that already set the scene for the fight against air pollution using mHealth. The EU Summit 2018 has generated crucial concepts that will be further developed during follow-up meetings.
Click on the image to watch the interview with Vytenis Andriukaitis!
On March 29, 2017, a European Summit on the Prevention and Self-Management of Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRD) was organized by the European Forum for Research and Education in Allergy and Airway Diseases. The event took place in the European Parliament of Brussels and was hosted by MEP David Borrelli and MEP Sirpa Pietikainen. The Summit aimed to correspond to the needs of the European Commission and of patients suffering from CRD to join forces in Europe for prevention and self-management.
Delegates of the European Rhinologic Society, European Respiratory Society, European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, European Academy of Paediatrics, and European Patients Organisation EFA all lectured on their vision and action plan to join forces in achieving adequate prevention and self-management of CRD in the context of Precision Medicine. Recent data highlight the preventive capacity of education on optimal care pathways for CRD. Self-management and patient empowerment can be achieved by novel educational online materials and by novel mobile health tools enabling patients and doctors to monitor and optimally treat CRDs based on the level of control. This report summarises the contributions of the representatives of different European academic stakeholders in the field of CRD.
Read the full article here.
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