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EFA COPD Project – Minimum Standards for COPD Care for Europe! In May, EFA office finalised the new questionnaire outlining the guidelines for minimum standardisation of care for COPD patients in Europe. The questionnaire was sent to all EFA members representing COPD patients who are kindly asked to complete the survey for final evaluation. Our partners ERS, Almirall, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi and Novartis can support EFA members on national

Finland’s position on TPD in favour of strengthening provision The Finnish Allergy and Asthma Federation succeeded in stirring the Finnish government into adopting a general position on the Tobacco Product Directive proposed by the European Commission in December 2012. Following a letter sent by the director of the association Ilkka Repo, the Finnish government prepared a position paper for the Finnish Parliament and declared that their position

EFA COPD Project – Minimum Standards for COPD Care for Europe! In May, EFA office finalised the new questionnaire outlining the guidelines for minimum standardisation of care for COPD patients in Europe. The questionnaire was sent to all EFA members representing COPD patients who are kindly asked to complete the survey for final evaluation. Our partners ERS, Almirall, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi and Novartis can support EFA members on national

Amendments to the proposed Tobacco Product Directive tabled More than 1360 amendments to the new Tobacco Product Directive, which is currently being discussed at the European Parliament, were tabled in May 2013. EFA is going to have a look at all of them and advocate for those which will help to put people off smoking and relieve the burden for patients already suffering from respiratory diseases. Amendments were discussed on May 30 at the ENVI Committee

Tobacco Product Directive On May 30 the ENVI Committee discussed amendments to the proposed Tobacco Product Directive, which is currently being discussed at the European Parliament. More than 1360 amendments were tabled and EFA is going to have a look at all of them and advocate for those which will help to put people off smoking and relieve the burden for patients already suffering from respiratory diseases. The proposal was also discussed at the

Impact of the economic crisis on EU citizens’ access to medicines Can EU citizens afford their medicines? That was the main topic of a full-day event organised by the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) at the European Parliament on May 16. The conference hosted by MEP Alejandro Cercas “Can EU citizens afford their medicines? The economic crisis and access to medicines in Europe” attracted several stakeholders, policy-makers and patients’

EFA hands over its Allergy Alert Paper On the World Asthma Day of May 7, 2013 the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patient’s Associations (EFA) handed over an Allergy Alert Paper to the European Commission and the ENVI Committee of the European Parliament. This paper prepared together with the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) and Allergic Rhinitis

The European Health Report 2012 The European Health report 2012 describing the overall improvements in health in the WHO European region has now been made available on-line. The general report, published every three years, aims to support and provide the evidence base for the strategic objectives and priorities of Health 2020, the new European policy framework to support actions across government and society for health and wellbeing, endorsed in

EFA Funding Partners Meeting Our funding partners meeting also took place on the 11 March at EFA Office in Brussels. Every year, EFA invites its funders in a transparent way to meet with the EFA team and the board and discuss progress. For EFA, its also an opportunity to hear from sponsors on their views on supporting EFA in our mission. EFA sincerely thanks all our funding partners for their contribution into our core as well as project funding

Longfonds contribution to patients’ involvement in research EFA member Longfonds featured in article from an international medical journal for its efforts in a government initiative aiming to empower patient participation within lung research. The unique study uses case studies to demonstrate the added value patients provide to research projects when their input is valued and integrated successfully. In a special issue on Asthma Research this month

  EU Air Quality cover photo courtesy of: Francois De Ribaucourt www.deribaucourt.com EFA contributes to newly published HEAL report on how coal is affecting health The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), of which EFA is a member, launched a report in March entitled ‘The Unpaid Health Bill: how coal power plants make up sick’, showing the negative impact air pollution, and in particular emissions from coal power plants, have on health.