Welcome to the February edition of the EFA online newsletter!

Thank you very much to those of you who responded to our Call for News this month and we are delighted to be including two articles in this month's bulletin about EFA members' activities. You can find them clearly marked EFA Members' News in the titles below.
There is much news this month, including the fantastic news that UK MP's voted for a comprehensive smoking ban in all workplaces, restaurants and pubs by 2007 - many congratulations to the UK and we hope very much that the rest of Europe will follow suit!
Best wishes,

Svein-Erik Myrseth

EFA calls on MEPs to prioritize allergy, asthma and COPD in the FP7

On Wednesday 22 February, the European Parliament’s Environment Committee is due to vote on the European Commission Proposal for the EU 7th Framework Programme for Research and EFA has sent each member of the committee a letter outlining the impact of allergy, asthma and COPD on the everyday lives and mortality of people living in Europe and calling upon them prioritizing these diseases in the text. We will keep you informed on the results of the vote.

IPCRG and EFA submit comments to EMEA consultation for medicines used in children

On 19 January 2006, EFA and the International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) submitted comments to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) draft “Guideline on conduct of pharmacovigilance for medicines used by the paediatric population” outlining the danger of prescribing unlicensed medicines for children. We are particularly concerned about the small number of thorough dose-ranging studies in children with asthma of inhaled medicines, in allergic rhinitis and atopic eczema. The guideline is designed as preparatory work for the implementation of the proposed EU paediatric medicines regulation once it comes into force, since this also contains a number of provisions on pharmacovigilance (safety of medicines).
We will keep you informed of any feedback we receive.

EU Policy roundtable on 'Asthma Care in Europe - time for change'

EFA was invited to a Policy roundtable discussion on 24 January in the European Parliament. The roundtable was organised in conjunction with IPCRG. EFA is an associate member of the IPCRG which is an international network of primary care physicians. Although the content of the discussions were confidential, we can tell you that agenda items included: Asthma and the Paediatric Population; Patient Safety and Patient Information; European Initiatives to Improve Asthma Control and Treatment. EFA believes that open and informal discussion of this kind between policy makers and non-profit health and environmental advocates such as EFA is vital for future policy making and enlightens us as to what kind of information we need to be sharing with policy makers, between different policies and where to focus our attentions. We look forward to more discussions of this kind in future.

EFA Members' News: First Allergy Cookbook published by EFA member organization in Slovenia

The Pulmonary and Allergy Patients Association of Slovenia have published the first allergy cookbook in the style of the Belgian ‘Fondation pour la Prevention des Allergies’ (FPA)’s ‘Allergique et Gourmand’ publication. Each recipe is marked to show if it is without eggs,milk, soya, gluten.
The Pulmonary and Allergy Patients Association of Slovenia website is still under construction.To find out more, email: dpbs@siol.net.

EFA Members' News: 'Allergic people together' in Finland

Almost every other Finn is suffering from allergic symptoms in some stage of her/his life and EFA Member, the Finnish Allergy and Asthma Federation is holding a national information and event campaign entitled Allergic people together – half of Finns! during the year 2006. The objective is to improve the quality of life of those suffering from allergic diseases and asthma, to recruit new members, to strengthen local activities and get healthcare professionals to inform patients about services and actions of federation. During the campaign the federation and its associations will visit malls and other public places to speak to people directly about allergies.
For more information about the Allergy and Asthma Federation of Finland, go to: www.allergia.com

EU Public Health Call for Proposals 2006 launched

On 14 February the European Commission launched the Call for Proposals 2006 to implement the prioritiy actions defined in the Work Plan 2006 of the Public Health Programme (2003-2008). In addition to the 25 Member States of the European Union, the call is also open to participation from Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey and by the EFTA-EEA countries.
The deadline for submission of the proposals is 19 May 2006.
Further information

AFPRAL launches allergy logo for products
France's allergy prevention association is featured in this month's French consumer publication Que Choisir. Companies can apply for the “recommended by AFPRAL” logo if the Association Française pour la Prévention des Allergies who is EFA member considers a particular product, such as vacuum cleaner for example, safe for those with allergies. A second logo "Distingué par l'Afpral" is awarded to companies that have taken steps in favour of the prevention of allergies. For more information contact Marion Rollin rollin.marion@wanadoo.fr. Similar type of product collaboration is in place also in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway and the UK. The guiding aim is to improve the quality of life of people with allergy by endorsing safe products and influencing the market place for more.
Source: Que Choisir 424 February 2006

Victory for Health: UK workplaces to go smokefree!

On 15 February 2005, UK MPs voted in favour of comprehensive smokefree legislation covering all workplaces, including restaurants and pubs selling food. These will have to have a ban in place by summer 2007.
Source: www.globalink.org

Survey shows success of EU anti-smoking advertisements

The European Commission has published the results of a post-test exercise on their anti-smoking HELP campaign being run across Europe. The results, which cover general ‘liking’ of the campaign, its understanding and impact of the EU anti-tobacco television advertisements by over 25,000 young people in Europe. While the post-test results showed a good understanding (88%) of the messages behind the advertisements, with two-thirds of young non-smokers declared that the adverts could deter them from starting smoking, feedback from smokers showed that 61% said that the advertisements made them think about their smoking, and 64% responded that it made them think about the impact of their smoking around non-smokers.
Source: ENSP

Publication of the London Declaration for Patients for Patient Safety

8 February 2006 marked the publication of the London Declaration from Patients for Patient Safety following the WHO’s first Patients for Patient Safety workshop last year, which we mentioned to you in EFA’s first July 2005 ezine. The International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO) and Consumers Advancing Patient Safety (CAPS) commended the WHO on incorporating the patients’ voice in a meaningful way into the WHO World Alliance for Patient Safety and congratulated Patients for Patient Safety on its achievements to date.  Patients for Patient Safety is one of six action areas of the WHO World Alliance for Patient Safety.
Source: IAPO Press release

To Unsubscribe, please click here.