February 2011 Issue

EFA News: Reminder! EFA AGM and Network Meeting in Paris on May 6th & 7th

EFA’s next annual general meeting will take place on the 6th of May in Paris, and will be followed by a networking meeting on the 7th of May. On the first day EFA members will have the opportunity to give input about EFA policies and activities to better serve the interests of people with allergy, asthma and COPD and improve services for members. They will also be able to vote on key issues. The networking day will be dedicated to sharing information on projects, policies and practices at national level, and discussion with colleagues from across Europe. It willalso be an opportunity for the EFA working groups to meet face-to-face to exchange information and ideas. All EFA members are invited to contact the EFA office before the 25th of March if they would like to give a presentation during the network meeting or propose a theme for discussion. It will be a particularly special AGM asEFA will also be celebrating its 20th anniversary.All patient groups who are not yet EFA members can attend as observers, and those who have contacted us for membership before the AGM are also welcome. The draft programmes are available from the EFA Office, please contact: info@efanet.org

Marianella Salapatas, EFA President

EFA News: Announcing the EFA Allergy Awareness Project

EFA has started to work on the 'EFA Allergy Awareness Project', an initiative to raise awareness of respiratory allergies as serious and chronic diseases. The project will highlight the need for action on respiratory allergy and call, among other things, for early diagnosis, the development of appropriate management and control strategies and the promotion of prevention policies. For 2011, the project will focus on the development of a survey to be sent to EFA members examining issues such as training, prevention and current awareness of respiratory allergy. The results will then be used to produce an EFA book on respiratory allergy. EFA hopes to hold an event in the European Parliament later in the year, and produce a 'Call to Action' on respiratory allergy for European policy-makers. We invite all EFA members to appoint a key contact person to fill in the survey, which will be distributed by mid March. Please contact Antje Fink-Wagner for further information antje.finkwagner@efanet.org.

EFA News: EFA COPD Project follow-up

After EFA's 'Call to Action' on COPD in the European Parliament in 2010 and the successful launch of the EFA Book on COPD in Europe , plans are now underway for a follow-up project to begin this year. Two workshops on the theme of COPD in Europe are planned to take place in the European Parliament, and will involve patients, political actors, policy-makers and medical and other experts. It is hoped that the workshops will focus on key priorities for treating, preventing and raising awareness of COPD as a chronic and widespread disease, and that an 'Own Initiative Report' of the European Parliament - a document which requests action from the European Commission - will be produced. EFA will be keeping its members up to date on the project as it progresses. Please contact Antje Fink-Wagner for further information antje.finkwagner@efanet.org.

EFA News: Why do asthma symptoms persist? PreDicta Project seeks the answer

The PreDicta Project, a collaborative EC-funded project in which EFA will act as a communication partner, has been launched. The first meeting was held in Athens in October 2010. According to the project leaders, it will endeavour to answer one simple but unanswered question: Why do asthma symptoms persist? Instead of examining the symptoms, however, the PreDicta Project will investigate what possible causative factors there are in respiratory allergies, in the hope of being able to more accurately predict the predisposing risk factors and ultimately allow these to be targeted in place of symptoms. The project will last for five years and involve 14 academic and industrial research partners from 9 European countries. For more information: PreDicta project summary; Website; YouTube video

EFA News: EFA speaks at EC Workshop on skin allergies and research

On the 9th of February in Brussels, EFA Executive Officer Susanna Palkonen spoke at an informal workshop organized by the European Commission on the theme of ‘Skin Allergies and Research’. The purpose of the workshop and was to present research findings and hear researchers and patients' point of view in the hope of informing the EU research agenda in the future. Various research findings on skin reactions to chemicals and other risk factors were presented, and Susanna spoke about the experience of living with skin allergy. She also explained how many EFA members have taken things into their own hands by developing ‘quality seals’ for products that most people with allergy and asthma can use. The meeting was followed by a discussion and an exchange of ideas on what future research priorities should be and the best way to proceed. The minutes of the meetings together with presentations will be available at the EC website soon and we will include the link in our next eZine. For more information: EFA Presentation: Living with Skin Allergies

EU News: Information Day & Brokerage Event on FP7 health research, 9 & 10 June, Brussels

The 7th Framework Programme (FP7), the EU's main instrument for funding research in Europe, will publish its Work Progamme for 2012 in July this year. In the lead-up to this, the European Commission is organising an Open Information Day to provide an overview of what the health research priorities for 2012 will be. The Information Day will take place on the 9th of June in Brussels, and will be followed by Partnering Activities Day on the 10th. Patient organisation will be able to gain information on participating in EU funded health research projects, communicating EU research findings and furthering international cooperation in the area. Further details on the programme and how to register will be available here soon.

EU News: ENSP's guide to European trends in smoke free provisions

ENSP, the European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention, has compiled a document summarising the state of play in different European countries regarding smoke free measures. The document can be viewed here, and provides a valuable source of continuously updated information on the main legislative trends across Europe.

EU News: New EU video on cross-border healthcare

A new video on cross-border healthcare - EU patients receiving treatment in member statesother than their own - has been produced. The video can be found, along with others, on the website healthclips.eu. This site provides an overview of video material produced in Europe for various public health campaigns. For more information on EU cross-border healthcare see December and January eZine issues.

OtherNews: WHO selects its "Framework Convention on Tobacco Control" as theme of next World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2011

In force since 2005, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is a treaty that reaffirms people's right to live in a healthy and tobacco free environment by aiming to strengthen tobacco control. It has been one of the most widely and rapidly embraced treaties ever, with more than 170 Parties (or countries) signing up so far. This year, WHO has chosen the FCTC as the theme of World No Tobacco Day 2011. On this day and throughout the following year, WHO will draw attention to the treaty's importance, and highlight the responsibility of the signatory Parties to control the global epidemic of tobacco use.

OtherNews: Poorly educated not given enough support from smoking quitlines

Research on smoking 'quitlines' - telephone counselling services that support people trying to give up smoking - in 7 European countries has found that people with lower levels of education do not receive the same levels of support from these services as others do. According to the findings, the length of calls for lower-educated smokers was less than that for other callers. Quitlines say that more highly-educated people tend to seek more detailed information, which may account for the differences in call timing. Researchers, however, have advised services to improve their counsellor training so that better support on smoking cessation can be provided to the less well educated. More information

EFA is looking for EU policy and project intern

The EU policy and project intern at EFA supports our EU advocacy and project work through researching and analyzing EU policy, drafting policy and campaign documents and taking part in delivering patient perspective. As our EU policy and project assistant, the intern also supports EFA's internal and external communication and our EU projects and partnership projects, monitors EU policy that affects people with allergy, asthma and COPD and assists in project management. Financial remuneration is offered. Please contact Susanna Palkonen susanna.palkonen@efanet.org 32 476 373923