EFA

EFA is the voice of over 200 million people living with allergy, asthma and COPD patients in Europe and is represented in numerous official bodies, organisations and initiatives related to our work pillars Inform Prevent Care, and our disease areas, allergy, asthma and COPD. 

EFA develops and promotes long-term partnerships with healthcare professionals, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the academia and scientific research community and industry. Strong partnerships provide EFA with additional approaches and resources to bring the patients’ voice further. 

EFA is in official relations with the most relevant public entities to our disease areas: 

		Eligible Patient and Consumer Organisation and Member of the European Medicines Agency Patients' and Consumers' Working Party (EMA PCWP) since 2013, represented by former Vice-President Erna Botjes and Isabel Proaño.
		Registered Stakeholder under the Environmental/Health NGOs and Advocacy groups category of the European Food Security Authority (EFSA) since 2017, represented by former Vice-President Erna Botjes and Panagiotis Chaslaridis. Since 2020, EFA is also Observer to the EFSA Working Group on Allergenicity assessment of GM plants.
		Accredited Stakeholder Organisation to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) since 2017, represented by Panagiotis Chaslaridis.
		Accredited non-state-actor to the World Health Organisation’ Regional Committee for Europe (WHO-RCE) since 2017, represented by Director Susanna Palkonen.
		Founding Member of the 2006 World Health Organisation Global Alliance Against Respiratory Diseases (GARD), a voluntary alliance of organizations, institutions and agencies working towards a common vision to improve global lung health according to local needs. EFA is presented by Past President Mikaela Odemyr.
		Observer since 2019 in the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) Codex Alimentarius Committee, the international body drafting standards, guidelines and codes of practice relating to food safety. EFA is followingthe work of the Commission’s Committee on Food Labelling (including an active role in its allergen labelling electronic Working Group)and the Committee on Food Hygiene. At the Codex level EFA is represented by its members Sabine Schnadt and Marcia Podestà.

EFA is member of various independent, non-for-profit, international organisations and initiatives: 

		Full and founding Member to the European Patients’ Forum (EPF, Susanna Palkonen Vice-President 2006-2007, Board Member, 2007-2017). EPF is leading voice of patient organisations in Europe, working to advance the interests of patients and patients’ communities throughout Europe. EFA is part of the EPF Digital Health Working Group.
		The Patient Access Partnership (PACT) is a patient-led network that focuses on innovative ways to improve healthcare accessin the EU. Our Director Susanna Palkonen is the Chair since 2019.
		Full Member, under European and International Networks category, of the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) Director of Policy and Communications Isabel Proaño is an Executive Committee Board Member 2016-Ongoing. HEAL addresses how the environment affects human health in the European Union and beyond.
		Associate Member and Partner, under the category Specialised Network Representatives, of the European Network for Tobacco Control and Tobacco Control (ENSP) since 2005, represented by Panagiotis Chaslaridis. ENSP aims to create greater coherence among smoking prevention activities and to promote comprehensive tobacco control policies at both national and European levels.
		EFA is a member of the European Lung Foundation Patient Advisory Committee, and Chair of the Committee with Past EFA Preisdent Mikaela Odemyr (elected in 2020).The Committee provides guidance and support to ELF in order to integrate the patient voice within the European Respiratory Society (ERS) activities. EFA is a member of the Patient Advisory Groups on Asthma and COVID-19. ELF is a Foundation of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) to bring together patients and the public with respiratory professionals to positively influence lung health.
		Member of the EU4Health Civil Society Alliance (EU4Health CSA), launched as a campaign in 2017, represented by Panagiotis Chaslaridis. EU4Health CSA brings together organisations that share the vision of a Europe where all people are as healthy as they can be throughout their lives.
		Member of GA²LEN, a network of the leading European clinical and research facilities in allergology and asthma. GA²LEN addresses the growing public health concern of allergic diseases.
		Member, as an international organisation, of the Global Allergy and Airways Patient’s Platform (GAAPP). GAAPP is the global network to empower patients with allergies, asthma, atopic eczema and urticaria.
		Associate Member to the International Alliance of Dermatology Patients Organisations (IADPO/Global Skin) in 2019. Panagiotis Chaslaridis represents EFA in the Atopic Eczema Advocacy Group. IADPO is a global alliance working to improve the lives of those affected by dermatological conditions throughout the world.

EFA works very closely with medical and healthcare professional associations:

		The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) is an association of health professionals, dedicated to improving the health of people affected by allergic diseases. EFA is a member of the EAACI Patients Organisation Committee (POC) which acts as the Patients reference body in Allergology, promoting patient-centred healthcare in the specialty and participates in numerous EAACI taskforces.
		The European Respiratory Society (ERS) is a leading international organisation of healthcare professionals, scientists and other experts working in respiratory medicine and long-term partner of EFA. EFA's Projects and Engagement Officer Markaya Henderson represents EFA in the SHARP-COVID project.
		The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) raises awareness of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) around the world to improve prevention and treatment of this lung disease.
		The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) is a global organisation that works with patient advisors, health care professionals and public health officials to reduce asthma prevalence, morbidity, and mortality. EFA Past President Mikaela Odemyr and Director Susanna Palkonen are GINA advocates.
		The International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) is a clinically-led non-profit organisation. It focuses on research and education to improve prevention, diagnosis and care of respiratory diseases and is long term partner of EFA.
		The Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union (PGEU) represents community pharmacies in European health systems.
		HOPE, the European Hospital and Healthcare Federation, is a European non-profit organisation, representing healthcare associations and providers. HOPE’s mission is to improve healthcare and create a high standard of hospital care, enforced by the European Union.

EFA also enjoys partnerships with a variety of other organisations with expertise in a range of areas, including all partnerships established in the context of EU-funded projects:

		The European Human Exposome Network(EHEN) is a collaboration between 9 EU-funded research projects. studying the impact assessment of the totality of environmental exposure on human health. EFA is represented by Panagiotis Chaslaridisis member of the Human Exposome Network Advisory Board for 2020 –2024, an entity developed next to EHEN to oversee its activities and facilitate links to relevant stakeholder communities, and dissemination channels.
		The BBMRI-ERIC is a European research infrastructure for biobanking that includes the main players from the biobanking field – researchers, biobankers, industry, and patients – to boost biomedical research. EFA is member of the Stakeholder Forum represented by Isabel Proaño.
		AutoPollen (Automatic Pollen Detection Network) is a programme run under the auspices of EUMETNET, the network of European national meteorological services. The programme aims to establish a prototype real-time pollen monitoring network across Europe. EFA participates in the project to help defining the end-user needs, the development of new pollen monitoring products, and the assessment thereof.
		The Human Biomonitoring for Europe (HBM4EU) is a collaboration of 30 European countries, the European Environment Committee and the European Commission aimed at advancing human biomonitoring in Europe. The project generates evidence of the actual exposure of citizens to chemicals and the possible health effects in order to support policy making. EFA is a member of HBM4EU Stakeholder Forum, represented by Panagiotis Chaslaridis.
		The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) is a public-private partnership (PPP)between the European Commission, and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). IMI is the world biggest PPP in life science. EFA has been part of several IMI projects funded, ensuring that the patients’ perspective is entailed in research studies. Currently EFA is part of twohigh-end IMI funded projects, 3TR (asthma and COPD) and ImmUniverse (atopic eczema). In the past, EFA has been part of U-BIOPRED (asthma).

Finally, EFA has partnered with many international organisations and initiatives:

		The European Aerobiology Society (EAS) is an international platform made of experts from at least 28 countries. EAS works towards the advancement of knowledge of aerobiology, to better human and natural well-being.
		The International Ragweed Society(IRS) consists of researchers who study the properties and harmful effects of the common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) plant, which is a leading cause of pollen-related allergies in North America and Europe.
		The European Health Parliament (EHP) connects 60 young professionals each year who represent all healthcare sectors to address the EU’s most pressing health issues and policies.
		The European Health Forum Gastein(EHFG) is an independent organisation, founded as a European health policy conference. It provides a neutral platform for the discussion and advancement of health policy in the EU and beyond.