EFA

The European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA) is pleased to invite you to the “Raising the standards of care for COPD in Europe” event, taking place on 5 February 2025 at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium.

Following the publication of the 2024 report “Raising the bar for better standards of care for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease”, this event will be an opportunity to reflect on the progress and challenges in COPD care and prevention. There will be a discussion on how to place COPD at the forefront of health agendas, to effectively address it as a crucial healthcare and sustainability issue.

We look forward to seeing you in Brussels!

When: 5 February 2025, 13:30 - 15:30 PM

Where: European Parliament, Room Room Spaak (PHS) 4B1, Brussels, Belgium

More information and registration here 

List of speakers here

We are pleased to invite you to the 2025 EFA Annual General Meeting and Community Meeting, taking place from 24-26 March 2025 in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

This year, we are excited to collaborate with our Slovenian member organisation, Društvo Atopijski Dermatitis. The programme has been developed with the new Community Meeting Committee dedicated to this event. The AGM business session will be available in a hybrid format for those who cannot or prefer not to travel.

• Discover more about the event and practical information
• EFA Community programme
• Register here

We look forward to seeing you in Ljubljana!

When: 24 March – 26 March 2025

Where: City Hotel Ljubljana, Dalmatinova 15, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

As a partner of the EU Horizon research project SynAir-G, EFA is excited to invite you to the second hybrid workshop of SynAir-G Workshop Series on 7 October 2024.

The workshop series aim to shed light on the importance of indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools for children's well-being and safety, as well as possible applications in Research and Development. In the second episode, "Improving Indoor Air Quality: SynAir-G Innovations and Policy Impact", project partners will tackle the challenging task of translating scientific findings into practical applications.The main discussion will focus on the role of EU policies in reducing air pollutants in Europe, the status of IAQ national strategies in Greek schools, and present the preliminary results and innovative methodologies of the SynAir-G project. Learn more about the event here. 

Discover the agenda and register here (in person and online) 

Limited numbers of spots available to attend in person. 

Join our Meet & Greet with the EU training session, taking place online on 23 April 2024.

EFA will host an online Meet & Greet with the EU training on ‘Patient involvement in clinical development: practical implications for meaningful engagement’, aiming at facilitating patients’ access to research and clinical trials as well as providing the EFA Members community with practical knowledge on the new EU guidance on Good Lay Summaries.

Stay tuned to expand your knowledge on patient engagement in research by learning more about the latest trends and practical skills. 

IMPORTANT: The event is reserved for EFA Members, other patient organisations representing those living with respiratory or allergic diseases, EFA European Allergy and Asthma Youth Parliament members.

Register here and download the agenda

It is a pleasure to invite you to the 2024 EFA Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Community Meeting to take place on 8-9 April 2024 in Stockholm, Sweden. 

This year we are glad to collaborate with our Swedish Member organisations, Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association and Swedish Heart and Lung Association. The Programme is developed in close collaboration with Community Meeting Committee and will be shared with you soon. AGM business session will be available in a hybrid format for those who cannot attend in person.

IMPORTANT: Registrations for in person participants are open until 11 March 2024 18:00 CET and for online participants until 5 April 2024 23:59 CET. 

• Download the agenda
• Discover the practical information here
• Register here

In the EU, 1 in 8 deaths are caused by lung diseases, and numbers are rising. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the EU and Member States towards more coordinated action on health, primarily focused on crisis prevention and preparedness, while the EU’s ambition of a European Health Union has brought to the forefront the many EU instruments to protect public health and advance health outcomes. 

The MEP Lung Health Group will host the presentation of the new publication, “#KeepBreathing: A vision for EU action on lung health 2024-2029”. Panellists and participants will discuss avenues for a sustained, focused and achievable EU action to improve lung health and respiratory disease care in Europe. Download the agenda here. 

Meet our speakers: 

Eva Polverino, Director of Scientific Relations with the EU European Respiratory Society (ERS)

Marcia Podestà, President European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA)

MEP Tomislav Sokol (Croatia/EPP) - Co-Chair of MEP Lung Health Group, (Croatia, EPP)

MEP Radka Maxová (Czechia/S&D)

MEP Stelios Kympouropoulos (Greece/EPP)

Online | 21 February 2024 | Register here

The management of asthma requires understanding the underlying conditions, knowledge about specific triggers, recognition of symptoms/signs and a tailored treatment. Asthma control remains relatively poor in Europe and across the world, and patients do not always have access to sufficiently accurate educational resources to help managing the disease.

This webinar is the occasion to discuss the importance of asthma health literacy and of having access to scientifically validated information designed and written for asthma patients and families.

EFA, in collaboration with GAAPP, the Global Allergy and Airways Patients Platform, and the whole European asthma patient community, launched an initiative aimed at creating a patients’ hub where asthma patients and their families can access trustful information developed with and for the patients, to better understand and improve the daily management of the disease, hence their quality of life.

AboutAsthma.org contains information to increase the knowledge of the disease, therefore empowering asthma patients and their families, towards enabling taking an active role in the management of asthma. Increasing knowledge also helps improving communication between doctors and patients, as well as avoiding misconception and mistrust.

SHARING IS CARING: EXCHANGING KNOWLEDGE ON ASTHMA CARE

Live webinar on 26^th October 2023 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm CEST

Registration page

EFA and SynAir-G are excited to invite you to the first hybrid workshop of SynAir-G Series: Improving indoor air quality for healthier children!

The series aim to introduce and discuss the latest achievements of the SynAir-G project and shed light on the importance of indoor air quality in schools, its impact on children wellbeing, and possible applications in Research and Development with the ultimate objective to raise awareness on the importance of improving the quality of indoor air and ensure safer environment for children.

In the first episode “Indoor air quality in schools: impact on children wellbeing and the role of research”, we will focus on the current status of indoor air quality in schools across Europe and explore challenges and needs at local level. The main discussion will revolve around the  impact of indoor air pollution on children health and learning, especially when detected in schools. The episode will round off with a stimulating discussion on how to innovate devices and services in the school sector through participatory approaches.  

The event will gather prominent speakers and experts in the field including representatives from researchers, healthcare professionals, patients and local authorities that will share their experience, knowledge and perspectives.  

WHEN: 9 October 2023, 10:00 -12:00 CEST  

WHERE: In person (Montpellier, Faculty of Medicines of the University of Montpellier-Nimes) & Online (Zoom)

• Register HERE 

• Download the agenda HERE   

Limited numbers of spots available to attend in person. 

It is a pleasure to invite you to the 2023 EFA Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Community Members’ Meeting to take place from 27-28 April in Ghent, Belgium. 

This year we are glad to collaborate with Erika Colen and Karen Vande Casteele from our Belgian member organisation, Asthma-en Allergiekoeppel vzw. 

Programme development is ongoing working closely with the new Members’ Meeting Committee dedicated for this meeting. For the moment we can share with you that we anticipate a 1.5-day programme, with a full day of activities on the 27th. Moreover, the AGM business session will be available in a hybrid format for those who cannot or do not wish to travel.

• Discover about Ghent and other practical information here .
• Discover the meeting programme here.
• Register here

EFA, supported by the European Lung Foundation ELF conducted a survey among EFA membership and the wider asthma patient association community to identify information on the asthma patient education materials available across Europe and wider. During the workshop we will discuss the results, best practices, and reflect on what is available for patients, identify the gaps in the current education material available to asthma patients and provide Patient Organisations useful data to entail discussions with national scientific societies to advocate for the implementation of the existing guidelines and for the improvement of asthma patients educational resources, to ensure that patients are better supported and empowered across their care.

Discover the workshop programme and register here.