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Monthly Newsletter edited by Cittadinanzattiva-Active Citizenship Network
Civic Activism | Patients' Rights | Consumers' Rights | Support ACN


Year 3th, number 28 - April 2015
SPECIAL EDITION ON EUROPEAN PATIENTS’ RIGHTS DAY
Highlight

MAKE IT OFFICIAL!
Active Citizenship Network along with patient and civic associations from within and outside the EU, are calling to all the European Institutions to bring to your attention on the institutionalisation of the European Patients’ Rights Day.

The recognition of Patients’ Rights across the European Union is  due to an increasing demand from European citizens and we all know that the reinforcement of these rights will become effective only with the cooperation and commitment of all the stakeholders in each EU country.

Thus it is essential to increase awareness regarding the importance of patients’ rights and everyone’s responsibilities in guaranteeing their respect.

We believe that celebrating a European Patients’ Rights Day every year in all EU Member States would greatly contribute to this goal. This would be an excellent opportunity and an occasion to inform, discuss and make commitments to improve patients’ rights, which are included in the European Patients’ Rights Charter, in Europe and in each Member State.

For this reason, Active Citizenship Network together with a large number of patients and civil society organisations and relevant stakeholders across the European Union, has taken the initiative to organize since 2007 the European Patients’ Rights Day with events in more than 100 cities in 28 EU countries. Read more

Mariano Votta
Director of Active Citizenship Network

European Event

The 9th edition of the European Patients’ Rights Day will take place in Brussels at the European Parliament on 12 May 2015.
The topic of the event will be the sustainability of healthcare systems focusing on what concerns chronic diseases. In particular, on different but complementary aspects such as the responsibility of different actors involved in sustainable healthcare systems and the role of prevention and innovation. Read more

More information:
European Patients’ Rights Days, what has been done in the past editions

Europen Charter of Patients' Rights
The European Charter of Patients' Rights was drafted in 2002 by Active Citizenship Network in collaboration with 12 citizens' organizations from different EU countries. The European Charter of Patients' Rights states 14 patients' rights that together aim to guarantee a "high level of human health protection" (Article 35 of the Charter of fundamental rights of the European Union) and to assure the high quality of services provided by the various national health services in Europe.
The 14 rights are an embodiment of fundamental rights and as such, they must be recognized and respected in every country. They are correlated with duties and responsibilities that both citizens and healthcare stakeholders have to undertake. The Charter applies to all individuals, recognizing the fact that differences, such as age, gender, religion, socio-economic status etc., may influence individual health care needs. Read More

National Events

Italy: “Tour of Patients’ Rights” in 23 Cities
Promoted by Cittadinanzattiva-Tribunal for Patients' Rights, the “Tour of Rights” starts on 18 April 2015 and it will stop in 23 Italian cities. The Tour will strengthen and inform on patients’ rights, ranging from topics such as access and security to a healthy environment. This Tour will enforce the concept of the motto “so it doesn’t happen to others”, so as to reaffirm the dignity and centrality of a person. With this initiative the Court of Patients' Rights celebrates its 35 years of activity in Italy. For more information, send an email to: tourdeidiritti@cittadinanzattiva.it

France: A Video on Patients’ Rights in Cross-Border Healthcare
Next 18 April, CISS-Collectif Interassociatif Sur la Santé will organize communication campaigns on patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare. A 15-min video, a factsheet and
a press release will be produced to inform citizens and patients at national level. To know
more, click here

France: A Letter to the French MEPs to Support the European Patients’ Rights Day
On 18 April, the Federation of Private Hospitals in France, supported by the European Union of Private Hospitals, will send to all the French MEPs a letter in order to invite them to support the institutionalization of the European Patients’ Rights Day. Active Citizenship Network would like to thank the Federation of Private Hosipitals for this important endorsement! For further information, click here  (French version). 

Spain: eHealth Asturias
Active Citizenship Network will give an opening speech on the European Patients’ Rights Day for the “Las II Jornadas eSalud Asturias”,  the most important meeting in Spain among health professionals, professionals in new technologies, patients organizations and Health Informers.
At the heart of the debate will be the topic of the empowerment of patients, especially on e-health and new technologies.

The event will be held from 14-16 April with the support of the National Association of Health Informers en el Auditorio Palacio de Congresos de Oviedo (Asturias).  Read more (Spanish version)

Belgium: “My rights! My fight!”, Mobilization to Protect the Rights of Patients
On 17 April, the patients associations “LUSS-Ligue des Usagers des Services de Santé” and “Psytoyens”, a coordination of mental health patients, will take to the streets to raise awareness about the rights of patients.
The demonstration will be at the Brussels-Luxembourg train station and the objective is to raise awareness on the existence of the national law aimed to improve the dialogue between patients and health professionals.  Read more (French version)

News

Agreement between Active Citizenship Network and the Foro Español De Pacientes
For the 10th anniversary of the Spanish Patients Forum, celebrated on the last 17 March, Active Citizenship Network has signed a collaboration agreement with the Spanish Patients Forum, to promote in Europe and in South America the topic on  the protection of citizens’ and patients’ rights. To know more on the Spanish organization, click here (Spanish version)

Health First Europe Welcomes Active Citizenship Network  as a New Member
On April 8, Active Citizenship Network was officially recognized as a new member of Health First Europe, a non-profit and a non-commercial alliance of patients, healthcare workers, academics, healthcare experts and the medical technology industry. Read more

Events

April 15, in Brussels (Belgium): 4th General Assembly of ENS4Care
Active Citizenship Network has been invited to the 4th General Assembly organized by ENS4Care.  The Assembly will focus on Horizon 2020, the  final ENS4Care guidelines and implementing it in Eastern Europe and panel recommendations. To learn more, click here.

April 29-30, in Split (Croatia): Conference on Citizens' Participation
Cenzura Plus, a Croatian association for the promotion of human rights and media freedom, is organizing an International Conference on citizens' participation in the political processes and decision-making. The Conference will be on citizens' participation issues and especially their role in policy development and policy implementation with a focus on successful principles, tools, processes, stories, etc., of citizens' participation at all levels. Read more

May 7-9, in Menorca (Spain): Sine Dolore World Park
From May 2015, the island of Menorca will become the first theme park in the world dedicated to pain management: Sine Dolore World Park (SDWP). The opening coincides with the 10th  anniversary of the Mediterranean Multidisciplinary Pain Forum, which will continue to be the core of the event, where specialists from around the world will contribute in the presentations and panel discussions with the most innovative techniques and experiences in the treatment of pain. Active Citizenship Network will present data and recommendations collected  at the European level related to the patients' rights to avoid unnecessary suffering and pain. Read more

 

Credits
Director and Editor in chief: Mariano Votta
Editors: Daniela Quaggia & Renesa Islam
Coordination and Production: Giacomo D'Orazio 
We thank "Expert network EU4U" for collaboration

To contribute, plase write to: mail@activecitizenship.net
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