the in-person event is sold-out. 24/48 hours before the event. a link to follow the web streaming will be disseminated via ACN's social media - #EPRD23.

17th European Patients’ Rights Day - Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products in Europe: combining sustainability, innovation and respect for patients' rights
The European celebration of the European Patients' Rights Day - which has reached its 17th edition - will be held at the European Parliament in Brussels on April 26 from 15:00 to 17:00, kindly hosted by MEP Brando Benifei (S&D) and organised by Active Citizenship Network with the support of the MEPs Interest Group "European Patients' Rights & Cross-Border Healthcare" and the TRANSFORM MEP Interest Group.
The current narrative related to the European pharmaceutical legislation review seems to be limited to the following statement: “The fate of the pharmaceutical sector is at stake as well as the future of national health systems”. What about the justified expectations of patients? How can innovation and access be combined? To try to answer these questions, the 17th European Patients’ Rights Day will gather inputs from the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Members of the European Parliament, the World Health Organization, Patient Advocacy Groups from different countries, independent experts, and relevant stakeholders in the field of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products.
The 2023 conference represents the first in-person European celebration of the European Patients' Rights Day since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and, to give more people the opportunity to participate, it will be also web-streamed.
The link to the live streaming and the conference agenda will be disseminated in due time
Read more and follow us to be informed about all relevant details.

To know more about ACN’s commitment to the topic:

- "Securing Equitable Patient Access to Advanced Therapies across Europe"
- "Advanced Therapies Medicinal Products revolution & the respect of the patients' right to access to care": the Call to Action signed by more than 40 Patients' Advocacy Groups (PAGs).
- HEALTH EUROPA (5th January 2023): The value of investing in Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products

the in-person event is sold-out. 24/48 hours before the event. a link to follow the web streaming will be disseminated via ACN's social media - #MedicalDesert

Addressing medical deserts in Europe: a call to action
The Conference will be held on 27 April 2023 from 10:00 to 12:00 in Room ASP 3H1 at the European Parliament in Brussels, kindly hosted by Italian MEP Beatrice Covassi (S&D). This multi-stakeholder event represents a milestone in the policy dialogue process that first involved local, regional and national, and now European institutions. It is part of the final stage of the European project AHEAD  which has received funding from the European Union’s EU CHAFEA – 3rd Health Programme. The ultimate aim of the event is to present to the European Institutions the main recommendations, tools and concrete proposals, based on analysis and research in the project countries (Italy, Moldova, the Netherlands, Romania and Serbia) to address the phenomenon of medical desertification. To give more people the opportunity to participate, the conference will be also web-streamed.
The link to the live streaming and the conference agenda will be disseminated in due time.
Read more and follow us to be informed soon about all the relevant details.

To know more:

- Action for Health and Equity: Addressing medical Deserts
- Special session on medical deserts in Italy

European Immunisation Week: 23 – 29 April 2023, WHO communication materials
The WHO European Region celebrates European Immunization Week (EIW) to raise awareness of the importance of immunization in preventing diseases and protecting life. This year’s campaign will work to improve vaccine uptake in the context of the European Immunization Agenda 2030 and a global backslide in vaccination rates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
The EIW materials and key messages, available in several languages here will focus on re-engaging the general public on the importance of timely routine vaccination and catching up on any missed or postponed vaccines, and continue to emphasize the need for COVID-19 vaccination, especially among vulnerable groups.

European Immunisation Week: VaccinAction 2023 starts!
ACN, after the commitment to VaccinAction2021 and #VaccinAction2022, it's launching its #VaccinAction2023, focused on continuing to support the need for strengthening adults’ vaccination in Europe, protecting the value of routine immunization and its gains & activating stakeholders to engage with EU institutions and inform EU policy. The idea behind all the foreseen 2023 activities is to continue to broaden the front of civil society actors & PAGs empowered and involved in vaccination policies across Europe and that the civic voice is heard at the institutional level. Read more

European Immunisation Week: Make sure your voice is heard on vaccination
EY Consulting has been mandated by DG SANTE of the European Commission to undertake a Study on the coherence, complementarity and continued relevance of actions in the Council Recommendation of 7 December 2018 on strengthened cooperation against vaccine-preventable diseases (2018/C 466/01) in view of possible similar policy initiatives in the future. An online Survey was launched on 21 March 2023 to support the Study. To fill out the survey, click here.

European Immunisation Week: #UnitedInProtection
The European Union is united in many aspects of life. Today, we can also be #UnitedInProtection thanks to vaccination, which can shield our community from deadly and incapacitating diseases. Getting vaccinated is one of the best ways to take care of yourself and protect everyone’s health. Safe and effective vaccines help keep many serious diseases at bay. Watch the video promoted by EU Commission DG-Santè, to download the #UnitedInProtection Toolkit click here.

European Immunisation Week: #WeWontRest
World and European Immunisation Week take place in the last week of April every year and present a great opportunity to talk about the value of vaccination more broadly. This year Vaccines Europe has prepared a campaign focussing on innovation, access and life-course immunisation, with a particular focus on adult immunisation. Watch the video produced in collaboration with EVI-European Vaccine Initiative, and a video interview with Sibilia Quilici, Executive Director of Vaccines Europe, and Prof. Paolo Bonanni from the University of Florence about how the immunisation programmes can help build more resilient healthcare systems.

The European Patient Digital Health Awards: Call for applications
Get ready for the 3rd edition of the European Patient Digital Health Awards. At EUPDHA23 start-ups can be recognised for their most innovative digital health solutions. PDHA began in Italy in 2018 to promote digital innovation in the disease prevention and treatment journey." After three successful Italian editions, MSD and DHA launched the first autonomous European version in 2021. More than merely an award, the European PDHA initiative bolsters the vital role of healthcare innovation at the rapidly evolving intersection of technology and science, for both patients and providers. Since the first edition, Cittadinanzattiva/Active Citizenship Network is a member of the Jury panel. To know more, click here.

How does precision medicine affect the doctor-patient relationship in colorectal cancer care?
Our “friends” from Uppsala University are leading a study as part of a larger European research project called ONCOLOGICS: they are looking for European doctors and patient representatives to share their views about precision medicine in colorectal cancer care and its influence on the doctor-patient relationship. If you want to participate in our research or want more information, please contact Mirko Ancillotti via email: mirko.ancillotti@crb.uu.se. You will then be contacted to get more information and to schedule a time that suits you. You can find more about the ONCOLOGICS project here.

An EU without pollinators  is an EU without food 
Another successful European citizens’ initiative with the backing of more than 1 million EU citizens: ‘Save Bees and Farmers’. It demonstrates a clear sign of large public support for action in favour of pollinators, biodiversity and sustainable farming. Read more

18 April 2023 |Coimbra (Portugal): “Oral health and gastrointestinal diseases in Europe: how to prevent?”
Also this year the “Associação Europeia de Saúde Educativa e Preventiva em Epigenética”, Portuguese partner of Active Citizenship Network, will lead the national celebration of the European Patients’ Rights Day. For the occasion, the event, titled “Oral health and gastrointestinal diseases in Europe: how to prevent?”, will be realized with the participation of the Portuguese Society of Health Literacy within the Coimbra Business School-ISCAC. Active Citizenship Network has been invited in the panel to talk about the topic in the context of Antimicrobial Resistance, and more in general to emphasize the value of this celebration from a citizen and patients’ perspective.
To know more click here, for the registration, click here.

19-21 April Ljubljana, Slovenia: NIGHTINGALE project EENA (The European Emergency Number Association) 2023 Conference
As a partner, we are excited that the #NIGHTINGALE project representative will join the EENA 2023 Conference, one of the largest events on emergency services in Europe- on 19-21 April inLjubljana - also presenting the App for citizens and volunteers for multi-case incident scenarios.  Please check out the programme with an overview of inspiring presentations and innovative exhibitions.
 Read more and make sure you are part of the conversation > https://lnkd.in/eMQtHSPD

25 April from 14:00-16h |Review of HERA
As a member of the Civil Society Forum, Cittadinanzattiva-Active Citizenship Network has been invited to the first meeting of the “Review of HERA-Working Group”. The objective of this initiative is to provide a forum for Civil Society representatives (under the auspices of HERA) to facilitate the exchange of views related to the mandate of HERA and its organisation. To know more about the first meeting of the HERA Civil Society Forum, click here.

4 -7 May 2023 | Menorca Island (Spain): Sine Dolore World Park
The Sine Dolore Association, the historical partner of Active Citizenship Network, works tenaciously to make the invisible visible. Pain, in fact, is a major social and public health problem that affects 20% of the population of the entire planet (according to the World Health Organization). Precisely to make the suffering of so many people more perceptible at all levels, Menorca becomes for a few days each year the Sine Dolore World Park, a large theme park against pain and for the quality of life unique in the world. To know more, click here.

7-9 May 2023 | Lubjiana (Slovenia): Disaster preparedness & “Nightingale” project: join us!
NIGHTINGALE project partners, as Cittadinanzattiva-ACN, are preparing to attend a roundtable with end users in the framework of the European Congress of Trauma and Emergency Surgery, which is organised by ESTES - European Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery in Ljubljana.  On that occasion, Cittadinanzattiva-ACN will present "The role of citizens in Mass casualty incidents/disasters".
Please check out the conference programme and register