The event organized last 7th of November by Active Citizenship Network at the EU Parliament was aimed to build a close collaboration and dialogue with European institutions and stakeholders across the health care spectrum to determine how we can work together to a more effective civic society engagement in vaccination policies.
The event hosted a  well-attended panel discussion that brought together MEPs, the Deputy Director General DG SANTE, the leader of the Joint Action on Vaccination, experts and of course representative of civic society very active on the theme of vaccination.

A strong engagement by all stakeholders to tackle issue of low vaccination coverage and equity in access to vaccination has been called.  Read more

European active citizens advocate for vaccination – Public event at EU Parliament

Martin Seychell, Deputy Director-General for Health and Food Safety, with Mariano Votta, Director Active Citizenship Network
and Suzanne Wait, The Health Policy Partnership

The speeches and materials of the event realized last 7th November are ready for the download here below:
To see the pictures visit our FB page, to know more about the initiative click here.
Download Speakers ‘biographies
Download the Minutes
Download the ACN factsheet on vaccines
EURACTIVE article on the event (EN) - (FR)

Panelists

MEP David Borrelli
He is member of the non-attached Members Group in the European Parliament.
He was born in 1971 in Treviso. Entrepreneur in the IT sector. Councilor in Treviso (2008-2013), candidate for President of the Veneto region (2010), Member of the European Parliament (2014- ). He is member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), Committee on International Trade (INTA), Delegations for the relations with the Mashreq Countries, South Africa and Delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean.

Geneviève Chêne
MD PhD, she is professor in biostatistics and public health at Bordeaux University since 1999. As a researcher, since 2006, she has established an Inserm research team on “HIV infections and associated morbidity” and a Clinical Trials Unit as a platform of excellence for national and international studies in HIV/AIDS. As a professor of public health, Geneviève Chêne teaches clinical epidemiology at the Bordeaux School of Public Health (Univ. Bordeaux).
She is currently the Director of the Public Health Multi-Organization Thematic Institute of the French National Alliance for Life Sciences and Health (Aviesan and Inserm, Paris). In 2017, she was nominated as coordinator of the EU-joint action on vaccination led by France, to strengthen cooperation across EU.

Antonio Gaudioso
He is currently General Secretary of Cittadinanzattiva, an Italian civic organization that promotes civic participation and protects citizens’ rights. After his graduation in Political Science and International Relationship at the University of Macerata he got a Certificate in HTA from the London School of Economics. Currently, he is also Vice President of Active Citizenship Foundation, senior consultant for CSR and sustainability at World Bank, member of Committee on biotechnology and bio safety of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

Elena Gentile
She successfully graduated in Medicine at the University of Padova in 1978 and worked as paediatrician at the hospital of Cerignola from 1981 to 2005. She dedicated over 30 years working in regional and local politics. In 2014, she was elected to the European Parliament joining the group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D). She is currently Full Member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. She is also substitute member in the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and in the Committee of Culture and education.

See the video

George Griffin
President of the  Federation of European Academies of Medicine (FEAM), he gained BSc in Pharmacology and Molecular Biology at King’s College London Sciences, where he was awarded the Delegacy Prize for Excellence in Preclinical Science. He was awarded PhD in Cell Biology/Biochemistry, University of Hull. Professor Griffin’s postgraduate training paralleled basic and clinical science. He has been chair and member of major Wellcome, Medical Research Council and Gates Foundation committees. He was appointed to the board of Public Health England where he will help shape strategy for research and clinical development

Daphne Holt
After working for 10 years on international development for the Meningitis Trust (UK) she joined the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO) in 2009 to become the first executive director, and to establish CoMO as a registered organisation in Perth, Western Australia. Daphne became a member of the Governing Council of CoMO and subsequently its Vice President for Europe and Africa, posts that she held until December 2017 when she retired to help found the Coalition for Life-course Immunisation (CLCI) and become its Chair. Daphne is a member of the editorial board of Vaccine Today and is generally active in the world of vaccines advocacy.

Peggy Maguire
Director General of the European Institute of Women's Health (EIWH), she is responsible for the EIWH strategy and advocacy for equitable and gender-sensitive approaches in health policy, research, treatment and care. She has served as a member of the EU Commission's External Advisory Group on Ageing and Disability Horizon 2020: Advisory Group:SC1 Demographic Change Health and Wellbeing and Advisory Group -Gender and the WHO expert group on gender mainstreaming. Peggy is a member of the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Technical Advisory Group on vaccination uptake.

David Salisbury
He trained as a paediatrician at Oxford and at the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, London. He has an honorary Chair at Imperial College, London and is an Associate Fellow of the Centre on Global Health Security at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House. He is Chair of the Board of the Jenner Vaccine Foundation. He was the Chair of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Vaccines from 2005 to 2010. He is Chair of the Global Commission for Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication and Chair of the European Region Certification Commission for Poliomyelitis Eradication.

Martin Seychell
Graduated in chemistry and pharmaceutical technology, he specialized in Chemical analysis. He has held important positions on several government boards and commissions in Malta. He has been responsible for the implementation of a number of EU directives in the areas of risk assessment, food safety, chemicals and cosmetic products legislation. He was appointed Deputy Director General for Health and Consumers at the European Commission in March 2011.

Mariano Votta
Public affairs professional and journalist, is the Director of Active Citizenship Network (ACN), the international branch of the Italian NGO Cittadinanzattiva, where he is responsible for European Affairs. Since 2013, he has been actively involved as ACN stepped up its advocacy activities at the European Institutions, which in 2015 led to the opening of a representative office in Brussels and – above all – to the launch of the MEP Interest Group “European Patients’ Rights & Cross-Border Healthcare”, promoted with the endorsement of almost 100 organizations across Europe.

Read the speech and the Final remarks

Suzanne Wait
She is Managing Director at The Health Policy Partnership a London-based health policy research consultancy. Suzanne has worked on a wide range of topics, including most recently life-course approaches to vaccination, viral hepatitis, oncology, and mental health. She has helped run a number of multi-stakeholder policy initiatives, working closely with leading patient advocates, civic society, healthcare professionals and policymakers.

European active citizens advocate for vaccination – EU training seminar
The  6th of November (15:30 -18:30) ACN organized an European training seminar on the theme of life-course vaccination opened to at 20 selected leaders of civic and patients associations coming from different countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, Slovakia, Albania, Kosovo, Croatia, Malta...). The reason was to responds to the need to be more up-to-date and prepared in the face of a phenomenon (the decrease in vaccination coverage) that has returned to topical relevance; to better identify, recognize and struggle the increased external factors that can negatively influence the vaccine policy in EU Member States and have updated information & knowing how to recognize official sources of information.

All the speeches and materials of the event realized last 6th November are ready for the download here below:
To see the pictures visit our FB page, to know more about the initiative click here.
Download Speakers ‘biographies and the factsheet on vaccines.

Panelists and presentations

Jan de Belie
Professional Affairs Advisor of the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union  (PGEU),representing European Community Pharmacists. Pharmacist by training, Jan coordinates the information flow to Members including fact sheets and various information materials. Other specific responsibilities are to further develop the relationship of PGEU with EMA, with other pharmacy and health professional associations and with parts of the Commission dealing with Pharmaceuticals.

Read the presentation

Isabel de la Mata
She is the Principal Adviser for Health and Crisis management in the European Commission. Previously, she worked as Counsellor for Health and Consumers at the Permanent Representation of Spain to the EU, as Deputy Director General for Health Planning at the Spanish Ministry of Health, as Adviser to the Vice-minister of Health and several other posts at the Ministry of Health of Spain and the Regional Departments in the Basque Country and in Madrid. In addition, she has been a member of the EURO-WHO Standing Committee of the Regional Committee, and has worked with the Pan American Health Organisation, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation.

Alessia Gramuglia
She is the EFN Policy Advisor. She has a background in European policies and public affairs, having worked in the European Parliament. Before joining the EFN, in September 2017, she has also worked for an EU Public Affairs Consultancy, where she was in charge of EU health-related issues, monitoring and analysing EU policies. She holds a MA degree in European Studies from the University of Bologna and studied International Relations at the University of Hamburg.

Read the presentation

George Griffin
President of the  Federation of European Academies of Medicine (FEAM), he gained BSc in Pharmacology and Molecular Biology at King’s College London Sciences, where he was awarded the Delegacy Prize for Excellence in Preclinical Science. He was awarded PhD in Cell Biology/Biochemistry, University of Hull. Professor Griffin’s postgraduate training paralleled basic and clinical science. He has been chair and member of major Wellcome, Medical Research Council and Gates Foundation committees. He was appointed to the board of Public Health England where he will help shape strategy for research and clinical development

Read the presentation

Maurice Kelly
He is responsible for all communications in relation to public health, emergency management and quality improvement within the Irish health services.   He has extensive communications experience in relation to communicable diseases having worked for a decade in Ireland’s specialist communicable disease agency - HPSC.  Maurice previously worked as a media and communications advisor for Ireland’s ruling party – Fine Gael – and has provided strategic and tactical advice to former Irish prime ministers, Enda Kenny and John Bruton, as well as to many currently serving Irish government ministers.  He holds a first class masters degree in public relations.

Read the presentation

Mark Muscat
He is a public health specialist with long experience working in the field of epidemiology and surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases. He currently works as a technical officer at the WHO Regional Office for Europe based in Copenhagen, Denmark, providing support to the vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization programme.  His main tasks focus on measles and rubella, both of which are diseases targeted for elimination. Other areas of work include diphtheria and pertussis.

Read the presentation

Alberto Villani
 He is Specialist in Paediatrics. Between 1994 and 2001 he served as Pediatrician in the Division of Pediatric end Neonatology, Sandro Pertini Hospital in Rome. In October of 2001, he was appointed and currently serves as Director of Division of General Pediatric and Infectious Diseases in the Department of Pediatrics in the Bambino Gesù Children Hospital in Rome. He teaches Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases at the Residency Program of the “Sapienza” University in Rome and he teaches also at the Residency Program of “Tor Vergata” University in Rome. He is President of  the Italian Society of Pediatrics.

Read the presentation

Mariano Votta
Public affairs professional and journalist, is the Director of Active Citizenship Network (ACN), the international branch of the Italian NGO Cittadinanzattiva, where he is responsible for European Affairs. Since 2013, he has been actively involved as ACN stepped up its advocacy activities at the European Institutions, which in 2015 led to the opening of a representative office in Brussels and – above all – to the launch of the MEP Interest Group “European Patients’ Rights & Cross-Border Healthcare”, promoted with the endorsement of almost 100 organizations across Europe.

Read the speech

Other useful documents
The organization and delivery of vaccination services in the European Union prepared for the EU Commission
State of Vaccine Confidence in the EU 2018 a Report for the EU Commission
Vaccination and trust (2017) by World Health Organization
A life-course approach to vaccination: adapting European policies by The Health Policy Partnership

The events of 6th and 7th of November has been realized thanks to the support of MSD

Our Commitment in Italy

#Rompilatrasmissione (breack the broadcasting): information campaign on vaccination in Italy
Cittadinanzattiva-Tribunal for patients’ rights has promoted #rompilatrasmissione, an information campaign designed to illustrate citizens the benefits of prophylaxis. With our campaign we want to inform citizens about the existence of vaccines to protect themselves at any age; to report when and for how long they are free, to favor a widespread vaccination culture, which overcomes the obligation and makes the choices of protection through vaccines an aware choice, through correct, scientific and evidence-based information in a more friendly environment of organizations that deliver vaccines across Italy.
Read more,  download the guide (IT), see some examples of the social campaign

Vaccination training tour 2018
Cittadinanzattiva -Tribunal for patients’ rights realized, in several Italian cities,  training seminars opened to their  volunteers to provide correct information on the rights and duties in the vaccination field; give concrete answers to citizens' questions, implementing more direct communication and information initiatives; safeguards and monitors the application of the rules. Read more (IT)

"Open day"
On November 16th took place an "Open day" in 37 cities of Italian 11 regions: Cittadinanzattiva- Tribunal for Patients’ Rights local offices open to give information on vaccines and help citizens to face any critical issues in this area. Activists and experts met citizens to promote proximity information, distributing useful material and collecting reports in order to offer tools and support to protect themselves. Read more

19 November 2018, Bruxelles (Belgium): “Vaccination challenges and EU cooperation. What is the way forward?”
Invited by Federation of European Academies of Medicine (FEAM), Active Citizenship Network is in the panel of experts to debate how to strengthen cooperation at EU level on vaccination. Read more

20 November 2018, Bruxelles (Belgium): “Making patients voice matter: the role of Value added medicines”
In line with our increasing cooperation for a the better access to healthcare across Europe and in the field of patients' rights, starting from the Patients’ Right of Access, the Patients’ Right to Innovation and the Patients’ Right to Personalized Treatment, Active Citizenship Network and Medicine for Europe, through its Value Added Medicines Group, have decided to co-organize the "Value added medicines dialogue" a workshop at European level on the 20 of November in Brussels titled “Making patients voice matter: the role of Value added medicines”.
The purpose of this initiative is to provide for a selected number of leaders of patients’ organizations and advocacy groups across Europe an updated overview about the option of the value added medicines and to facilitate an exchange views on key policy developments related to value added medicines. Read more

21 November 2018, Bruxelles (Belgium): “Making patients voice matter: the role of Value added medicines”
Active Citizenship Network was officially included as expert in the evaluation committee of the Value added medicines Award 2018 and in occasion of the 2nd Value Added Medicines conference, as member of the Jury, the Director of ACN has been involved for the ceremony award to deliver the awards to the winners. Read more

28 November 2018, Bruxelles (Belgium): “Les Assises des Consommateurs”, Consumer Summit 2018
Being the conclusive event of the National Consumer Dialogues, “Les Assises des Consommateurs” is organised to allow participants from said Dialogues to present the opinions gathered in the National Consumer Dialogues. Finally, “Les Assises des Consommateurs” will provide a platform for tackling the challenges of Consumer Policy in Europe and bring forward the New Deal proposal. The event is organised by the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee, and Cittadinanzattiva will participate as member of the European Consumer Consultative Group. To know more, click here

28 November 2018, Bruxelles (Belgium): Europe for Citizens' Civil Dialogue meeting
Led by the EU Commission-DG Migration and Home Affairs, the annual meeting of the EU platform dealing with civic participation is scheduled for the end of November. Active Citizenship Network as officially member of the Citizens' Civil Dialogue has been invited. To know more about the Citizens' Civil Dialogue click here.

28 November 2018, Bruxelles (Belgium): Cross border healthcare solutions: A Pan-European overview
In the framework of CBBA-Europe Annual Conference, Active Citizenship Network will participate as panelist in the conference “Cross border healthcare solutions: A Pan-European overview” to confirm its multy-annual commitment on the topic. To know more about the conference, click here

29 November 2018, Bruxelles (Belgium): 1st EU HEALTH SUMMIT -  A shared vision for health
Promoted by EFPIA, Active Citizenship Network is among the 28 European organisations that teamed up to organise this forum to raise awareness on the topic of the Health in all policies: health matters to all and must remain on the top of the EU agenda! During the event a set of ten recommendation signed by all partners will be presented to the EU Institutions. To know more about the health summit click here. To register, click here

4 December 2018, Bruxelles (Belgium): Enhancing Healthcare Cooperation in Cross-border Regions
Invited by EU Istitutions, Active Citizenship Network will attend the conference “Enhancing Healthcare Cooperation in Cross-border Regions”, organized by the EU Commission to present the results of a pioneering mapping study of successful cooperation projects and its toolkit for practitioners interested in setting up cross-border cooperation themselves. To know more click here

4 December 2018, Bruxelles (Belgium): Consumer Safety Network Meeting
As follow up of the International Product Safety Week 2018, the event is organised by the European Commission DG Consumers, and Cittadinanzattiva will participate as member of the European Consumer Consultative Group. The aim of the initiative is to improve cooperation between consumer organisations and national market surveillance authorities. To know more, click here