Register here (registration is free but mandatory)

Within the framework of the European project #VaccinAction2023, Active Citizenship Network is glad to invite you on 14 December 2023, from 14:30 to 16:00 CET, to the European training webinar “The value that vaccines bring in the AMR fight and why new-generation antibiotics alone cannot resolve the AMR crisis”.
The free, 1.5-hour training seminar is open to civic and patient association leaders from different countries to address the need to be more informed and prepared to support and protect the value, in particular, of adult immunisation and its benefits for individual and public health protection. The keynote speaker will be Professor Adam Cunningham from the University of Birmingham's Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy.
The seminar will focus on the essential role of vaccines in fighting AMR, while exploring the question of 'why new-generation antibiotics alone cannot effectively address the AMR crisis'. The initiative aims to shed light on the cause-effect relationship in AMR mitigation, emphasising that vaccines target the root causes, while antibiotics mainly manage the consequences.
More than 90 people have already registered. To participate in the webinar, please register in advance using this link
For further information, please write to: brussels@activecitizenship.net
To know more:
Our engagement on vaccination policy at the national and at the EU level

The European Commission adopts EU4Health 2024 Work Programme to strengthen the European Health Union
On 5 December, the European Commission adopted the EU4Health 2024 work programme to implement key EU health policy priorities within the framework of the European Health Union. The budget of €752.4 million will boost its development and provide funding to address important health issues across the EU. "Civil society has a crucial role to play in reaching out to our citizens," said Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety. To strengthen the important role of civil organisations in the implementation of EU health policies, the EU4Health programme will continue to award operational grants of €9 million in 2024 and will launch a call for Framework Partnership Agreements for 2025-2026. Read more

European training seminar on intimate health conditions: advocating for ostomies
On 17 November 2023, ActiveCitizenship Network organized in Brussels a European training seminar on the topic of intimate health conditions (incontinence, stomia, etc.) addressed to representatives and leaders of Patients Advocacy Groups (PAGs) from 13 countries, working at local, national and European level for the protection of patients' rights.
The initiative is part of the European project “Overcoming new challenges for advocacy of people with intimate health conditions in Europe” promoted by ActiveCitizenshipNetwork and FAIS OdV Italia, with the unconditional support of Coloplast.
The main objective of the overall project is to build an informal network of patient associations trained to become educators in their communities, to improve the dissemination of messages aimed at protecting individual and public health, to fight stigma, make the invisible visible and reduce health inequalities across Europe.
To learn more about the seminar content, download the presentations, and read the main points that emerged from the discussion, click here.

Prioritizing care for high-risk COVID-19 patients: the appeal of 26 PAGs to European Institutions
Thanks to the event organized on 14 November 2023 in the European Parliament by Active Citizenship Network - kindly hosted by MEP Brando Benifei (S&D), with the support of the MEPs Interest Group "European Patients' Rights & Cross-Border Healthcare" - 26 patient advocacy groups (PAGs) from 13 countries sent a clear message to the EU institutions: even if COVID-19 goes from pandemic to endemic, we must make sure to remain vigilant and prioritize efforts to minimize its impact.
To read more about the event, read the speakers’ list and download the presentations, please click here.

Cittadinanzattiva-Active Citizenship Network joined the AMR Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Platform
Cittadinanzattiva-Active Citizenship Network participated in the 1st meeting of the AMR multi-stakeholder partnership platform established by FAO, UNEP, WHO and WOAH. The platform is an inclusive entity, bringing together actors to help preserve antimicrobials as life-saving medicines and ensure their responsible use.
In this first in-person meeting, members of the AMR Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Platform gathered at FAO headquarters in Rome on 15-16 November 2023 for the inaugural Plenary Assembly. Open to all Platform members, this event laid the foundation for collective action on AMR. One session was dedicated to the presentation of Action Groups' proposals and exchange with members, such as the one on "Addressing the antibacterial pipeline and access crisis" also promoted by Cittadinanzattiva-ACN. Read more.

Approval of the Action Group “Addressing the antibacterial pipeline and access crisis”
Following the 1st meeting of the AMR Multi-Stakeholder Platform, the Steering Committee of the AMR Multi-Stakeholder Platform officially announced the approval of the Action Group proposal in which Cittadinanzattiva-Active Citizenship Network is involved. In particular, the Steering Committee recognises that our proposal aligns well with international efforts and priorities. Read more

Highlights of the 5th edition of HTID with key players from the European HealthTech ecosystem to support innovation in healthcare for all patients
Organized by HealthTech For Care, partner of Active Citizenship Network, the HealthTech Innovation Days (HTID®) brought together 750 participants on 24 and 25 October in Paris, and remotely on 27 October, including researchers, public players, industry leaders, patient associations, patients, investors and entrepreneurs. French and European governmental institutions once again strongly supported the event. Read more

Can behavioural science be used to create energy-saving incentives for end consumers?
The European research project NUDGE, funded by the EU's Horizon 2020 research programme, investigated how intelligent behavioural nudges can be used to encourage consumers to save energy. On the occasion of the final event, organized in Brussels on 6 November in cooperation with the Baden-Württemberg Delegation to the European Union, the consumer perspective was represented by Anastasia Chatzipavlou, Director of EEKE-Union of Working Consumers of Greece, member and representative of the European Consumers’ Union (ECU). EEKE is the Greek consumer organization partner of Cittadinanzattiva, the only consumer organization involved in the NUDGE consortium. Read more (in Greek).

Involving citizens in disaster preparedness, response and recovery
The final event of the ENGAGE project took place on 23 November in Brussels. The protagonists were Cittadinanzattiva, the 14 partners from 8 different countries and the representatives of the Community of Practice and Knowledge promoted by ENGAGE in its long journey, which started in July 2020. ENGAGE has set itself the goal of increasing the capacity of communities to cope with major emergencies, starting from the enhancement of the role of citizens and civil society.
In the first panel “ENGAGEing Society”, Cittadinanzattiva illustrated its experience in conducting a proximity information action, carried out last summer in collaboration with ASLRM1. The aim: to protect the health of citizens, especially the most vulnerable, during heat waves.
The ENGAGE project was funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 882850.
For more information on ENGAGE see the project website (in English) and our webpage (in Italian).

Interventions to reduce inequities in cancer screening: the perspective and role of patients, advocacy groups and empowerment organizations
Interventions to address inequities in cancer screening currently do not adequately address the issue, especially from the perspective of patients, survivors and lay people. Several core pathways should be focused on when designing and implementing interventions: promoting personalised interventions; digital tools and social media; peer-based approaches; empowerment; addressing policy and systemic barriers; improving intervention design; and collaboration, including the involvement of patients and patient advocacy organisations. Read and download the research article also written with the contribution of Cittadinanzattiva.

14 December 2023| online, 11:30-12:30 (CET) – ECI communication network meeting
Cittadinanzattiva, official ambassador of the European Citizens' Initiative, has been invited by the European Commission to join other ECI ambassadors and national contact points at the latest meet-up. These meetings are informal and involve a peer-to-peer exchange, with brief updates shared by the Commission and an invitation to participants to share questions, ideas, etc. To learn more about recent initiatives promoted within the network, please watch the ECI video competition for schools, download the educational toolkit available in all EU languages, and visit the FB group.