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20 March 2024| European Parliament, Brussels: Celebration of the XVIII European Patients’ Rights Day
Active Citizenship Network is delighted to invite you to the European celebration of the European Patients’ Rights Day, titled “Combining the protection of patients' rights with skills shortage, medical desertification and job strain. The key role of HCPs for a healthier Europe”.
Our upcoming institutional event will take place at the European Parliament in Brussels on 20 March 2024 from 16:30 to 18:30 CET in Room ASP 3H1, kindly hosted by MEP Brando Benifei (S&D) and organised with the support of the MEPs Interest Group "European Patients' Rights & Cross-Border Healthcare". Read more

The European Patients’ Rights Day & you: send us a video to celebrate it
As with previous editions of the EPRD, also this year Active Citizenship Network would like to celebrate the European Patients' Rights Day  with messages from all the stakeholders who, over the years, have supported our ongoing commitment towards citizens and patients. If you wish, send us (via email: brussels@activecitizenship.net or WhatsApp to +393404932161) short video messages (maximum 30 seconds) and statements that highlight what European Patients' Rights Day means for you. Deadline: March 10th 2024. All messages and videos will be disseminated through ACN's channels in the days around April 18th 2024, after your explicit written permission in the email/message. Read more.

Are vaccines a priority for Europe?
At a time when European citizens have high expectations of Europe's health systems, the fact that the health of European citizens is hardly at the centre of the thoughts of current policy makers nor of candidates in the upcoming European elections, is a worrying sign. With this in mind, the event organised on 14 February 2024 in the European Parliament by Active Citizenship Network focused on vaccination policy. Immunisation is vital for public health, but some are concerned that the issue is losing political momentum. On this occasion, an EU-funded project on the topic and concrete proposals were presented to the European institutions. Read the article published by our media partner Vaccines Today. For further information, please click here.

The Coalition for Vaccination supports the Council recommendation on vaccine-preventable cancers
The Coalition for Vaccination, of which Active Citizenship Network is an associate member, welcome the European Commission’s recommendation to support EU countries in their efforts to prevent cancer through vaccination against Human papillomaviruses (HPV) and Hepatitis B virus (HBV). Read more.

EMA consultation: Concept paper on the revision of the Non-clinical and Clinical Module of the influenza vaccines guideline
The European Medicines Agency has published for public consultation a Concept paper on the revision of the Non-clinical and Clinical Module of the influenza vaccines guideline. Developments in the field of influenza vaccines and experience with applications for scientific advice and marketing authorisation since 2016 have highlighted the need for additions and revisions to the current text. Comment by 30 April 2024 using this EU survey.

Discover the winner of the European Patient Digital Health Awards!
As a jury member of the European Patient Digital Health Awards 2023, we are proud to have collaborated on this strategic initiative to recognise innovation from a patient perspective and applaud solutions that improve quality of life. Which innovators have emerged as EUPDHA23 winners for their patient-centric digital health solutions in 2023? Click here to find out and read also read ACN’s statement.

Your Input Matters: Join our focus group conversation on Personalized Prevention!
Personalized prevention of chronic diseases tailors healthcare interventions based on individual characteristics, combining factors such as genetics and lifestyle. The EU-funded project PROPHET aims to gather insights from patients and citizens to optimize personalised prevention efforts. Take part in our online group discussion. It will take place in May 2024 (between the 6th and the 10th). We are particularly looking forward to welcoming those who are interested or have any kind of experience with personalised prevention. If interested, read more and, please contact us.

The role of nudges in encouraging energy citizenship
Speaking at the RE-energising Europe conference held in Brussels on 23 October 2023, Dr Nives Della Valle, Behavioural Economist at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, emphasised the importance of energy citizenship. Read the interview published by ACN’s media partner, Innovation News Network, as part of the exploitation activities carried out and promoted by Cittadinanzattiva within the EU-funded NUDGE project.

European Citizens' Initiative toolkit for schools - Know more about EU Democracy tools with your students!
The European Citizens' Initiative educational toolkit aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to be active and engaged European citizens. By the end of the course, students will have a clear idea of the purpose of the Citizens' Initiative, how it works, how it fits into the broader context of democracy in the European Union and how they can use it to bring about change in their world. Read more

New media partnership with two international peer-reviewed journals
Cittadinanzattiva-Active Citizenship Network has signed an official agreement with Medprecis Publishers, an independent and open-access scientific publisher with an editorial team composed of many of the world's leading researchers. In particular, the media partnership refers to two international  peer-reviewed journals: Archives of Virology and Infectious Diseases, which publishes insights on viruses, vaccines, and clinical aspects of disease-causing microbes, and Archives of Medical Research and Health Sciences , which publishes high-quality papers on all aspects of medical and health sciences. 

Prioritizing Care for High-Risk COVID-19 Patients in the EU: 10 Civic Recommendations to the Institutions.
With the Recommendations presented by Active Citizenship Network at European level, civic & patient organizations concretely encourage policymakers and healthcare institutions to increase public awareness and communication about the symptoms and risks of COVID-19. Read the article published by the international peer-reviewed journal Annals of Immunology & Immunotherapy.

13 March 2024| Brussels (Belgium): “MCM Prioritisation Workshop – R&D MCM Organiser”
As a member of the HERA Civil Society Forum, the director of ACN was invited by the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority to participate in the meeting on Medical Countermeasures (MCM) development. The objective of this workshop is to identify promising MCMs against HERA’s priority threats (pathogens with pandemic potential, AMR, CBRN) in late-stage development. The morning segment will include presentations from Member States and civil society, in order to map and deepen the MCM development landscape. In the afternoon session, industry experts will come together to discuss promising areas of innovation in MCMs, their opportunities and challenges. Read more about HERA.

19 March 2024| Brussels (Belgium): HERA Civil Society Forum meeting
As a member of the HERA Civil Society Forum, ACN was invited by the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority to participate in the face-to-face meeting designed for HERA stakeholders representing patients, consumers and health professionals. Read more about HERA Civil Society Forum.

25 March 2024| Brussels (Belgium): “Mobilizing Policy Action - Prioritizing Vaccination in Long-Term Care” Expert Meeting
Invited by the International Federation on Aging (IFA), ACN's Director will participate in the closed expert meeting, which aims to help improve adult immunisation uptake rates in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) through the development of comprehensive immunisation schedules in these settings. Read more

19 April 2024 | Let's FACILITATE 2024 Webinar - Maximizing the societal benefit and lasting impact of clinical trials. REGISTER and SPREAD the NEWS!
Join ACN for an in-depth overview and roundtable discussion on the FACILITATE project and its promising innovations to enable the return of data to clinical trial participants. We will delve into the progress made so far and outline the next steps. What distinguishes this session is the inclusion of different perspectives from key stakeholders. Please, register HERE now to participate and read more.