The event is SOLD OUT for in-person participation

Write to d.quaggia@activecitizenship.net to attend online

Returning Individual Participant Data in Clinical Trials ‘by Design’: Setting a New Standard for Patients’ Rights in Europe
The institutional event, organized by Cittadinanzattiva-Active Citizenship Network and to be held on 4 December 2025 at the European Parliament, will be hosted by MEP Vytenis Andriukaitis and supported by the MEPs Interest Group "European Patients' Rights & Cross-Border Healthcare".
The event will provide an opportunity to present the key findings of the IMI FACILITATE project, showcasing how the return of individual participant data (RoIPD) can empower participants, enhance health literacy, and reinforce ethical and legal standards in EU research. Read more.

Cittadinanzattiva is now officially a new member of the WHO Civil Society Task Force on AMR
During the World AMR Awareness Week (18-24 November), Cittadinanzattiva is pleased to announce its selection as a member of the WHO Civil Society Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). The Task Force was launched to support and strengthen the World Health Organization’s engagement with non-governmental organisations, including civil society groups, worldwide. Its mission is to foster collaboration, build capacity and amplify the voices of affected communities in the fight against AMR. The WHO Civil Society Task Force on AMR aims to enable civil society groups to contribute effectively to the global fight against AMR and secure equitable access to prevention, treatment and care for all, especially vulnerable populations. Click here for the list of members and brief descriptions.

The #VaccinAction 2025 campaign has been launched 
Led by Active Citizenship Network (ACN), with the involvement of 13 patient advocacy groups across Europe, the #VaccinAction 2025 campaign calls for a stronger focus on adult immunisation as a cornerstone of public health and chronic disease prevention. From Monday 10 November, the campaign will be disseminated through the social media channels of ACN and its partners in English and 8 native languages. Read more

Active Citizenship Network keeps growing. In this newsletter, we will report on a series of agreements formalised in the last period. These agreements demonstrate a growing interest in our work, as well as our willingness to collaborate with the many civil society actors who share our goals regarding consumer rights.

Official agreement with the Federation for the Protection of Consumers' and Patients' Rights in Hungary (FEBESZ)
Active Citizenship Network is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Fogyasztói és Betegjogi Érdekvédelmi Szövetség (FEBESZ). The Federation is a non-political civic organisation that advocates for consumers' interests in accordance with Hungarian law. Its objectives include recruiting members to promote consumer protection, developing professional training in civil consumer protection and advancing consumer interests through activities that align with Hungary's Consumer Protection Act. Read more about ACN's new partner.

Official agreement with the Bulgarian “Association for Legal Help for consumers”
Active Citizenship Network is delighted to announce the signing of an official Memorandum of Understanding with the Association for Legal Aid for Consumers (ALAC). ALAC is a non-profit organisation established in 2006 in Plovdiv to carry out activities of public benefit. ALAC was established in response to growing public organisational needs, driven by the increasing interest of a wide range of consumers in protecting their individual rights and collective interests, and defending their active position in the market environment. Read more about ACN's new partner.

Official agreement with the Spanish consumer organization CONSUMUR
Active Citizenship Network is delighted to announce the signing of an official Memorandum of Understanding with the Spanish consumer organization Asociación de Consumidores y Usuarios en Red (CONSUMUR), a non-profit organization based in Murcia that actively defends the rights of consumers and users across the country. Read more about ACN's new partner.

Personalised prevention: what patients and citizen advocates want for better engagement – a qualitative study
Incorporating public and patient perspectives is essential to advancing personalised prevention. The study, which was recently published by BMC Public Health and involved Cittadinanzattiva as part of the European PROPHET project, explored what patients and the public want to achieve greater engagement and empowerment in prevention. The study aimed to develop key considerations across three domains (research, care and governance) and offered practical suggestions for improving personalised prevention strategies. To download the publication, click here.

Respiratory Health in Europe: Integrating Environment, Prevention and Access to Care
Social and environmental inequalities have a significant impact on respiratory health across Europe. At the Workshop on European Policies and Advocacy in Respiratory Care, organized in Brussels by Active Citizenship Network, Professor Guglielmo Trovato emphasized the need for an integrated approach that links environmental policies, prevention, and healthcare professional training, in order to ensure equity and the quality of care. Read the article published by ACN media partner TrendSanità (EN / IT).

Getting vaccinated to protect the heart: the new frontier of prevention
On the sidelines of the European workshop “Active Citizens in Europe Advocate for (Adult) Vaccination”, Marco Del Riccio, a medical doctor and Assistant Professor at the University of Florence, explains why vaccination is increasingly recognised as a strategy for preventing cardiovascular diseases, with implications for public health and European policies. Read the article published by ACN media partner TrendSanità (EN / IT).

18 November 2025 | Dar es Salaam (Tanzania): First plenary meeting of the WHO Civil Society Task Force on AMR
Through its EU branch, Active Citizenship Network, Cittadinanzattiva will join the inaugural session, which will be held in a hybrid format. This marks the beginning of collective efforts to strengthen the engagement and collaboration of civil society in the global response to AMR. The session will feature opening remarks from the WHO leadership and the Task Force co-chairs, as well as a discussion on various civil society engagement mechanisms. Regional breakout discussions will then take place to identify priorities and next steps for strengthening civil society’s role in tackling AMR. Read more about the ongoing WHO events on this topic.

25-26 November 2025 | Lisbon (Portugal): AIB country meeting: Adult immunization in Portugal: successes, lessons learned and the way forward
As a member of the Adult Immunisation Board, the Director of Active Citizenship Network will be attending the country meeting, where Portuguese-specific issues on adult immunisation will be discussed alongside local experts. Read more.

27-29 November 2025 | Paris (France): International Conference on Nursing and Healthcare
The Director of Active Citizenship Network has been invited to speak at the International Conference on Nursing and Healthcare. He will discuss ways of supporting healthcare professionals and promoting a citizen-driven approach to public health challenges. The title of his presentation is: "From the first Civic Survey on health personnel in Italy to the 'EU Call to Action' to the European Commission to urgently address the health workforce crisis". Click here to find out more about the event programme.

3 December 2025 I Brussels (Belgium): The future of vaccine development: research, data and participation
As part of the VaccinAction2025 project, the closed-door EU workshop & policy-related activity on 3 December, entitled “The future of vaccine development: research, data and participation”, will explore the next frontier in vaccine development. Together with experts and representatives of associations, we will discuss the main stages of vaccine research and development, priorities for innovation and investment, including new platforms (mRNA, DNA) and methods of administration, the return of data to participants and their involvement in research. Read more.

4–6 December 2025 | Paris (France): 10th LifeCourse Prevention Summit
The Director of Active Citizenship Network has been invited to speak at the 10th LifeCourse Prevention Summit, which is taking place alongside the 17th Excellence in Pediatrics (EIP) Conference at the Melia Paris La Défense on 4–5 December 2025. The summit will focus on “The Building Blocks of Healthy Ageing: How Lifelong Determinants Shape Later-Life Outcomes”, and will feature four roundtable discussions on healthy ageing, vaccination equity, respiratory infections, and life-course immunisation.
The 17th Excellence in Paediatrics Conference will bring together paediatricians, researchers, and healthcare professionals for an immersive cross-specialty learning experience.
Following his participation in the 2024 edition, the ACN Director will contribute to policy discussions and provide actionable recommendations. Click here for the programme and the list of speakers.

2026 | European Parliament, Brussels (Belgium) | EUROPEAN PATIENTS’ RIGHTS DAY 20th Edition: "Empowered citizens, personalised care: a new era for prevention in Europe"
To date, EU member states dedicate 97% of their healthcare budgets to treatment, while spending an average of 2.8% on preventive care. In a scenario of tighter budget constraints, the value of prevention becomes immeasurable. By reducing disease prevalence and avoiding costly treatments, prevention plays a crucial role in ensuring the long-term sustainability of healthcare, social care and welfare systems. For this reason, the 2026 edition ofEuropean Patients’ Rights Day (EPRD), promoted as always by Cittadinanzattiva/Active Citizenship Network, will recognise personalised prevention as a human right, directly linked to the“Right to Preventive Measures”, the first principle stated in the European Charter of Patients’ Rights. Read more