Empowered patients are a resource! Celebrated today in Brussels the 8th European Patients’ Rights Day.  The associations realized a “Civic reccomandations to improve the empowerment of citizens with chronic and rare diseased and their organizations”

“The role of civic organizations in the empowerment of patients with chronic diseases has been underestimated for too long. It is important that policy makers let organizations and patients actively partecipate in the management of chronic diseases. Not only  to better their cure, but to cope with the caring, social, relational and psychological impacts of their disease”. These below the declarations of Antonio Gaudioso, secretary general of Cittadinanzattiva-Active Citizenship Network, the italian based organization that celebrated yesterday and today in Brussels the 8th European Patients’ Rights Day.

“In the next days the Manifesto containing Civic reccomandations to improve the empowerment of citizens with chronic and rare diseases and their organizations we promoted today will be part of a campaign of subscription by the association at local level”, continued Gaudioso, “to underline to local and European policy makers that empowered patients with chronic diseases and their organisations are a resource and not a cost, and they can be an effective partner for the governments in finding the best balance between costs management and citizens’ health rights”

Here you can see the video message Commissioner Tonio Borg realized for the 8th European Patients' Rights Day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5HuQ7iDo30

This press release arises from the conference “The role of citizens' organisations in the empowerment of patients with chronic diseases” ECHRODIS, which has received funding from the European Union, in the framework of the Health Programme (2008 -2013).The content represents the views of the author and it is his sole responsibility; it can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Commission and the Executive Agency for Health and Consumers or any other body of the European Union. The European Commission and the Executive Agency do not accept responsibility for any use that may be made of the information it contains. "

This event has been made possible also thanks to European Economic and Social Committee and an unrestricted educational grant from: Novartis, Phrma, Pfizer, Roche and Bayer.