Press conference invitation                                                                              November 10, 2014

CHRONIC PAIN, A PRIORITY AT EUROPEAN LEVEL

On 17^th of November 2014, Active Citizenship Network (ACN)  and  Pain Alliance Europe (PAE)  will be holding in Brussels a press conference to talk about a historical achievement for chronic pain patients in particular and for the European society at large as well: chronic pain is on the EU Agenda for the first time! The request for a coordinated response towards chronic pain at an EU policy level, that citizens and patients sent to the EU institutions and to their national ministries, has been heard.

Italy was the first country in Europe to adopt a law in 2010 which defines pain therapy as a set of diagnostic and therapeutic initiatives intended to control and suppress moderate to severe chronic pain. In 2014, more than ever, with Italy holding the presidency of the EU Council, it was time to bring this initiative at an EU level. Ministers from the 28 EU member states met in Milan on the 22-23 of September and reached a common position on the need to create a European network ensuring training of professionals in the sector and exchange of information on the effectiveness of pain therapies for the weakest population groups.  Chronic Pain is now a priority in the EU as a whole. The press has covered this achievement (the meeting of the national ministers) both at a national level (for example in countries such as Italy and Luxembourg) and at a European level.

Patients (Pain Alliance Europe, PAE), Citizens (Active Citizenship Network, ACN) and Industry (Grünenthal GmbH, GRT) worked together in order to become a strong European Pain Patient advocacy group by developing concrete proposals for the improvement of pain management  in the EU and encourage active participation of citizens in public policy-making. The result of this work was presented to ministries of health and to the EU bodies in a report called the “Pain Patient Pathway Recommendations” . Please find here  a video describing the activity carried out by our organizations in the past three years and also hereour joint recommendations.

The press conference is scheduled in Brussels on the 17^th of November 2014 from 17:00-18:00 in the European Economic and Social Committee building at Rue Belliard 99.

Panel:

• Joop van Griensven, PAE President “Civic Recommendations for EU policy makers on the subject of chronic pain and pain therapy“

• Mariano Votta, Director of Active Citizenship Network  “Civic Survey on the respect of unnecessary pain patients’ rights in Europe: main data”

• Kris Vissers, University professor of  Pain & Palliative Medicine  “Healthcare professionals’ response to  Chronic Pain”