Newsletter April 2006

Developing partnership with public health NGOs in Lithuania

Within the framework of networking for public health in new EU member states, the project coordinator and assistant visited several NGOs in Lithuania in an attempt to involve more organisations in project activities.
During the two days from 30-31 March 2006, the project coordinator, A. Knabe, and assistant, I. Murniece, met with five NGOs in Lithuania:
Non-Governmental Organisation Information and Support Centre
Lithuanian Red Cross Association
Coalition of Vulnerable Groups (...)

EPHA submits project proposal for “ECHANT”: European Child and Adolescent Health and Well-Being Network

The European Commission - Health and Consumer Protection DG - launched its Call for Proposals 2006 with a deadline for applications of 19 May.
Children and young people are one of the priority areas.
The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) is an alliance of more than 100 non governmental and non for profit organisations working for health in Europe. We are currently leading a major EU funded project which will end up in December 2006 and we are involved in several other projects as (...)

Secretariat News April 2006

Eimear O’Loughlin and Diana Folescu joined the Secretariat.
Events that EPHA attended
Diana Folescu attended the seminar in Support of Kenyan-Brazil Research and Development Resolution
Anne Hoel and Lara Garrido Herrero represented EPHA during the Health Policy Forum.
Eimear O’Loughlin represented EPHA in the NGO Strategy Meeting on Direct to Consumer Advertsing and Medicines Information.
Events that EPHA organised
The EPHA team took part in a two-day workshop on communication, (...)

Consultation with NGOs in Slovenia, Slovakia and Poland

From 3-7 April, 2006, EPHA’s Regional Project Coordinator Agnese Knabe visited organisations in Slovenia, Slovakia and Poland regarding partnership creation within the EPHA EU funded-project activities.
In January 2006, EPHA launched a call for the expression of interest for partnership for organisations in new EU member states.
To support the approved applicants in implementing the proposed activities, EPHA’s project coordinator visited 4 organisations (Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland): (...)

Mental Health Europe seminar on the Green Paper on Mental Health

Mental Health Europe organises a seminar on the 12 May 2006 to discuss about the European Commission Green Paper on Mental Health.
The seminar aims to exchange ideas on Mental Health Europe response to the Green Paper, more particularly on a public policy approach to Mental health, as well as an emphasis on positive Mental Health and well-being.
The second part of the seminar intends to give participants a general overview of some EU Member States’ initiatives to tackle mental disability (...)

Pandemic Flu - How Would You and Your Hospital Cope?

On Tuesday 19 september 2006, the Royal College of Physicians organises a conference on how to prepare for an influenza pandemic, in London.
This conference aims to:
inform relevant hospital doctors and nurses about the practical aspects of a flu pandemic;
educate doctors who are not normally involved with acute medicine on what they may be called upon to do during a pandemic;
Stimulate debate about managing a pandemic.
Agenda and registration form
For further information please (...)

Seminar on the Right to Live in the Community

The European Coalition for Communnity Living, founded in part by Mental Health Europe, are hosting a seminar on the Right to Live in the Community, which takes place in Brussels on 17 May 2006.
The aim of the seminar is to discuss key issues and challenges in the development of comprehensive, quality community-based services for people with disabilities in Europe. It is also an opportunity for those involved in the promotion, development or provision of community-based services to share (...)

5th annual International Conference on Urban Health (ICUH)

The Municipal Health Service of Amsterdam, part of Netherlands Association for Community Health Services (EPHA’s member) organises the 5th annual International Conference on Urban Health (ICUH) on 25-28 October 2006 in Amsterdam.
The conference will concentrate on “Population mobility and its effect on urban health”.
It will consist of plenary lectures, parallel sessions, workshops, symposia and poster presentations giving opportunities for discussion on urban health. About 600 (...)

EEN wins Children’s Environmental Health Recognition Award

In March 2006, EPHA Environment Network received the Children’s Environmental Health Recognition Award from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Children’s Health Protection.
The prize intends to recognise ongoing and sustainable dedication and notable leadership in protecting children from environmental health risks at local, regional, national and international level. It was awarded to EPHA Environment Network for a youth participatory project entitled "It’s (...)

Green Week 2006: Changing our Behaviour to Preserve Biodiversity

The European Commission 2006 Green Week, which ran from 30 May to 2 June 2006 focuses on changing people’s behaviour with regard to the preservation of biodiversity.
The Greek Week 2006 Conference Programme looks at key aspects of EU biodiversity policy and potential approaches for strengthening cooperation with stakeholders to ensure the 2010 target is reached. The programme is structured around four main strands:
Biodiversity as a global issue;
The management of natural resources; (...)

Latvian environmental NGO campaigns for a stronger REACH

Pasaules Dabas Fonds, a Latvian environmental organisation, in association with WWF, is participating in the international Detox Campaign for a safer EU legislation on chemical products.
The campaign aims to warn the public that many everyday goods contain toxic chemicals that accumulate in human blood. These man-made chemicals may be carcinogenic, allergenic, or hormone disrupting.
Currently a new EU regulatory framework for chemicals is being drafted and European health and Environment (...)

*UPDATED* ECJ case on Swedish alcohol retail monopoly

*UPDATE: On 5 June 2007 the European Court of Justice ruled that the Swedish monopoly is a disproportionate measure to attain the objective of limiting alcohol consumption in general and limiting underage drinking. The ECJ concluded that the monopoly was against the EU principle of free movement of goods, and that it was therefore not compatible with EU law.
Despite that judgement, Maria Larsson, Swedish public health minister, confirmed that the alcohol monopoly will stay put and that the (...)

Call for Information - Health Effects of Smokeless Tobacco Products

The European Commission Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) seeks scientific opinions on Health Effects of Smokeless Tobacco Products.]
The Scientific Committees provide the Commission with the scientific advice it needs when preparing policy and proposals relating to consumer safety, public health and the environment. As one of these committees, SCENIHR’s mandate is to question emerging or newly-identified risks on broad, complex or (...)

**UPDATED**European Court of Justice asked to rule on marketing of herbal cigarettes

*Updated with the conclusions of the Court.* The Supreme Court of the Netherlands has referred to the European Court of Justice for a preliminary ruling on herbal cigarettes.
In the case of ‘A.C. Smits-Koolhoven against Staatssecretaris van Financiën’, the Supreme Court of Netherlands asked if herbal cigarettes are to be considered and defined as tobacco products and thereof submitted to the same rules.
The Supreme Court of Netherlands refers particularly to the Council Directive 95/59/EC (...)

*UPDATED* European Commission consultation on labelling

*UPDATED with the publication of a report from the European Commission.* The European Commission Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protectionlaunched a consultation to review a number of labelling issues.
In order to increase consistency between the proposals they plan to submit, they have decided to launch a consultation with key stakeholders.
EPHA responded to the consultation (see attached document)
Report on the responses: Labelling: Competitiveness, Consumer information and (...)

Seminar on socially disadvantaged children in the European Parliament

The experiences of socially disadvantaged children in the decision-making processes are explored in an event organised by Eurochild in the European Parliament on 7 June 2006.
In advance of the publication of the Communication on the Rights of the Child, to be released by the European Commission on the initiative of Commissioner Franco Frattini in July 2006, socially disadvantaged children will describe their experiences in participating in decision-making processes that directly concern (...)

*UPDATED* European Citizens’ Initiative launched

An alliance of European civil societies have launched a campaign entitled the European Citizens’ Initiative. It is calling for the introduction of the citizens’ right of initiative in the EU.
The European Citizens’ initiative (ECI) would require the European Commission to respond to a proposed change in European law signed by at least one million EU citizens. This would enable European citizens and civil society organizations to directly influence the political agenda of the EU for (...)

Assessing the health of prisoners in Europe

the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and the World Health Organisation - Europe Region have joined forces to build a database assessing the health of prisoners in Europe.
Among other issues, the database particularly intends to draw the attention on the prevalence of drug abuse within the target group.
Although the full database will only be available online as of July 2006, the first step of the project focuses on drug prevalence and entails a database on (...)

Latvian NGOs meet Prime Minister to organise stakeholders’ participation in policy-making

Latvian Prime Minister, Mr Aigars Kalvitis, organised a full week of discussions with representatives of national NGOs from 6-12 February 2006 to evaluate current cooperation and to develop the system further.
In 15 May 2005, a memorandum establishing guidelines of cooperation between public authorities and NGOs was agreed upon. So far, 61 national NGOs have endorsed it.
The Civic Alliance Latvia (CAL) briefly summarised the positive aspects of the document:
Foreseen co-financing for (...)

Global Alliance to fight chronic respiratory diseases

The World Health Organisation launched on the 28 March 2006 in Beijing a Global Alliance to fight chronic respiratory diseases through a comprehensive and coordinated approach.
The Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD) is a voluntary alliance of internationally recognized organizations, institutions, and agencies from developing and developed countries working to improve lung health, worldwide. The Global Alliance is an initiative of the World Health Organisation.
The (...)

Improving Romani health status - the role of health mediator programs

Open Society Institute Network Public Health Program has published a report entitled “Mediating Romani Health: Policy and Program Opportunities”. The report examines an initiative of several Eastern European governments, known as Roma Health Mediator (RHM) programs.
Based on a study of the Roma health mediator model in Bulgaria, Finland, and Romania, it aims to identify both the potential and shortcomings of health mediator programs (RHM) in addressing the determinants of (...)

What role for the EU in the global fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic?

Ahead of the June 2006 review of the United Nations Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, health NGOs call the EU to act as a global leader in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
In June 2001, the United Nations held a United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on HIV/AID where all UN Member States agreed to respond to HIV/AIDS with specific commitments and deadlines in a ’Declaration of Commitment’. Despite the fact that the Declaration is not legally binding, more than (...)

**UPDATED** Research and Development in global health

UPDATED with the results of the World Health Assembly. In May 2006, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution on "Global Framework on Essential Health Research and Development", which aims to address the priority health needs of people living with HIV/AIDS and other diseases, especially those in poor countries, and to develop improved safe and affordable health products such as HIV vaccines.
NGO campaigning activities
In order to support the upcoming 2006 World Health Assembly (...)