Newsletter August 2003

Cancun workshop: Access to healthy nutrition

The Wemos Foundation, an EPHA member, is organising a workshop on Food and Nutritional Security during the World Trade Organisation Ministerial meeting in Cancun, Mexico in September 2003.
The event will take place at 14.00 on 12 September.
The event is a result of joint advocacy by civil society groups and organisations involved in food, nutrition, trade and health issues.
Southern and Northern partners will address their national governments and the relevant regional organisations or (...)

Job vacancies in IPPF

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is looking for staff to join their Brussels team.
Click here for more info.

New health promotion website

The Health Development Agency (NHS), a member of EPHA, is one of the partners of the project "Comprehensive Database of Health Promotion Policies, Infrastructures and Practices" to be launched in the European Parliament in Strasbourg next Tuesday 23rd September.
This project, sponsored and largely funded by DG SANCO, includes a new web-based resource and discovery tool for the development of health promotion in the EU and beyond: HP Source.
The speakers include Fernand Sauer (Director of (...)

With a Bike to School - Project of SWF

The Sustainable World Foundation (SWF), a recent new member of the EPHA Environment Network, carried out the project "With a Bike to School" in Sofia, (Bulgaria) from November 2001 to September 2002.
The project aimed to follow up the Master urban plan of Sofia and to extend the biking lines already existing in the city centre. This would offer safer roads and new bike parkings to school children.
As a follow up, SWF would like to expand the project in the District of Mladost in Sofia, (...)

UKPHA participates in beating "diseases of inactivity"

The UK Public Health Association has taken part in WHO’s global consultation on a strategy for non-communicable diseases.
Non-communicable disease (NCD) is an awkward, obscure term, more usually thought of in terms of chronic disease, food-related disease or lifestyle diseases - what some have called the ’disease of inactivity’. There is little confusion about its impact though.
In the US, for example, NCDs are about to overtake smoking in terms of scale and cost. In that country in 2000 (...)

Facts on alcohol

1 in 4 European men and 1 in 10 European women consume alcohol at levels hazardous and harmful to health
1 in 4 drinking occasions includes consumption of more than 6 units of alcohol (60g)
5% of European adults are physically dependent on alcohol
9.2% of all disability and premature death in Europe is due to alcohol (14% for men)
Alcohol is no ordinary commodity.
Submitted by Eurocare.
Source: World Health Organization, Global burden of disease (...)

Mental health for every age group

Mental Health Europe launched the results of one of its projects at a press conference on 8 July in the European Parliament.
The EU-funded project, "Mental Health Promotion and Prevention Strategies for Coping with Anxiety, Depression and stress-Related Disorders in Europe" was been carried out by a consortium of three sectors, each being responsible of one section of the life-cycle (Mental Health Europe: children, adolescents and young people, FIOSH: Working Adults, STAKES: Older People). (...)

RoSPA welcomes decision on mobiles

The UK Government has announced that it will be illegal to use a hand-held phone while driving from December 1, 2003.
This is the culmination of a long campaign by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents which knows of more than 20 deaths on Britain’s roads where mobile phones have been implicated.
Ideally, RoSPA would also like to see a ban on the use of hand-free phones while driving. Research shows that these make people more likely to have accidents, too.
The Royal Society (...)

Eurocare critical of "Drinking and Driving" spending

The advocacy for the prevention of alcohol-related harm in Europe group, Eurocare says that the European Commission’s budget for Drink Driving would be better spent on publicity campaigns promoting effective policy options.
The 2.2 million Euro designated to combat drink driving will not provide value for money for European tax payers, according to Eurocare’s new report on Drinking and Driving in Europe.
Eurocare says that whilst such campaigns are appealing, they have little impact on (...)

UICC joins WHO in global advocacy

Two million lives could be saved by 2020 and 6.5 million lives by 2040 according to new WHO/UICC cancer booklet.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) call for action through concerted efforts by all sectors to prevent and treat cancer throughout the world.
By taking immediate action, the organizations estimate that at least two million lives could be saved by 2020 and 6.5 million lives by 2040.
The booklet, Global Action Against Cancer, (...)

IPPF lobby unites 37 groups

Thirty-seven European groups signed up to the International Planned Parenthood - European Network’s petition to members of the Convention on the Future of Europe about the functioning of a participatory democracy under Title VI (namely Articles 33 to 37).
IPPF-EN says that these groups are concerned about Draft Article 37, which incorporates Declaration No 11 annexed to the Treaty of Amsterdam on the recognition of the status of churches and non-confessional organisations and (...)

PGEU says pharmacists’ role growing

During the AGM in June, the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union announced the publication of its new brochure, "The Community Pharmacist: The Health Professional European citizens see most often".
The theme is the changing and expanding role of community pharmacy and community pharmacists in patient care in Europe.
PGEU has an ongoing project on "the role of the pharmacy in the (...)

Campaign launched to keep young children safely in the swim

An EU-wide campaign has been launched to help curb the rising death toll of children drowned in accidents.
The campaign, by European Child Safety Alliance (ECOSA), is particularly aimed at Finland, Austria and the Netherlands, the three member states with the highest number of deaths.
As part of an awareness-raising exercise, information about how such accidents can be prevented will be distributed to the public.
ECOSA urges increased levels of supervision, use of lifejackets while (...)

WECF urges resistance against industry attacks

Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF) have called on civil society groups to urgently respond to the EU consultation on a draft new chemicals policy. (The deadline for comments was July 10).
In a press release following their conference 28-29 June, they say that the European chemicals industry and the United States government have together mounted one of the biggest-ever lobbying campaigns against tighter chemicals controls.
"This [industry and American administration lobbying] is (...)

New environmental health news website

This new website contains daily links to press coverage of environmental health isuses, plus links to science digests of new, relevant findings and links to reports by organizations working on related issues.
The email newsletter contains headlines, short descriptions and links to newstories appearing on the front page of the website, usually 5-7 articles per day.
An additional link is provided to a page with additional stories, sometimes as many as 30 in one day.
If you want to receive (...)

National monitoring of chemicals and health in UK

The new UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) will have a remit to study the long term health effects of low-level chemical and radiation exposure. This reflects a enw political priority and recognises the public concern about the health risks from use of mobile phones, industrial chemicals and pollution from landfill sites and incinerators. The HPA’s first five-year plan , states that exposure to chemicals and poisons isgreater in poor and disadvantaged areas and that children are be at (...)

Commission launches recommendations on genetic testing

A high level expert group have made 25 recommendations to ensure that genetic testing is used responsibly. The expert groups included academics, industry and civil society representatives and they addressed the social, ethical and legal implications at a conference in Brussels on 6-7 May 2004/
The conference, organised by DG Research resulted in a call to ensure that genetic testing remain a matter of free choice.
The 25 (...)

August 2003, IGC Preparations and Member State Positions on the Convention

THE IGC
Italian Presidency says "European Constitution, Agreement Not Easy, Not Impossible", 28th July
Presidency website. Finding a compromise solution to allow for the adoption of a future European Constitution "will not be easy but it won’t be impossible either," according to Premier and European Union duty president Silvio Berlusconi.
Italy intends to play a neutral role in the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) which it hopes will complete its work by December 10, he said during a (...)

August 2003, The ’Green Eight’ criticises the Constitutional Text

A group of eight leading environmental groups have criticised the draft EU constitution ahead of the intergovernmental debate on the blueprint due to start in October.
They suggest big amendments to the Union’s main policies such as agriculture.
The other main fault, the group finds, is the fact that the Euratom treaty dating from 1957 at a time when nuclear energy was "was perceived as a safe energy source" is included in the draft constitution.
’Green Eight’ consists of Birdlife (...)

EU compensates precautionary measures on FMD by some Member States

The European Commission has adopted four Decisions fixing the EU financial contribution for the costs of precautionary measures taken by four Member States to avoid the introduction and spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) on their territory during the epidemic of 2001.
These cover the costs for the slaughter and destruction of animals and for the destruction of milk and feedingstuffs and the costs for cleaning and desinfecting holdings.
The indicative EU contribution (60% of total (...)

WTO Panel on EU’s GMO Approach

Argentina, Canada and the U.S. requested last 18th August the establishment of a WTO Panel on the EU’s approach to genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
David Byrne, EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection stated: "Only a month ago we updated our regulatory system on GMOs in line with the latest scientific and international developments. Clear labelling and traceability rules are essential to help restore consumer confidence in GMO’s in Europe."
David Byrne recalled that it is (...)

Commissioner Byrne at the Children and Nutrition Congress

Last 8th July, David Byrne, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, gave a speech on "Food for thought - nutrition and public health policy" at the Children and nutrition Congress, Berlin.
Full speech

No advance on indigenous peoples’ health and rights

As the United Nations Decade of the World’s Indigenous People comes to an end, a study reveals that, far from seeing improvements in their situation over the past ten years, the world’s indigenous peoples feel their voices are not being listened to, and that their health needs and rights are continuing to be ignored and marginalised.
"Utz’ Wach’il: health and wellbeing among indigenous peoples" is based on a study by Health Unlimited, a British NGO supporting poor people in their efforts to (...)

New website "Smoke at work"

This website is part of a pan-European project on protecting workers from passive smoking.
The project is being co-ordinated by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the UK and steered by union representatives from seven European countries including Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Portugal, Sweden, Romania, and the UK.
The project is particularly focussed on those people who work in the leisure industry - pubs, nightclubs and restaurants. These workers are most at risk from the effects of passive (...)

Commission Backs Down on Pharmaceutical Data Collection Case

The European Commission has withdrawn its interim measures decision adopted on 3 July 2001 against IMS Health (IMS), the world leader in data collection on pharmaceutical sales and prescriptions.
A judgment from the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court, while recognising that IMS Health’s 1860 brick structure was protected by national copyright, now allows NDC Health (NDC) to market a brick structure which meets customers’ needs.
Therefore the Commission decided that there is no longer an (...)

Australian Developments on Advertising of Food to Children

Advertisers of junk food who target children could face tougher rules as the Australian government moves to tackle the health issues caused by the one in five children who are obese.
More info on this issue:
BMJ article

Baby milk company condemned for illegal advertising direct to consumers

SMA Nutrition, part of Wyeth, one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of infant formula milk, was last week fined a total of £26 000 ($41 900; €37 200) and ordered to pay costs of more than £34 000 after being convicted of six separate breaches of illegal advertising direct to consumers.
More info on this issue:
BMA article

12th World Conference on Tobacco or Health

The week-long conference of the World Health Organization was attended by about 2.000 representatives from 115 countries.
It started on the 3rd of August and was held in Helsinki, Finland.
It focused on tobacco control policies and links between smoking to youth, addiction, culture and religion.
Home page of the conference
Press room of the conference
Commissioner David Byrne’s speech at (...)

MSF and Oxfam say WTO drugs deal is "flawed"

The WTO agreement of 30 August 2003, which is ostensibly intended to get drugs to the poorest countries, does not provide a workable solution, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Oxfam.
"Today’s deal was designed to offer comfort to the US and the Western pharmaceutical industry," said Ellen ’t Hoen of MSF. "Unfortunately, it offers little comfort for poor patients. Global patent rules will continue to drive up the price of medicines."
The original intention of the talks was (...)

Pose your questions on Cancun to Lamy

Europe’s chief trade negotiator Pascal Lamy will be online from 18:00 on Thursday 4th September to answer questions on the Cancun ministerial.
Click here for more infor on how to participate in the chat.

Info Pack for Cancun

The European Commission has prepared an agriculture information pack for the upcoming WTO Ministerial meeting in Cancún, Mexico from 10 to 14 September 2003.
The information material contains facts and figures about the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and its history of reforms, the EU’s approach for Cancún, especially regarding developing countries and non-trade concerns and a glossary which helps to decipher WTO- and (...)

Public consultation on EMEA transparency initiatives

The European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA) has introduced a number of initiatives since 1995 to improve the openness and transparency of its activities. In each case these initiatives were the subject of public consultation before their introduction. This latest consultation exercise is being held at the same time as the European Union institutions are looking at proposals to revise EU pharmaceutical legislation. These legislative proposals include a number of important changes to (...)

Pharmacovigilance - an introduction

The European Medicinces Evaluation Agency (EMEA) has a working group on Pharmacovigilance. Emmanuel Trenado has been organising input on behalf of EPHA member organisations. He has drafted this introductory text on the question of pharmacovigilance. Comments welcome until the end of August 2003.
While you are having your breakfast, you hear on the radio that a certain medicine against cholesterol or against insomnia or pain has been taken off the market, that there have been some deaths, (...)