Research

65th World Health Assembly adopts 21 resolutions

The latest (65th) World Health Assembly gathered on 26 May adopted 21 resolutions on a broad range of health issues including: early marriages and pregnancies, the International Health Regulations, mass gatherings, the Millennium Development Goals, non communicable diseases, pandemic influenza preparedness, intensification of the global polio eradication initiative, research and development, nutrition, the social determinants of health and substandard/spurious/falsely (...)

European Commission new Innovation Partnership on Water still treats water as a commodity

Despite its initial ambition to seek solutions in market-driven innovation and research in accessing to safe, clean and affordable water and sanitation, the European Commission proposal (released last 14 May 2012) on the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Water only strengthens a vision of water as a commodity and not as a public good. EPHA evaluates the proposal Against the background of its support to the European Citizens’ Initiative Right to Water. Read the Commission (...)

European Scientific Working Group on Influenza Flu Summit - Bringing all stakeholders on board

The second Flu Summit organised by EPHA member the European Scientific Working Group on Influenza (ESWI) took place on 23 March 2012. The event explored new concepts and ideas for bringing together all stakeholders in the fight against flu - both seasonal and pandemic. Taking off where the ESWI’s First Flu Summit wound up a year ago, the event once again brought together researchers and academics, policy-makers, NGOs, health professionals and industry representatives to debate a (...)

Save the date (June 6th)- Lunch debate on “Opening up medical research data for an ethical and efficient EU policy”

The Health Action International (HAI) Europe (1), and the Trans-Atlantic Consumer Dialogue (2) are co-ordinating a lunch debate on the subject of “Opening up medical research data for an ethical and efficient EU policy.” The debate will feature Prof. Dr. Wolf-Dieter Ludwig, Chairman at the Drug Commission of the German Medical Association, and Dr. Peter Gøtzsche, Director of the Nordic Cochrane Centre as well as responses from the European Commission, the European Ombudsman and (...)

’’Recognise contribution of intensive care’’, urges MEP Buşoi at European Parliament event

On 15 May 2012, EPHA co-organised an event in collaboration with our member the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) at the European Parliament. Cristian Buşoi MEP (ALDE, Romania) hosted and moderated a policy debate on the contribution of ’’intensivists’’ to better patient outcomes and health systems, tied to the launch of a two-day exhibition to promote the ESCIM’s LIFE-PRIORITY campaign. The overall aim of the policy debate, entitled (...)

EMA reflection paper discusses globalisation of clinical trials

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has published the final reflection paper on ethical and good clinical practice aspects of clinical trials of medicinal products for human use. Conducted outside of the EU/EEA and submitted in marketing authorisation, it produced several applications to the EU regulatory authorities. Entering into force on 1 May 2012, the EMA reflection paper aims to strengthen existing processes to provide assurance to regulators and stakeholders that clinical trials (...)

Save the date. Crisis & Opportunity: Health in an Age of Austerity - 3rd to 6th October 2012, Salzburg, Austria

With this catchy heading, the European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) announces its 2012 leading health policy forum. In this year’s event, six parallel forums will be dissecting how the ongoing multi-tiered crisis is reshaping the way health is understood and dealt in Europe and beyond.

Civil society call for greater public return on EU health R&D spending and a turn to needs-driven innovation

HAI Europe, EPHA member, and TACD (Trans-Atlantic Consumer Dialogue) launched their new Policy Paper. The report is entitled ’Time for the EU to lead on innovation: EU policy opportunities in biomedical innovation and the creation of public knowledge goods today.’ The paper is a call for EU-funded research and development to open needs-driven innovation to support affordable access to biomedical knowledge and public goods. Read HAI and TACD paper: Time for the EU to lead on (...)

European Commission Innovation Partnership on Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability to boost European health?

On 29 February 2012, the European Commission proposed several Innovation Partnerships in order to meet key challenges facing our society, in areas that are crucial to growth and jobs: one of these be sustainable agricultural productivity. The Commission claims a more concerted innovation effort across the public and private sector of agriculture and food production, in order to improve quality of life and position Europe as a global leader. The Commission’s new European Innovation (...)

Clinical Trials Directive: A barrier to research and innovation in Europe?

EPHA member - Cancer Research UK - presents its policy recommendations to reform the Clinical Trials Directive. A new policy briefing by Cancer Research UK, ’’Supporting research, protecting patients’’ has been launched during a meeting in the European Parliament. The briefing contains a number of key recommendations to reform the Clinical Trials Directive, amongst them: option of coordinated assessment procedure for multi-national clinical trials restriction (...)