On 30 September I launched the campaign Europe for Patients. This campaign highlights the different health policy initiatives the Commission intends to adopt in the coming 6-9 months. All these initiatives are bound by a common goal – improving health care in Europe and consequently the lives of patients.
This is a policy driven campaign which incorporates several different policy proposals that are related to healthcare and health systems: they address patient safety, rare diseases, organ donation and transplantation, cancer screening, health workforce, flu and childhood vaccination and antibiotic use. The aim of this campaign is to provide a tangible and understandable concept to frame these initiatives and to provide a simple entry point to the often complex world of EU healthcare policies and actions.
It is an ambitious agenda and provides a clear and coherent message about our vision and priorities in healthcare. The campaign will contribute towards achieving one of the key values promoted in the EU health strategy, that of citizens' empowerment. A dedicated webpage on the EU health portal has been created for Europe for Patients. The aim of this website, available in 22 languages, is to serve as an information hub where people can post their events and news about the Europe for Patients' initiatives that most concern them.
I want to encourage information flow in many different directions at different levels and between different partners. I want to involve citizens in our health policymaking by bringing initiatives closer to the public; initiatives that really matter because they can provide patients with opportunities to receive safe and high quality healthcare they need, expect and demand. This is why I hope and expect that the Europe for Patients campaign will be a success.
I am counting on the support from patients associations, health professionals, national and regional representatives, members of the European Parliament, industry, insurers, and many other organisations – for we can all make a contribution towards the same aim: improving healthcare for everyone in Europe.
