EFA

I am the President of Food Allergy Italia, an association founded in 2002 focusing specifically on food allergies. I have taken part in several (inter)national studies on quality of life with food allergies. Being a lawyer, I also perform trainings for doctors, nurses and food business operators on issues related to legislation on food labelling. Board Member since 2020 and President since 2023.

Armando Ruiz serves as International Manager at the Spanish Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (FENAER). In this role, he is responsible for leading the organisation globally to establish alliances and implement projects that improve the gaps between innovation, medical assistance, and the daily lives of patients. Armando is the project manager of the National Patient’s Expert Committee of Spanish Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (SEAIC). He is founder of the Digital Therapeutics Club.

Frida has served as the chairman of the Icelandic asthma and allergy association for 10 years (15 years with the organization). She is a dietitian at the University hospital of Iceland working in the food services, responsible for the specialty and allergy diet, and the food product database. Major experience is within the allergy sector, but there she teaches courses and writes educational material. Frida is involved in an air quality working group administered by the Icelandic government, enforcing Clean air Europe.

Since 2002 I am working for and with lung patients at Longfonds, Lung Foundation Netherlands. At the moment as Team Lead Corporate Affairs and Senior Manager Public Affairs. My expertise and affinities consists of a combination of strategic policy making, political advocacy and voicing patients’ needs. For years I have been working on EFA’s top priority prevention subjects of air quality and a smoke free generation. I enjoy collaborating with all sorts of stakeholders to achieve our goals for the prevention of lung diseases and realizing a better life for lung patients. I will represent the board, among others, in the European Lung Health Group.

As a former President of AFPRAL (Association Française pour la Prévention des Allergies), my journey as a food allergy expert started a decade ago. Being a patient expert myself, I have taken part in several actions for allergy prevention, such as webinars, workshops, international working groups. I gave presentations to medical experts about patient perspective. I am also invited to collaborate with public French Institutions on different subjects related to allergies.

For over 15 years now, I work in the allergy, asthma and COPD patient movement. Being a patient myself, I am passionate about patients’ involvement in health, environment and research policy and partnership approach to achieve this. I represent EFA in many initiatives, last five years I served in the EC DG Research and Innovation’s Horizon 2020 Scientific Panel for Health, I was in the board of European Patients Forum EPF for 12 years and now I am Chair of the Patient Access Partnership PACT . As a Director I support the EFA Board and lead our busy and fabulous Secretariat.

I lead EFA policy and communications work. I joined EFA in 2014 to help EFA patients’ community improve awareness allergy, asthma and COPD. As Deputy Director and carer, I am moved by the need to ultimately bring positive policy change and action to patients and their families. I represent EFA in policy meetings, particularly within EFA’s care portfolio.

In 2020 I joined EFA to lead the management and implementation of EFA’s projects, including the EU funded ones. I have 10 years of experience in the field of public health and international development, both in NGOs and for-profit companies.  My commitment is to ensure that the patients’ perspective is always at the centre of all EFA’s projects and that patients continue being the driver of EFA’s activities. 

I contribute to EFA since 2018 to develop advocacy and communications initiatives vis-á-vis the institutions and other stakeholders in the context of specific policy dossiers. EFA’s mission is fully aligned with my beliefs on the most pressing problems patients face in our days, such as participation in policymaking, the right to quality care, and the need for a healthier ambient environment. I am focal point for EFA’s prevention portfolio.

I joined EFA as Health and Care Policy Officer in October 2024. My role at EFA is to help drive its EU advocacy and policy work, by delivering and collaborating in meaningful allergy and airways disease projects and engaging with key policy-decision makers. I come from a public health background, with experience across different sectors, including; hospitals, NGOs, the European Commission and a public affairs consultancy. I am motivated to improve patients’ access to quality health care, specifically in the area of allergy and airways diseases. 

As the Community Engagement Manager for the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA), I bring over 14 years of experience in the NGO sector, dedicated to supporting vulnerable populations. My career has been focused on building strong networks and fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders to amplify voices and drive meaningful change. I am passionate about creating inclusive environments where community members feel empowered to contribute, ensuring that the collective efforts lead to improved lives for patients.

At EFA I am responsible for the design, management and implementation of several EU and international projects. I have a background in clinical psychology and before settling in Brussels in 2019, I worked in a public health context in Italy. In order to engage and connect with individuals and organisations promoting health and wellbeing at the EU-level, I decided to move to Brussels where I joined a variety of NGOs that enabled me to enter the world of EU-funded initiatives and project management. My expertise mainly focuses on physical and mental health, innovation, green and digital twin transition. Being a qualified psychologist with a strong interest in public health, I am proud to contribute to EFA’s mission of advocating for better health and improving the lives of all people living with allergy and airways diseases.

I joined EFA in October 2024 as a Policy Assistant contributing to EFA's policy work on care aimed at improving the quality of life for patients living with allergies and airway diseases. After graduating with a degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2022, I decided to further develop in the field of public health by completing a Master's of Global Health. My first experience at the European Commission during an internship motivated me to continue fighting health inequalities and work toward improving the lives of patients with allergies and airway diseases.

Ensuring that the patient’s perspective is at the forefront and knowledge and experience on the topic is shared, I joined EFA as Project Manager to contribute to the development, management, and implementation of the federation’s diverse project portfolio. I hold an MA in EU Studies and Human Rights from UCAM Spain, complemented by a BA in European Languages from the University of the Philippines. Before joining EFA, I was a project manager in the field of regional development, working on projects linked to international cooperation, cluster collaboration, and talent attraction.

I joined EFA in 2023 to support policy and communication team with projects' communication and campaigns. After graduating with a degree in marketing, I worked on social and environmental issues in European organisations. As a young communications professional at EFA, I work to ensure the needs of people with allergy, asthma and COPD are heard and understood at all policy levels. I am dedicated to making Europe a better place for patients living with allergy and airways diseases, professionally and personally.