{"id":27,"date":"2025-04-14T08:35:51","date_gmt":"2025-04-14T07:35:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/efanet.org\/annual-report\/?page_id=27"},"modified":"2025-05-16T12:04:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T11:04:14","slug":"efa-community-membership","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/efanet.org\/annual-report\/2024\/community\/efa-community-membership\/","title":{"rendered":"EFA Community Membership"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

EFA proudly brings together 45 member organisations from 27 countries, representing a diverse network of national patient associations advocating for people living with food allergies, atopic eczema, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our members range from small, volunteer-led groups to well-established organisations with teams of up to 80 full-time employees, supporting communities from a hundred to two million patients and carers. This diversity strengthens our collective voice, ensuring that the needs and experiences of patients across Europe are heard and addressed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024 we were delighted to welcome two new member organisations who voted in at the 2024 AGM and joined the EFA Community: the AAA Association of patients from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Malta Eczema Society. In addition, three new member organisations submitted applications andwill be voted in at the 2025 AGM: Allergissima (Switzerland, Food Allergy), Luxembourg Allergy Network (Luxembourg) and AADA Association of People affected by Dermatitis (Spain, Atopic Dermatitis).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EFA 2024 Community Meeting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Every year, EFA organises a Community Meeting for its membership. In 2024, the event took place in April in Stockholm, Sweden, focused on the theme: Stronger if we are together: Partnership for Empowerment and Leadership<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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EFA Community Working Groups session during the Community Meeting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The programme of the meeting was developed by the Community Meeting Committee (composed of six EFA members from France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) through two dedicated meetings ahead of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event gathered 24 EFA members from 18 European countries. Seven members presented their best practices around how to build effective collaborations. In addition, and for the first time ever, the event hosted EFA Community at large, welcoming partner NGOs (EUPATI and Global Skin) and EFA Sustainable Corporate Partners, to explore effective collaborations to strengthen the allergy and respiratory patients\u2019 community across Europe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Testimonial – EFA Member<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Excellent job! All members were enthusiastic due to the dynamic format and appropriate time for networking and discussions<\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Testimonial – EFA Member<\/div><\/div><\/div>
We are happy to be part of EFA and much appreciate the fluent, easy and pro-active communication between us and\u00a0 the personal relationship we are building with all of you. We hope to improve more and more our mutual support<\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Testimonial – EFA Member<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Thanks, EFA, for the awesome event. I\u2019m really grateful for the chance to be there and meet great people, learn new things, and make friends. Your hard work made it all possible, and I appreciate it!<\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Testimonial – EFA Member<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Excellent job! All members were enthusiastic due to the dynamic format and appropriate time for networking and discussions<\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n

EFA Working Groups<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

EFA also continued its efforts to improve the participation in the Working Groups, including in-person discussions at the annual Community Meeting, to better understand members’ needs and priorities. Four working groups were active in 2024 (Atopic Eczema, Food Allergy, Allergy and Asthma, COPD), for a total of 13 meetings organised and two workshops dedicated to the launch of the new report \u201cRaising the Bar for Better Standards of Care for COPD<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EFA Allergy & Asthma Youth Parliament<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Through the Allergy & Asthma Youth Parliament, EFA kept young patient advocates abreast of EU developments and policies that are important for their health, while providing a space for them to share their ideas, challenges, successes and experiences. The initiative aims to foster national youth patient leader\u2019s knowledge and interest into the regional decisions affecting them, at EU and WHO Europe level, and involve them in EFA daily advocacy work to include the views of the youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Youth Parliament Member, Eimear O’Rourke and EFA Senior Policy Advisor, Panagiotis Chaslaridis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the regular YP meetings, EFA further integrated the Youth Parliament members into its own activities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n