EFA

Apart from the fantastic launch of a Parliament Interest Group on Access to Healthcare, January was full of opportunities to link up patients with other communities through a training for primary care doctors in Italy, a symposium on allergy with educational professionals in France, or our endorsement to the European Respiratory Society campaign launch in Brussels. Training for primary care doctors on patients’ needs

In January 2015, the International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) organised a two day  “Teach the Teacher: Difficult to Manage Asthma” workshop in Rome. The event brought together clinical colleagues from eight EU countries to build their ability to teach other clinical colleagues the key messages around severe asthma. The expert speakers coached attendees to design and plan national educational programmes for clinicians. EFA President Breda Flood trained the participants on the patient needs and expectations of primary care treatment. The aim of the Teach the Teacher programme is to develop a core group of clinicians who are capable of designing and delivering locally relevant, evidence-based education for primary care audiences. The course looked at how adults learn and how to evaluate education, as well as content about asthma, difficult to manage asthma and severe asthma.   French symposium on health impacts of allergies and environment at school

On January 23, EFA Communications Manager Isabel Proaño participated in a national symposium on “Allergies and the environment: their impact on health and education”, organized by the French Association for Health Prevention at School and University (AFPSSU) in Paris. The event gathered experts from all over France to present and discuss the effects that polluted, crowded and allergenic environments can have on children and studying adults. The programme proposed speakers from all disciplines, including medical staff in educational institutions, allergologists, patients, air quality researchers or engineers. All different approaches presented by the panelists served the audience to have a clear understanding of the elements impacting the air and food children breathe and eat. EFA was honored to accompany EFA’s Member Asthma and Allergies presentation and to participate in a panel, explaining the patient perspective at European level and presenting on the latest environmental and health policy developments within the EU institutions. EFA's presentation is here. The video of the presentations are here (Asthme & Allergies) and here (EFA).   Launch of Healthy Lungs for Life campaign in Brussels On the 19th-21st of January, the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and European Lung Foundation (ELF) organised Healthy Lungs for Life event which included an exhibition on lung health, free spirometry testing and a roundtable discussion between MEPs on lung health. EFA was represented by EFA Communication Manager Isabel Proaño and EFA Junior Policy Officer Jelena Malinina. The event was hosted by MEP Claudiu Ciprian Tănăsescu (S&D, Romania) and aimed at raising awareness of the importance of healthy lungs, particularly after the recent announcement that the EU Clean Air Package is due to be modified. The speakers of the event highlighted that air quality affects the lungs of 100% population and creates extra costs: the total expenditure of respiratory disease in the EU Member States exceeds €380 billion. Even minor increases in preventive measures of respiratory diseases would result in great effects on the health of Europeans. Some worrying data was also presented on the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): 300,000 people die annually in Europe and the direct costs of the COPD are the highest among other respiratory diseases, such as lung cancer or asthma, accounting annually for €141.4 billion. The necessity of development of early diagnosis strategies, as well as increasing awareness on COPD was highlighted. During the spirometry test more than 500 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and EP staff had their lungs tested. The results have shown that 40% of current and ex-smokers had some lung-related problems.   Air Quality Policy Breakfast Meeting On the 22nd of January, EFA EU Junior Policy Officer Jelena Malinina participated in an air quality policy breakfast meeting organised by Transport & Environment, Health and Environment Alliance, and the European Environmental Bureau and hosted by MEP Seb Dance (United Kingdom, S&D). The event highlighted the health impact of air pollution and the role and contribution of transboundary pollution to that burden. Representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Commission underlined that the implementation of the EU Clean Air Package would prevent 200,000 premature deaths per year by 2030, reduce the loss of average statistical life expectancy due to air pollution from 8.5 months in 2005 to 5.3 months in 2025, and in total will reduce air pollution impact to health by 52% in comparison with indicators for 2005. Taking into account the legislation related to air quality that will be revised in the coming months and years, participants agreed that MEPs need to be mobilised on the issue of air quality to ensure they are well informed about the consequences of air pollution on human health.   European Parliament meeting on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals On the 7^th of January, EFA Junior Policy Officer Jelena Malinina attended the meeting of Members of the European Parliament against Cancer (MAC), co-organised by the Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL) and the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL). The aim of the meeting was to discuss cancer prevention through better regulation of hormone disrupting chemicals (EDCs). EDCs are defined as a non-natural chemical, or mixture of chemicals, that interferes with any aspect of hormone action. People come into contact with EDCs by a variety of routes, including consumption of food and water, through the skin, by inhalation, through mother to infant (across the placenta and through lactation). EDCs might be responsible cause of many diseases, including cancers and respiratory diseases. The host of the meeting MEP Christel Schaldemose noted that “effective regulation of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) represents an important opportunity for the primary prevention of hormone-related cancers, including breast, prostate and testicular.” This MAC meeting highlighted recent World Health Organisation and other scientific evidence, as well as the findings of two publications which have estimated potential health benefits and cost savings from regulatory action on EDCs. Speakers highlighted that the overall costs related to EDC exposure may be up to €31 billion per year in the European Union.   Other events EFA Director also took part in the first meeting of the Horizon 2020 Scientific Panel for Health and attended the EPF Board meeting and EPF Board officers meeting  with the European Generics Association’s (EGA) Board.