Between November 26th and 27th, EFA members were invited to Strasbourg to engage in a 2-day programme, consisting of presentations from external speakers and a practical workshop. During the presentations speakers gave useful insights in how they gather and use data, for example in the field of mental health and rare diseases. A focus was also put on defining what type of evidence is relevant to policy makers at both national and European levels.
Collecting best practices and exchanging experience
Importantly, best practices have been shared through the discussion of successful advocacy campaigns in areas such as air pollution and tobacco control. Overall, it was an enriching experience that brought together expert and patient leaders from different sectors and disease areas.
On the second day, some EFA members had the chance to meet with Members of the European Parliament. A comprehensive evaluation report of the 2019 Meet & Greet training will be circulated soon.
Last 2019 EFA webinar focused on transparency
Advocacy was also a topic for discussion in the last webinar of this year, held on December 3rd. Speakers from the European Patient Forum and Transparency International gave their advice on how to guarantee patient representativeness in the governance of organisations and how to ensure transparency in external communication and advocacy.
All material developed and collected in our capacity building programme during the last five years will soon be made available to our members in a specific area in the new EFA website.