EFA participated in the European Patients' Forum's (EPF) High-Level Policy Event, "Towards a Patient-Centred EU Mandate: Health Policy with and for Patients," in Brussels. EFA’s President Marcia Podesta, Vice President Armando Ruiz, and Director of Policy and Communication Isabel Proano, who also serves as an EPF Board member, attended the event to emphasize the urgent need for a stronger health policy to support allergy and respiratory patients across Europe.
Presenting the #KeepBreathing Campaign
At the event, EFA introduced our #KeepBreathing manifesto, calling for a comprehensive EU lung health policy that addresses respiratory patients’ needs. Our message highlighted that a strong lung health strategy is essential for improving patient quality of life, supporting agile economies, and building a resilient society prepared for health crises. The #KeepBreathing campaign, a joint effort of nine European organisations, calls for EU policymakers to implement preventive measures, improve care standards and promote patient-centered research across the EU.
A step forward for patient representation in the EU
The event opened with remarks from EPF President Marco Greco, who introduced the #Vote4Patients campaign and highlighted the EPF’s push for transparent, legitimate, and representative patient organizations in European healthcare. European Commissioner Stella Kyriakides and WHO Regional Director Dr. Hans Kluge both stressed that listening to patient voices is critical for creating healthcare systems that are both resilient and people-centered.
Discussions on patient-centered health policy
Throughout the day, panels and discussions explored the importance of meaningful patient engagement in healthcare, from the research phase through to health technology assessment and service delivery. The first panel focused on the value of including patients at every stage of decision-making process. As part of these discussions, EFA advocated for the needs of our community, allergy and respiratory patients and highlighted the importance of a truly comprehensive European health mandate.
Commitment to building a patient-centered health union
In discussions with Members of the European Parliament, key topics included health literacy, access to medicines, and patient rights, aligning with EFA’s vision for an inclusive, resilient EU Health Union that prioritizes allergy and lung health , ensuring fair access to care across Europe. Closing the event, Dr. Natasha Azzopardi Muscat of WHO Europe and Anca Toma of EPF both emphasised the need for collaboration to transform healthcare systems. EFA fully supports this vision.
Learne more about our #KeepBreathing campaign for better lung health in Europe at breathevision.eu.