On December 6th Katharine Wheeler participated in the closing conference for EPF’s campaign on Access to Healthcare for All. At the conference EPF presented their Roadmap for Universal Health Coverage for all. Katharine was invited to speak as a patient organisation representative and stressed the importance of leaving no-one behind if we want to achieve the UN sustainable development goals by 2030. She also stressed how important it is that all stakeholders, including patients, are involved across the board and that involvement is not limited to token gestures when it comes to designing new policies and looking at ways to reduce waste while improving the standard of care. This is all the more true when it comes to complex, chronic and rare diseases where care can be fragmented at best in any country, or almost non-existent in others.

Below you will find EPF’s press release, issued on 6th December.

TAKING ACTION: EPF’S ROADMAP TO ACHIEVE
UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE FOR ALL BY 2030

BRUSSELS, 6 December 2017 – EPF’s Campaign on Access to Healthcare for All calling for Universal Health Coverage by 2030 is coming to an end. During its closing Conference held today at the European Parliament, EPF presented its Roadmap and called for political change to ensure the rights of all patients are respected, to fight the health inequalities that persist across the EU, and to make health a priority in all policies at national and EU levels.

A tool for political guidance and a call for a long-term vision

Patients and citizens still face many unmet needs and unequal access to healthcare in all EU Member States. The output of EPF’s one-year campaign, EPF’s Roadmap to achieving universal health coverage for all by 2030 aims to tackle these in two main ways: “With this Roadmap we want to provide political guidance and recommendations to policy makers and politicians and to encourage them to have a longer-term vision and to reflect on what kind of society we want for the patient community and the wider public by 2030.” said Nicola Bedlington, EPF Secretary General.

What is EPF advocating for?

This Roadmap is intended mainly for EU and Member State decision and policy-makers and urges them to:

  • Provide equitable access to high-quality care to all patients, regardless of which country the live in or their country of origin;
  • Commit to invest sustainably in healthcare based on outcomes and added value;
  • Ensure the delivery of healthcare products and services that are affordable for all;
  • Promote better coordination of care and implement access to a holistic range of health and related services, ensuring that the package of services covered by the healthcare system is tailored to the needs of patients;
  • End the discrimination and stigma that patients face and make sure that no population is excluded.

UN SDGs as a compass, European health collaboration as a means

The Roadmap emphasises the importance and need to establish a transparent, inclusive and collaborative working process for the implementation of UHC and the UN SDGs.

“I we don’t get it right on the SDG on Health, then there is a risk that the other SDGs will fail. By the same token, if we don’t get it right in health collaboration post 2020, then some other big aspirations for the EU in terms of economics and growth will also fail,” added Nicola Bedlington.

This Roadmap echoes numerous initiatives taken by EPF to increase access for patients and citizens across Europe. On Monday 4th December, the EPF roundtable on cross-border healthcare provided an updated assessment of the current state of implementation of the directive from the perspective of patients, pointing out the gaps in access but also in the quality and safety of the care received across Europe.

Please find here EPF’s Roadmap entitled ‘Taking Action – A Roadmap to Achieving Universal Health Coverage for All by 2030’.

A factsheet giving a snapshot of this Roadmap has also been developed.

access_to_healthcare_ii

access_to_healthcare_.jpg

Live Facebook Feed

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons
1 week ago
LUPUS EUROPE

🚨 Call for patients🚨

🔊 INSPIRE SURVEY from the University of Cambridge.

This survey aims to improve the understanding of neurological symptoms in SLE and other rheumatic conditions.

Lupus is a very heterogeneous disease, which means that it affects people of different ethnic backgrounds and gender in different ways.

That is why, to get accurate research results, as many different groups as possible must be represented in the sample.

The INSPIRE survey was launched last year to get the patient experience on the assessment/monitoring of neurological symptoms, but they received very few responses from people from ethnic minorities.

That is why the research team led by Dr Chris Wincup has launched a new survey.

The new INSPIRE survey can be completed by lupus patients or their carers from around the world.

🟣 Please share as much as possible 🟣 in order to get a sample that includes a good proportion of all ethnic groups.

Thank you!

bit.ly/inspire_patients_short
... See MoreSee Less

Comment on Facebook

I did it a second time and no it went good till the end

The survey was demolished.

1 week ago
LUPUS EUROPE

Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is the most common form of chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus. It is characterised by persistent scaly plaques on the scalp, face, and ears, which can progress to scarring, atrophy, depigmentation, and permanent hair loss in affected hair-bearing areas (Source: DermNet).

This study, published by Prof Marca Mosca et al., describes 2 cases of severe and refractory DLE successfully treated with anifrolumab, a human monoclonal antibody.

Although anifrolumab has been recently approved for the treatment of SLE, data from randomized clinical trials have shown a significant difference in cutaneous response rate in patients treated with anifrolumab from those in the placebo group.

While the effectiveness of this treatment in real life and in different types of skin lesions has yet to be determined, it could represent a new valid opportunity for treating DLE.

jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/article-abstract/2798967
... See MoreSee Less

Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is the most common form of chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus. It is characterised by persistent scaly plaques on the scalp, face, and ears, which can progress to scarring, atrophy, depigmentation, and permanent hair loss in affected hair-bearing areas (Source: DermNet). 

This study, published by Prof Marca Mosca et al., describes 2 cases of severe and refractory DLE successfully treated with anifrolumab, a human monoclonal antibody. 

Although anifrolumab has been recently approved for the treatment of SLE, data from randomized clinical trials have shown a significant difference in cutaneous response rate in patients treated with anifrolumab from those in the placebo group. 

While the effectiveness of this treatment in real life and in different types of skin lesions has yet to be determined, it could represent a new valid opportunity for treating DLE.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/article-abstract/2798967Image attachmentImage attachment
1 week ago
LUPUS EUROPE

We know some of you missed the great seminar recently delivered by Prof. Laurent Arnaud.

Well, no worries!

You have the chance to see it again, thanks to the European Federation of Internal Medicine (EFIM).

"Challenges in 2023 for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus".

Next 29th of March at 18:00 CET (i.e. Paris time).

Register for free here!

us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_O5yMwjfgTS29pMKvOZfgZw
... See MoreSee Less

We know some of you missed the great seminar recently delivered by Prof. Laurent Arnaud. 

Well, no worries! 

You have the chance to see it again, thanks to the European Federation of Internal Medicine (EFIM). 

Challenges in 2023 for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Next 29th of March at 18:00 CET (i.e. Paris time).

Register for free here! 

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_O5yMwjfgTS29pMKvOZfgZwImage attachment
1 week ago
LUPUS EUROPE

Did you miss this ERN RECONNET webinar with Lou Kawka and Prof Laurent Arnaud about #fatigue in #SLE?

Now you have the chance to watch it!!! 😃🙌

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jc7SiP5BsA
... See MoreSee Less

Did you miss this ERN RECONNET webinar with Lou Kawka and Prof Laurent Arnaud about #fatigue in #SLE? 

Now you have the chance to watch it!!! 😃🙌

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jc7SiP5BsA
LUPUS EUROPE Uniting people with Lupus throughout Europe
Send