EPF Call for good practices of patient organisations’ cooperation with NGOs representing underserved, vulnerable groups
EPF’s 2016 Roadmap towards inclusion of vulnerable groups’ perspective within patient organisations
In 2016, EPF together with a number of organisations representing underserved groups, vulnerable to health inequalities and/or discrimination (including undocumented migrants, LGBTI people, the Roma, homeless persons and disabled persons) developed a Roadmap for the inclusion of vulnerable groups’ perspectives within patient organisations.
The importance of inclusive patient organisations
The aim of the roadmap is to raise awareness and foster reflection and action on inclusiveness in the patient movement, and to support patient organisations’ advocacy for the rights and specific needs of all groups of patients in an inclusive way within the EU. It contains suggestions for actions to implement both for EPF and for patient organisations at European or national level.
Vulnerability is a cross-cutting issue for patients with chronic and long-term conditions. Patients may be vulnerable due to the impact of their condition, and belonging to another vulnerable group may result in increased barriers to access quality healthcare that corresponds to their needs.
For this reason, proactive action is necessary in order to make the principle of inclusiveness a reality.
Why is EPF collecting good practices of patient organisations’ cooperation with NGOs representing underserved and vulnerable groups?
Many patient organisations are already developing activities in partnership with other associations or groups in order to promote inclusiveness and to advocate for universal access. Sharing publications or information about these activities amongst the patient community is important in order to scale them up, and foster more cooperation.
In follow-up to this Roadmap, EPF is collecting good practices of patient organisations’ cooperation with NGOs representing underserved groups with the aim of publishing a collection of good practices.
Similarly, information relating to lack of cooperation and reasons why this is the case is also useful.
What will these good practices be used for?
The good practices that members submit to us will be published in a collection of best practices, in which other patient organisations will find summaries and links to the best examples of cooperation between patient organisations and NGOs representing underserved, vulnerable groups.
Requested format for best practices and contributions
Please include the following items in your best practice contribution:
- Title (short title that summarises the practice)
- A +-200 word paragraph describing the practice, including the organisations involved, what this cooperation aims to achieve and how it could be scaled up/ shared with other organisations.
- Link to further information (website/ leaflet)
- Contact details
Putting this contribution together should not take longer than 30 minutes.
Please send your best practice contributions and examples of how you are cooperating with organisations representing underserved and vulnerable groups in the requested format indicated above to katie.gallagher@eu-patient.eu by 13 October 2017.
Many thanks in advance for your support!