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EPF launches European Elections campaign 2024

The European Patients Forum (EPF) has officially launched its European Election Campaign 2024, focused on elevating the voice of patients in the EU healthcare landscape.#Vote4Patients aims to ensure that the significant challenges faced by patients are given central attention by candidates and, ultimately, by the European Parliament. The campaign is guided by the Patient Organisations' Manifesto, which was first introduced during EPF's 20th Anniversary event last year. The Manifesto expresses our community’s vision for European patient advocacy and serves as a roadmap for the broader patient movement in Europe. Read more.

Key Messages of the Campaign:

  • Strengthening Involvement: EPF is dedicated to enhancing the role of patient organisations in shaping healthcare policies at both national and regional levels.
  • Ensuring Participation: The campaign highlights the importance of fostering participation grounded in solidarity, equity, mutual trust, sustainability, empowerment, and responsibility.
  • Meaningful Participation: EPF emphasises the need for a meaningful and viable involvement of patient organisations, identifying effective channels and mechanisms in collaboration with patients.
  • Broadening Horizons: Beyond healthcare, EPF calls for the involvement of patient organisations in other policy areas related to public health and quality of life.
  • Inclusive Policy Development: The campaign calls on policy makers to enable patient organisations to participate actively in all stages of policy development, ensuring their voices are heard and considered.
  • Institutionalising Participation: EPF calls for the institutionalisation of participatory processes, diversifying opportunities for patient organisations to contribute meaningfully.
  • Health Technology Assessment Inclusion: The campaign advocates for the inclusion of patient organisations in health technology assessment and related processes, recognising their unique perspectives.
  • Formalised Decision-Making: EPF seeks to formalise patients' participation in any decision-making body on health and related policies.
  • Stable Funding: EPF is committed to ensuring that patient organisations have access to long-term and unrestricted operational funding.
  • Key Partnerships: The campaign calls on policymakers to recognise patient organisations as key partners in improving patient education and building capacities and skills.

Anca Toma, EPF Executive Director, emphasises: “Let this be a commitment towards person-centric healthcare systems and democratic participation of patient organisations. Inclusiveness in healthcare decision-making is a moral obligation as much as a strategic imperative.”

With the upcoming European Parliament elections scheduled between June 6 and 9, 2024, EPF remains committed to shaping the future of healthcare in the European Union, by strengthening patient organisations' impact in national and regional healthcare policies. EPF strives to work towards a truly participatory, democratic, and impactful involvement of patient organisation.

We will soon share with you all the ways in which you can show your support. In the meantime, read the manifesto and be among the first ones to sign our petition!