International Alliance of Patients' Organizations (IAPO)

Welcome to the April News update from the International Alliance of Patients' Organizations (IAPO).

Geneva Reception, 12 July 2004
IAPO is pleased to announce that the next meeting of the Governing Board will be held in Geneva on Saturday 10 & Sunday 11 July 2004. The Board have decided to take advantage of this location by holding a Reception on Monday 12 July from 18.30-20.30 at the John Knox International Center for key representatives from the global health organizations located in and around Geneva.

Confirmed attendees include key representatives from WHO, the World Medical Association, the International Council of Nurses, the International Pharmaceutical Federation, the International Federation of Medical Students Associations, the International Hospital Federation, the International Osteoporosis Foundation, the World Dental Federation, the World Heart Federation, the International Union Against Cancer and the Council on Health Research for Development, amongst others. Professor Ilona Kickbusch, Head of Global Health at Yale and Senior Advisor to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) will be giving the keynote address.

IAPO contributes to WHO Project
During April, IAPO conducted a consultation with its members on the WHO project Preparing a Healthcare Workforce for the 21st Century: The Challenge of Chronic Conditions. This consultation enabled us to communicate patients' experiences and opinions of the healthcare workforce to WHO. WHO have recognised our contribution and useful input to this project. IAPO is pleased to have been given the opportunity to participate in this important project, and is focused on maintaining and developing this consultative role with WHO and other stakeholders.

6th Annual Patient Marketing & Communications Forum, 10-11th May 2004
For the first time, the organizers and attendees of this annual forum are inviting representatives of patients' organizations to participate. Albert van der Zeijden, the IAPO Chair, will be attending to participate in a panel discussion. Other speakers include Scott Ratzan, Chair of EFPIA and Vice President of Government Affairs, Europe for Johnson & Johnson, and Peter Singleton of the Judge Institute of Management. The main themes are direct to consumer and direct to patient advertising and information. IAPO members have been offered half price registration for this event.

IAPO attends Global Public Health Conference
Jo Harkness, our Policy & External Affairs Director, attended the 10th Annual Congress of the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) in Brighton, United Kingdom on 19 and 20 April. Attendees included health professionals representing Public Health Associations from around the world along with researchers, industry and policy-makers. The conference sessions were on diverse topics in healthcare. One of the main themes was revisiting the concepts of Health for All and the need for global action to address communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases was stressed. IAPO was encouraged by hearing frequent references to the need to raise patients' rights and involvement in healthcare in practice aswell as in healthcare policy.

IAPO lent support to the sessions run by the Alliance for Health and the Future. Describing themselves as a 'think and do tank'; their primary aim is to help societies address the issues of population ageing and longevity in positive and constructive ways and to improve well-being and productivity throughout life. Their work programme includes scientific research, events and education and outreach activities. For more information on the Alliance, please click here.

IAPO attends Medical Technology Group Lunch
Jo Harkness attended the Medical Technology Group (MTG) lunch. It was a good opportunity to meet with representatives from the medical devices industry and patients groups. The MTG brings together patients, members of the medical profession, patient groups and the medical devices industry to raise awareness of the benefits of medical technology in different clinical areas. It is commited to increasing patient access to medical technologies. While its focus is in the United Kingdom, MTG recognises the importance of a wider geographical perspective, demonstrated by its membership which includes the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), the European Medical Technology Industry Association (Eucomed) and IAPO.