TransAtlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD) organises a new one-day conference entitled “Access to medicines crisis in Greece: Society demands fair solutions” scheduled to take place on 13 December 2013 at the European Parliament office in Athens (Amalias Avenue 8, metro station “Syntagma”) with the support of Médecins du Monde Greece, Médecins Sans Frontières, PRAKSIS, DEDIDIKA -Intergroup Committee for Cancer Patient Rights Advocacy in Greece, Greek consumer association EKPIZO, MEP Nikos Chrysogelos (Greens/EFA, EL) and the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA).
The aims of the conference are:
a) Reviewing the state of play of access to medicine in Greece, b) Examining proposed Greek policies and EU measures under the prism of the Athens Declaration on Access to Medicines, c) Zooming in on the key policy contradictions and bringing together authorities and stakeholders, d) Considering diverse policy responses to the access to medicine problem and e) Laying the groundwork for future sustainable and systematic dialogue on these issues.
– Civil society empowerment workshop
The second half of the conference will include an advocacy capacity-building workshop for Greek civil society representatives. They will have the opportunity to listen to Greek and foreign experts, brainstorm and work with them on setting out a platform for common action. Civil society health-related initiatives in Greece are increasing in light of the crisis but coordinated, effective and long-term strategic planning are needed so as to i) ensure citizens’ involvement in the decision-making process, ii) bridge the present gap between civil society and meaningful dialogue over access to health with the Greek government, the industry, the Troika and the EU and iii) provide civil society stakeholders with the know-how on the necessary tools for mediation and door-opening.
Practical information
Please register until December 10 2013.
Interact on twitter using #a2mGreece. The meeting will be webstreamed live at (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/transatlantic-consumer-dialogue-tacd). The working language will be Greek and there will be simultaneous translation into English.
Please note that this event comes following the first conference that TACD organised on the Greek crisis and its impact on access to medicines which took place in Athens on 31 May 2013. For the presentations given at the May TACD conference, please visit http://www.slideboom.com/people/A2M_AthensConference
About TACD
TACD is an international non-profit NGO bringing together consumer associations from the US & the EU. TACD receives funding from the European Commission and non-profit Foundations. It does not receive any funding from industry.
TACD’s members in Greece are INKA, EK.PIZO and KEPKA among others.
9:15-9:30
Nikos Chrysogelos, MEP, Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament
David Hammerstein, Senior advocate, TransAtlantic Consumer Dialogue, Brussels
“The agreements between the government and the Troika regarding health in Greece: timeline & next steps”
Prof. Christos Lionis, Director, Clinical Social and Family Medicine, faculty of Medicine & the University Hospital of Heraklion (Crete)
“Problems of access to primary health care: Experiences & activities of the Crete Medical School”
Giorgos Zarkotos, association of addicted persons treated by the OKANA program
“Social groups with important access to medicines problems”
Liana Mailli, President, Médecins du Monde Greece
“Work of Medecins du Monde Greece on the ground”
Moderator: David Hammerstein, Senior Advocate, TransAtlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD), Brussels
Q&A
Coffee Break
Policy-making session II: Benchmarks ahead
Rohit Malpani, Director, Policy and advocacy, Doctors Without Borders’ Access Campaign
“Access to Medicines challenges in Europe: What is wrong and which is the way forward?”
Dr. Christos Ntellos, Director, Cardiac surgical dept. Tzanio public hospital (Pireaus)
“Patients’ real needs in medicines in times of crisis”
Prof. Nikos Maniadakis, Associate Dean, National School of Public Health (ESDY)
“The new law for medicines in Greece-detailed presentation”
Giulia Del Brenna, Adviser, Task Force for Greece, European Commission
“Health in Greece: what are the next steps & lessons learned?”
Haralambos Karathanos, Pharmacist, Advisor to the Minister of Health on medicines issues
“The priorities of the Greek government on the issue of medicines”
Moderator:Tasos Telloglou, Reporter, Kathimerini newspaper & Star Channel
Q&A
Civil society empowerment workshop/advocacy capacity-building
Gaelle Krikorian, Adviser on Intellectual Property&Access to Knowledge-Greens/EFA, European Parliament
“What is at stake at the European level?”
Maria Moudatsou, Director, Fundraising department, PRAKSIS
“Fundraising: How, who, where?”
Alex Wyke, Patient View, founder and Managing Director
“An effective patients’ movement in Greece”
Kathi Apostolidis, Vice-president, European Cancer Patients Coalition (ECPC)
Dimitris Kremalis, Partner, Kremalis Law Firm
“The legal context and opportunities for patients in times of crisis”
Breakout training sessions & position papers
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