News Archive: Policy

Policy Briefing #10: Where are we in the journey to Universal Health Coverage?

Policy
On 25 September 2015, the leaders of the 193 United Nations (UN) Member Countries endorsed a resolution outlining an ambitious set of goals and targets to be fulfilled by 2030. Amongst these targets featured universal health coverage (UHC) for all (Goal 3, Target 3.8). IAPO believes that adequate...

Policy Briefing #9 - Empowered Patients in Research: Moving Beyond Participation

Policy
In the run up to this year’s Patient Solidarity Day, this month’s policy briefing further explores the theme of patient empowerment, this time focusing on the role of patient empowerment when patients participate in research. For truly patient-centred healthcare, patients must be empowered to have...

Policy Briefing #8 - Patient Empowerment

Policy
This month’s policy briefing focuses on patient empowerment, a topic that underpins IAPO’s 2017 engagement and empowerment plan and is the theme of this year’s Patient Solidarity Day (PSD), which will take place on Saturday 2nd December 2017. The subject of patient empowerment is one that concerns...

Policy Briefing #6 – Medicines regulatory harmonisation

Policy
On 4th – 5th July 2017, IAPO held its 3rd African Regional Meeting. This was an opportunity for the community of IAPO’s African members to come together and call for the establishment of a patient-centric African Medicines Agency. In this respect, it was highlighted how important it is to ensure...

Policy Briefing #5 - Patient Safety

Policy
This month’s policy briefing focuses on patient safety. Patient safety is strongly connected with the second key theme of the IAPO 2017 engagement and empowerment plan: access. On the one hand, patient safety represents in itself one of the basic features of patient-centred healthcare. On the other...

The next WHO director-general is Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Policy
The long wait is over: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has been elected as the World Health Organization’s new director-general by the World Health Assembly. The former minister of health of Ethiopia beat two other finalists in the race — the U.K.’s David Nabarro and Pakistan’s Sania Nishtar — with a...

Takeaways from the World Health Assembly

Policy
The week long hard intense debates on global health at the 70th World Health Assembly in Geneva came to an end on 31st May 2017. The slow slog of the debates inside the Assembly Hall was a contrast to fast-paced side-events and discussions being held by non-State Actors. Issues were not just...

Policy Briefing #4 - Patient Involvement in HTA

Policy
This month’s policy briefing focuses on patient involvement in health technology assessment (HTA). This topic features within the second key theme of the IAPO 2017 engagement and empowerment plan : access. There is a crucial connection between access and HTA. In fact, to be truly valuable, access...

WHO 3rd Global Patient Safety Challenge launched at the Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety in Bonn

Policy
Dr. Matthias Wienold , our board member and Treasurer, attended the high profile 2nd Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety in Bonn in March 2017 and reports back on the launch of the 3rd Global Patients Safety Challenge: Medication Without Harm. IAPO and its members will support this campaign over the coming years.

Policy Briefing #3 – High quality access to care

Policy
This month’s policy briefing focuses on access, which is the second “key theme” of the 2017 engagement and empowerment plan . Access and support also feature amongst the five principles of the IAPO Declaration on Patient Centred Healthcare . Every patient must have access to the healthcare services...

Policy Briefing #2 – Patient Information and Health Literacy

Policy
Patient information is one of the pillars of the IAPO Declaration of patient-centred healthcare. It represents a primary vehicle for patient advocates to better engage in and contribute to healthcare more effectively. For this to happen, however, it is crucial that patients play an active role in the information process.

Sovereignty preventing global drug regulation harmonization-International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities

Policy
The International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities (ICDRA) is an annual event hosted for the benefit of the WHO Member States and their national medicines regulatory authorities (NMRAs); many non-State actors attend a pre-ICDRA conference to share their views with NMRAs. The 17th pre-ICDRA...

UK Supreme Court closes the gap between ‘legal consent’, ‘informed consent’ and the ‘best interest’ of the patients!

Policy
UK Supreme Court (UKSC) judgment in Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board has closed the gap between ‘legal consent’, ‘informed consent’ and the ‘best interest’ of the patients. The full judgment, the point of law decided and the rationale for the decision (ratio decidendi) of this important case...

Can medically educated patients solve the global shortage of quality health professionals for UHCs by 2030?

Policy
WHO World Health Assembly (May 2016), WHO Regional Committee Meetings (Sep-Oct 2016) and the UN General Assembly Debate (Sep 2016) had great discussions on SDG 2030, UHC and health workforce strengthening. Kawaldip Sehmi, our CEO, has assembled critical thinking on this matter of some of the '...

Patient involvement in medical education: 'educating-in' patient centredness

Policy
Dr. Matthias Wienold (IAPO Treasurer and Board Member) and Stijntje Dijk (Liaison Officer International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA) ) Stijntje, whom you all met at our Global Patients Congress 2016, and I held a joint workshop at the Association for Medical Education in...

Will the UN General Assembly be able to address the health needs of migrant and refugee patients?

Policy
Board member Hussain Jafri reporting from the multi-stakeholder hearing of the UN General Assembly High-Level Summit on migrants and refugees 18-22 July 2016, United Nations, New York The most vulnerable patients in the world From the jungles of Central America, deserts of North Africa to the...

Corruption can be the difference between life and death

Policy
Corruption in the health sector can mean the difference between life and death, and the poorest people around the world are the worst affected.

Improving patient experience in clinical trials

Policy
A group of 18 leading biopharmaceutical companies have come together share ideas, simplify and speed up the research and development of new drugs, and improve patient experience around the globe.

Doctors as facilitators, not decision-makers

Policy
Antonio Ciaglia , IAPO's Policy Manager, explores why trust must be at the centre of every doctor-patient relationship, and how this should be a core pillar of patient-centred healthcare.

A snapshot of the birthplace of modern patient advocacy

Policy
A snapshot of the patient advocacy strategies and interventions first used and developed in the Castro District in San Francisco, California, USA in the 1980s. Today an enormous rainbow flag flies proudly over the Castro proclaiming its confidence, vibrancy and community spirit.

From collapse to case study: the Castro, birthplace of modern patient advocacy

Policy
In the 1980s, the Castro District of San Francisco was under attack from an unknown and devastating disease that was killing its young men, and attacked by the media, politicians and society that forced it to the brink of collapse.

Blogging for the British Medical Journal

Policy
Since the 7th Global Patients Congress in April, IAPO CEO Kawaldip Sehmi and Board Member Matthias Wienold have written several blogs for the world-renowned British Medical Journal.

Large-scale emergencies, health of migrants and primary care: what we said at WHA69

Policy
World Health Assembly, 23-28 May 2016. IAPO held three side meetings and addressed the Assembly on three pressing patient issues: large scale emergencies, health of migrants and primary care.

Reaching the eyes and ears of decision-makers

Policy
Once again, the global health policy elites will meet at the 69th World Health Assembly in Geneva from 23 to 28 May 2016.

Snakes and ladders for patients

Policy
IAPO Policy Manager Alison Lightbourne recently explored how to build a better care continuum for the Healthmanagement.org journal.

Beat diabetes with World Health Day

Policy
Happy Birthday to the World Health Organization (WHO)! 7 April will mark the 68th year since WHO was formed in 1948, and this day is celebrated as World Health Day each year.

Access to medicines a talking point at World Health Assembly 2016

Policy
IAPO will be attending the 69th session of the World Health Organization's (WHO) World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting in Geneva from 23-28 May 2016.

Cutting edge medicines for the patients who need them most

Policy
On 7 March 2016, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) launched PRIME : Priority Medicines. PRIME is a new scheme that will provide scientific and regulatory support to researchers and medicine developers with the aim of benefitting patients without treatment options or “unmet medical needs”.

Differences in UHC: UK and Thailand

Policy
A brief look at universal health coverage examples in the UK and Thailand.

Old problems and new solutions to mental health

Policy
Mental health advocates have been surprised by two reviews of mental health services arriving at the same time.

Checking progress at WHO

Policy
The World Health Organization (WHO) held the first of its twice-yearly Executive Board meetings for 2016 at the end of January.

It is time to climb through our 15 year window

Policy
They say that in the past, governments avoided international scrutiny of their national health policies by evoking sovereignty as a defence. Things have changed over the last fifteen years as global health governance starts taking root.

Fake flies in urinals to fluorescent frogs: innovation in healthcare

Policy
This year's Congress will focus on 'innovation improving sustainable access: how to boost your reach and impact'.

New year's resolutions in 2016

Policy
Welcoming in a new year often brings reflection in our personal and professional lives as we think about what is coming up and what changes we want to make.

Patients' rights at end-of-life: the philosophical against the personal

Policy
A judge has ruled that a daughter can give consent to refuse treatment on behalf of her mother in a ‘vegetative state’.

Your thoughts on WHO's agenda

Policy
Have your say about the Executive Board meeting at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, 25-30 January 2016.

Patients fund the research they want

Policy
A group of scientists have launched a crowd-sourcing project to fund research into using anti-malarial drugs to address colorectal cancer.

Representing IAPO at WHO PAHO in the USA

Policy
IAPO representatives Eva Maria Ruiz de Castilla and Maria Julia Muñoz Serrano attended the WHO Americas regional committee meeting, in Washington DC, from 28 September to 2 October. By Maria Julia Muñoz Serrano.

Three countries, one message: IAPO at WHO

Policy
Throughout the past month, IAPO representatives attended World Health Organization regional meetings in the USA, Guam and Kuwait.

Representing IAPO at WHO EMRO in Kuwait

Policy
Written by Jolanta Bilińska, IAPO Chair. I attended the 62nd session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean from 5-8 October 2015.

Representing IAPO at WHO WPRO in Guam

Policy
IAPO members Karen Alparce-Villanueva and KP Tsang attend the WHO WPRO meeting on behalf of IAPO.

Keeping high standards for teenagers

Policy
The WHO and UNAIDS have launched 'global standards for quality health-care services for adolescents'.

Health targets for the world

Policy
The Sustainable Development Goals were launched at the end of September and the specific health targets have been revealed.

We welcome our new Research and Policy Officer

Policy
We are pleased to welcome Antonio Ciaglia to IAPO as our new Policy and Research Officer. Antonio will primarily be working on the Get Real project.

Reminding health professionals about real patient power

Policy
IAPO CEO Kawaldip Sehmi recently wrote a guest editorial on 'Patient Power' for the HealthManagement.org Journal.

Interventions at PAHO

Policy
IAPO representatives Eva Maria Ruiz de Castilla and Maria Julia Muñoz Serrano are attending the WHO Americas regional committee meeting, taking place in Washington DC from 28 September to 2 October. Interventions Our representatives delivered interventions on Strategy on Health-related Law and...

Global Perceptions on Engagement and Empowerment

Policy
Most of us have come into contact with healthcare systems whether as a patient, a family member, a health professional, a policy-maker or other. The building and fostering of relationships between all health stakeholders can help to ensure improved safety and quality of care.

How transparent are your relations with pharma?

Policy
Transparency in how decisions are made and the interactions between the pharmaceutical industry and the patient community is crucial to building trust and openness, and every stakeholder must play their part.

Calling all patients: your opinion on clinical trials

Policy
Three organizations have developed a survey to improve patient experience in clinical trials. Have your say.

Eight organizations deliver joint statement at WHO

Policy
A joint intervention delivered at the WHO's EURO Regional Committee meeting, 15 September 2015.

WHO survey: what does engaging patients mean?

Policy
Take part in a survey for WHO's the Patients for Patient Safety programme

Has health been forgotten in the sustainable development goals?

Policy
17 goals, 169 targets, 15 years, 193 member states: an introduction to the sustainable development goals and where health fits in.

‘That which does not kill us makes us stronger’

Policy
When Friedrich Nietzsche said, ‘That which does not kill us makes us stronger’, he had no idea that what was true for humans was also true for microbes!

How to get the message across

Policy
Alison Lightbourne, IAPO Policy Manager, shares on how to get the message across and the importance of communicating clearly.

A landmark case and the campaigning tips that made it happen

Policy
Two charities recently won a landmark case in the UK Supreme Court that will change the health and social welfare laws which affect thousands of children with severe chronic health conditions.

Building high-performing healthcare systems in the 21st century

Policy
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ( BMGF ) is currently consulting with health advocates and key civil society organizations on the launching of a new initiative aimed at building high-performing health care systems in the 21st century.

Public consultation on new WHO strategy

Policy
The WHO has released a global strategy on people-centred and integrated health services (PCIHS) and it is now open for public consultation. Dr Edward Kelley, from Service and Delivery at the WHO, has written the invitation below.

Adding bite to bark: a human rights based approach in healthcare

Policy
IAPO CEO Kawaldip Sehmi explores how using a human rights-based approach (HRBA) can be a powerful factor in achieving patient-centred healthcare as patient advocates can now go beyond their national constitutions, statutory law (Acts of Parliament) and subsidiary legislation to seek help from international law. They can invite global health governance scrutiny on the actions and inactions of their national governments and their health systems.

The risks of looking at problems with a narrow focus

Policy
Alison Lightbourne, IAPO Policy Manager, explores the risks of looking at health problems with a narrow focus and the impact this can have on the lives of patients.

How effective was WHO's 'SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands' campaign?

Policy
In support of the 'SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands' campaign on 5 May and ten years of the 'WHO Clean Care is Safer Care' programme, the 2nd WHO Hand Hygiene Self-Assessment Framework Global Survey was launched on 1 June 2015 and will be open until 10 September 2015.

The power of names

Policy
Kawaldip Sehmi, IAPO's Chief Executive Officer, explores the importance of naming diseases and conditions in a patient-centred way.

Moving patients from the bottom to 'the heart and top' of health systems

Policy
The World Health Assembly (WHA) was held last week in Geneva, Switzerland, at the Palais des Nations, a fitting venue for such a large-scale gathering that brings together people from around the world representing countries, non-governmental groups, commercial and professional interests.

WHO: Is it enough to treat illnesses without addressing the reasons that cause them?

Policy
WHO: Is it sufficient to treat an illness without knowing and addressing the conditions that cause or contribute to individuals becoming sick in the first place?

Why should health professionals know about the conditions in which you live?

Policy
Why should health professionals know about the conditions in which you live? By Sir Michael Marmot, Director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity and President-Elect of the World Medical Association

Patient safety is in your hands

Policy
IAPO Policy Manager Alison Lightbourne explores the importance of hand hygiene and whether it is still a pressing issue around the world today.

Global campaign for injection safety

Policy
This week the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a new global strategy and campaign for injection safety.

The importance of UHC and the need for transparency

Policy
The importance of universal health coverage and the need for transparency at the World Health Organization's Executive Board meeting, January 2015.

New policy collaborations and UHC principles

Policy
The IAPO Governing Board recently signed up to several collaborative campaigns and our universal health coverage principles are now available.

Our plan for 2015-2017: strengthening the patient voice

Policy
Over the last few months, IAPO has been working on a new strategic plan for 2015 to 2017. Our key theme is universal health coverage.

Reflections from the WHO WPRO meeting

Policy
KP Tsang, IAPO Chair, and John Forman, from IAPO member NZ Organisation for Rare Disorders, attended the WHO Regional Committee meeting for Western Pacific from 13 to 17 October in Manila, Philippines. John answered a few questions about the meeting. In what ways did you represent IAPO at your WHO...

Reflections from the WHO Americas meeting

Policy
Eva Maria Ruiz de Castilla, IAPO Secretary, and Piga Fernández, from IAPO member Fundación GIST Chile, attended the WHO Regional Committee meeting for the Americas in Washington DC, USA, from 29 September to 3 October. Piga answered a few questions about the meeting. In what ways did you represent...

Patients involved in new medicines and treatments

Policy
In October 2014, IAPO Policy Manager Alison Lightbourne attended a meeting to discuss health technology assessment (HTA) and how it will help or limit patient access to new medicines and treatment. HTA is quickly evolving into a global issue and is now featured within the World Health Organisation...

Reflections from the WHO EURO meeting

Policy
Jolanta Bilinska, IAPO Chair Elect, and Evgenia Starkova, from IAPO member Together Against Cancer, attended the WHO Regional Committee meeting for Europe in Copenhagen, Denmark from 15 to 18 September 2014. In what ways did you represent IAPO at your WHO Regional Committee? We shared two...

IAPO represents patient voices at WHO Regional Committee meetings

Policy
The World Health Organization (WHO) 2014 Regional Committee meetings are underway. These are to set policy, approve budgets and decide programmes of work for each of the WHO regions. IAPO representatives attended the European and Pan-American events in the past few weeks to highlight the patient...

Key principles for universal health coverage

Policy
We are in the final stages of confirming a set of principles that will underpin IAPO’s work and support member advocacy on universal health coverage (UHC). Members played a key role in drafting these principles at the IAPO Congress in March and in the months since. Delivering universal health...

IAPO attends UN NCD meetings

Policy
IAPO Governing Board Member Eva Maria Ruiz de Castilla recently attended two UN meetings on non-communicable diseases (NCDs). An informal interactive meeting for civil society was held on 19 June 2014 to discuss progress in NCD work since 2011 and to identify priorities going forward.

Free Hepatitis B screening in Ghana

Policy
IAPO member Theobald Hepatitis B Foundation, along with partners, offered free hepatitis B screening and vaccination to hundreds of people at James Town – Mantse Abgona in Accra, Ghana, on 26 July 2014.

IAPO speaks with Powerful Patient

Policy
In June 2014, our Senior Policy Officer Rachel Seal-Jones spoke to new IAPO member Powerful Patient through a podcast. Powerful Patient is based in the United States and works to empower people living with chronic diseases or disabilities.

IAPO calls on WHO Member States to develop national action plans for the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases

Policy
Tuesday 21st January 2014 - 134th Session of the World Health Organization's Executive Board, Geneva. IAPO delivered an intervention on Agenda Item 7.1: Follow up to the Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases. IAPO called on Member States to develop national action plans to ensure that progress is sustained at the national level, as well as highlighting the importance of patients being at the centre of all NCD strategies.