Incorporating COVID-19 into the broader narrative on respiratory diseases: A citizens and patients perspective towards the development of an EU respiratory health plan

Title : Incorporating COVID-19 into the broader narrative on respiratory diseases: A citizens and patients perspective towards the development of an EU respiratory health plan

Abstract:

Respiratory diseases represent a major and persistent public health challenge in the European Union, contributing substantially to morbidity, mortality, healthcare utilisation, and health inequalities. Despite existing initiatives, respiratory health remains insufficiently integrated into broader infection, prevention and control strategies, vaccination plans, programmes to fight antimicrobial resistance. Starting from the current burden of respiratory diseases in the EU - including the Vaccine Preventable Respiratory Diseases (VPRDs) – a consensus-based expert policy analysis was conducted through a multidisciplinary European Working Group on Respiratory Care, comprising healthcare professionals and leaders of civic and patient organisations. This presentation aims to outline policy priorities to support a more integrated, equitable, and resilient European respiratory health strategy, emphasizing the collaborative role of all the actors, publics and privates, of the HCPs-Health Care Professionals and of the so-called intermediated bodies of the society: patients’ associations, PAG-Patients Advocacy Groups, CSOs-Civil Society Organizations.

Biography:

Mariano Votta is responsible for EU Affairs at the Italian NGO Cittadinanzattiva and Director of its EU branch “Active Citizenship Network”. Passionate about health & consumer issues, Mariano has 25 years of experience in advocacy, stakeholder engagement, communication, European Public Affairs & EU funded-projects. Mariano holds a Degree in Political Science and two post-graduate master's degrees in European Public Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility. He is also a journalist with more than 50 publications in international peer-reviewed journals. He led the political initiative to launch in 2015 at the EU Parliament the Interest Group "EU Patients' Rights & Cross-Border Healthcare," – now at its third mandate - endorsed by more than 100 organisations across Europe and dozens of Members of the European Parliament. In 2016 Mariano won the Efhre International University Excellence Awards on patients’ rights.