EU Commissioner speaks on patients

In support and patronage for European Union patients Rights Day, Commissioner for Health, Androulla Vassiliou stated: "when I launched  the 'Europe for patients' campaign in September 2008, my main aim was to  bring EU health care policies closer to citizens. It is important that  all citizens are well informed about their rights and how to exercise  them and health care should be no exception."

As the health expectations of citizens grow with new technologies and  advancing science, we need to balance these with the challenges of  containing rising healthcare costs and an aging society, she said.  People seek health information wherever they can and the Internet is  fast becoming an important source. The EU health portal, now available  in 22 languages provides information about 17 key health topics and aims  to to help people to take responsibility for their own health, to raise  awareness about health issues and to provide news of health related  events and developments across Europe in one easy dose, she noted.

The EU health prize for journalists launched earlier this year will also  encourage more reporting, information and discussion on health issues.  For the third year now, the Active Citizenship Network, a  non-governmental organization working with over 80 citizens groups,  launches a series of national, regional and local events across Europe  to mark European Patients Rights Day on 18 April. This initiative uses  grassroots citizens' actions in different countries and settings to  different groups of people on patient rights and patient empowerment.  Commissioner Vassiliou will participate in the European event on  Patients Rights day, in the European Parliament, Strasbourg on 22 April.