E-health conference, Brussels, May 2003 European Public Health Alliance n A network of 90 non governmental and not-for-profit organisations across Europe working on health and health- related issues n Our mission is to improve the health of European citizens and to increase their participation in EU policy-making related to their health

E-health conference, Brussels, May 2003 What is meant by health? n The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Article 12

E-health conference, Brussels, May 2003 What are the health challenges? n 33 % of incidences of cancer and 50 % cardiovascular disease are preventable n Chronic conditions represent 46 % of the global burden of disease n Ageing population in Europe means managing multiple conditions and increasingly complex treatments n Greater emphasis and demand for ‘quality of life’

E-health conference, Brussels, May 2003 Utopia or sci-fi nightmare? Who is in the driving seat of e-health Public interest aspects of e-health n Respects ethical and cultural concerns n Accessible to all n Responds to real physiological and psychological needs n Delivers therapeutic added value n Tackles rare and lesser known diseases, particularly those with genetic origin n Increases choice for patients

E-health conference, Brussels, May 2003 Power to the people The potential benefits of e-health n Capacity to live a full and complete life n Educate and support patients to manage their conditions n Greater compliance with treatment regimes n Greater opportunity for tailored regimes n Timely intervention and treatment n Equity issues : access to high quality care whether in urban or rural areas

E-health conference, Brussels, May 2003 The ‘human’ factors Availability of new technologies n Fear of new technology n Technological literacy n Ease of application and use n Consistency of use n Loss of human contact : changing the paradigm of the doctor - patient relationship n Follow-up and improvement of technology

E-health conference, Brussels, May 2003 New epha website launched n Open source technology n Greater opportunities to participate n Easy to navigate, feedback tools, petitions n Optimised for all operating systems and internet connections n Powerful search options n XML-RSS newsfeeds n Push/pull (newsletter) Extranet/ collaborative tool

E-health conference, Brussels, May 2003 European Public Health Alliance 33 Rue de Pascale B-1040 Brussels Belgium Tel : Fax :