Understanding medical needs and the healthcare environment
By working with patient groups, we aim to increase awareness around areas of significant unmet medical need.
In 2008, Novartis co-sponsored the third Global Patient Congress of the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations. Held in Budapest, Hungary, the congress attracted more than 180 delegates from around the world, including patients, representatives from the European Commission and the World Health Organization (WHO) and global health professionals' associations.
In another initiative, Novartis provided an unrestricted grant to asthma patient groups in Europe to develop a comprehensive survey of patients with severe asthma. Called Fighting for Breath, the survey found that one in five asthma patients lived in fear that they would die after their next attack. Published in the medical journal, Allergy, the results were lauded for helping raise awareness about current treatments and the need to do more. The study has since been repeated in individual countries in Europe.
Further, Novartis collaborated with the International Diabetes Federation Europe and the Federation of European Nurses in Diabetes to produce a Diabetes Audit of EU member states, aimed at increasing the awareness of diabetes prevalence in Europe. The report led to the adoption of a written declaration on diabetes by the EU Parliament, declaring type 2 diabetes a priority disease in the EU and calling on countries to develop national diabetes plans to combat the growing epidemic. Novartis organized meetings in several European countries at which medical, political, and patient group leaders met to continue to raise awareness of the burden of diabetes and call for increased action to prevent and better manage the illness.
In co-operation with the International Osteoporosis Foundation, Novartis organized the third Novartis Osteoporosis Patient Group Advisory Board meeting in February 2009. Attended by representatives of 17 patient groups in the field of osteoporosis, the meeting reviewed access to diagnosis and treatments, and overall levels of care, for osteoporosis patients in 7 European countries, Canada and Brazil.
Learn more on the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations
Download the Fighting for Breath
(1.98 MB)
Learn more on the International Diabetes Federation Europe website
Learn more on the the Federation of European Nurses in Diabetes website