Six cutting-edge projects are in the running for the prestigious €10,000 European Health Award 2016, sponsored by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Health and Women as well as FOPI, which brings together Austria's research-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The winner will be chosen by a panel of leading health experts and announced during the 19th European Health Forum Gastein, being held in the Gastein Valley from the 28th - 30th September.
The European Health Award honours projects and initiatives aiming to improve public health or health care in Europe. “The point of this award is to promote sustainable and innovative initiatives and encourage the development of projects that lend themselves to effective trans-national cooperation in health,” Prof Helmut Brand, President of the International Forum Gastein, said.
Last year's award went to the project Health with Migrants for Migrants in Europe, which is aimed at improving migrants’ and refugees’ access to health services by increasing their health literacy and capacity building.
The 2016 short-list
- Economics of Chronic Diseases (EConDA) is a EU co-funded project designed to help EU Member States prioritise, develop and implement cost-effective policies to prevent chronic diseases and improve quality of life. The project included testing the long term cost effectiveness of interventions to prevent, screen, and treat chronic diseases, amongst others.
- European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) is a health initiative coordinated by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which aims to provide a platform to support national campaigns on the prudent use of antibiotics. The goal of EAAD is to provide the participating countries with evidence-based tools, as well as technical and political support for their campaigns.
- The ExPO-r-Net project is a large multinational network of European hospitals and institutions, building a European Reference Network for Paediatric Oncology. The aim is to reduce inequalities in childhood cancer survival by providing high-quality, accessible and cost-effective healthcare for children with cancer across Europe.
- The Let it hAPYN project is aimed at mobilising young people and youth organisations around Europe towards effective interventions to prevent and reduce alcohol-related harm, while at the same time creating awareness among young people in Europe that alcohol is a harmful drug.
- TBnet is a European consortium aimed at promoting quality of care for tuberculosis patients. This is pursued by providing expert guidance in areas where clinical evidence is missing, defining research priorities, conducting clinical studies, and training early career clinicians and scientists.
- Young People with Arthritis and Rheumatism in Europe (Young PARE) are a network of young people from across Europe, living with a rheumatic or musculoskeletal disease (RMD) who volunteer their time to advocate for better care, communication and quality of life for individuals under 35 across Europe living with RMDs, with the support of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR).
About the European Health Award
The European Health Award honours initiatives aiming to improve public health or healthcare in Europe. It was established in 2007 to promote cross-border cooperation, multi-country working and the development of sustainable, innovative and transferable initiatives which address current challenges such as disparities in health status, access to services and the provision of treatment within Europe.
