.png)
On 18 – 19 March 2016, European African Treatment Advocates Network (EATAN), in cooperation with European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) convened a Seminar in Brussels for Treatment Advocates from across the EU. The aim of the seminar was to foster a greater understanding of the health and social care challenges that African migrants living in Europe with HIV/AIDS, viral Hepatitis, TB and/or other chronic conditions face. It also aimed to develop strategies that empower African migrants to be more involved in clinical research and policy work at European level and to increase EATAN’s community involvement with patients throughout the EU.
The seminar, which was attended by 12 delegates from Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Sweden, Belgium and Serbia explored EATAN’s work and provided a platform for discussing the experiences of patients with regards to screening, treatment and care access in a range of European countries. The seminar included a mix of presentations and discussions exploring issues such as healthcare policies in various EU states; patient empowerment; barriers to accessing diagnosis, treatment and care services for migrants; ethics in HIV/HCV treatment, the impact of immigration status on healthcare access and treatment advocacy. The participants were also able to learn from EATG community involvement on HIV/HCV Policy Work within Europe.
The role of treatment advocates and how they can impact policy and patient health and social care outcomes was discussed. Participants had the opportunity to learn from current EATG projects and exchanged views on how EATAN can maximise the use of already existing resources and structures to further its work and effectively link to relevant policy campaigns and projects already being delivered by partners and stakeholders working with migrants in Europe.
The seminar ended with key resolutions among of which is to build the capacity of treatment advocates across the EU to enable them to effectively represent the interests of patients at key forums and policy levels; and working to promote timely access to equitable and effective treatment, monitoring and social support for patients. EATAN will achieve this through researching the factors that negatively impact on treatment adherence, prevention of secondary transmission and equitable access to health and social care. EATAN will share best practice with those involved in patient care across Europe and train treatment advocates to enhance treatment literacy, autonomy and choice for African patients living in Europe with HIV, viral Hepatitis and/or other chronic conditions.
The seminar, which was attended by 12 delegates from Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Sweden, Belgium and Serbia explored EATAN’s work and provided a platform for discussing the experiences of patients with regards to screening, treatment and care access in a range of European countries. The seminar included a mix of presentations and discussions exploring issues such as healthcare policies in various EU states; patient empowerment; barriers to accessing diagnosis, treatment and care services for migrants; ethics in HIV/HCV treatment, the impact of immigration status on healthcare access and treatment advocacy. The participants were also able to learn from EATG community involvement on HIV/HCV Policy Work within Europe.
The role of treatment advocates and how they can impact policy and patient health and social care outcomes was discussed. Participants had the opportunity to learn from current EATG projects and exchanged views on how EATAN can maximise the use of already existing resources and structures to further its work and effectively link to relevant policy campaigns and projects already being delivered by partners and stakeholders working with migrants in Europe.
The seminar ended with key resolutions among of which is to build the capacity of treatment advocates across the EU to enable them to effectively represent the interests of patients at key forums and policy levels; and working to promote timely access to equitable and effective treatment, monitoring and social support for patients. EATAN will achieve this through researching the factors that negatively impact on treatment adherence, prevention of secondary transmission and equitable access to health and social care. EATAN will share best practice with those involved in patient care across Europe and train treatment advocates to enhance treatment literacy, autonomy and choice for African patients living in Europe with HIV, viral Hepatitis and/or other chronic conditions.
