EU Task Force for Chronic Disease Launches New Report

The European Union’s Task Force for Major & Chronic Diseases has produced a new report entitled Major and Chronic Diseases Report 2007. Prof Anthony Woolf, BJD Steering Committee member and musculoskeletal expert for the EU Task Force on Major & Chronic Diseases, wrote the chapter on musculoskeletal disease. The extensive report provides detailed information on major and chronic diseases in Europe. It also highlights results of ongoing public health activities and different research projects which are funded by the European Commission.

The Task Force on Major and Chronic Diseases is one of the implementing structures of the Health Information and Knowledge Strand of the EU Public Health Programme 2003-2008. The general purpose of the Task Force is to build the EU Health Information and Knowledge System on major and chronic diseases.

The report includes chapters major public health issues including cancer, depression, musculoskeletal conditions, diabetes, sexual and reproductive health, maternal and child health, etc.

Please click here to download the pdf European report Major and Chronic Diseases Report 2007.

This major publication will be presented at the conference Europe for Patients in Paris on 13-14 October 2008, with the attendence of the French Minister of Health Ms Roselyne Bachelot and the European Commissioner for Health Ms Androulla Vassiliou.

The EU conference will cover the effects of chronic diseases on Europeans’ health, quality of care, improving access to diagnoses across member states, and the financial and therapeutic management of chronic diseases. Experts in the medical field as well as patient advocates will be on hand for a full programme of discussion and debate. Please see see http://www.socialeconomy.eu.org/spip.php?article742 for more infomraiton.