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Alex Agius Saliba elected chairman of European alliance on chronic pain and neurological disorders
The European Alliance Brain, Mind and Pain brings together 31 associations that work towards the rights of patients suffering from chronic pain and neurological disorders
6 July 2021, 2:15pm
Karl Azzopardi
Karl Azzopardi
1 min read
Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba
Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba has been elected chairman of the European Alliance Brain, Mind and Pain.
Alliance brings together 31 European Associations that work towards the rights of patients suffering from chronic pain, as well as the European Federation of Neurological Associations (EFNA) which represents amongst others, professionals and patients with conditions relating to brain health.
The European-based Alliance represents 220 million people suffering from neurological disorders and a further 150 million chronic pain sufferers.
The MEP said he is honoured to have been entrusted with such an important responsibility on a European basis to continue to be a voice in favour of patients who suffer from several conditions which are very often hidden, such as ADHD, Epilepsy, Migraine, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Parkinsons Disease and Huntingston Disease, among others.
Agius Saliba said such conditions not only impact the individual’s quality of life, but also have a direct on countries’ economies, with neurological disorders having an economic impact of €800 billion every year, which translates to around 6% of Europe’s Gross Domestic Product.
“The priorities of this Alliance are to combat the continuing stigma in relation to these conditions as well as by working towards adequate access to treatment, support and research in every Member State,” a statement read.
He said that more synergy in health policy is needed at European level in order to better appreciate and understand the difficulties experienced by patients, so ultimately, better solutions can be found to tackle these difficulties more effectively.
This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The action was co-financed by the European Union in the frame of the European Parliament's grant programme in the field of communication. The European Parliament was not involved in its preparation and is, in no case, responsible for or bound by the information or opinions expressed in the context of this action. In accordance with applicable law, the authors, interviewed people, publishers or programme broadcasters are solely responsible. The European Parliament can also not be held liable for direct or indirect damage that may result from the implementation of the action.
Karl Azzopardi is Online Editor and an IGM press awards (Human Stories) winner of 2019
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