Draft guidance for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – copd

NICE published draft guidance recommending roflumilast (Daxas, AstraZeneca) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In 2012, NICE issued guidance that recommended roflumilast only if patients were taking it as part of a research study. New evidence since that guidance was published led to a positive recommendation for routine use. The company estimates that around 122,000…

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Open letter to EU Commission about Health Policy and programmes

Open letter to EU Commission – Health Policy and Programmes To: Jean-Claude Juncker, President, European Commission cc: Frans Timmermans, First Vice-President, European Commission,  Vytenis Andruikaitis, Commissioner, DG Health & Food Safety, Günther Oettinger, Commissioner, DG Budget & Human Resources, Carlos Moedas, Commissioner, Research, Science & Innovation EU Health Collaboration is crucial for Europe’s future Dear…

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Future of Healthcare in Ireland – Report

Final report of the cross-party Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Healthcare. Minister for Health, Simon Harris TD acknowledged the conclusion and publication of the final report of the cross-party Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Healthcare. The establishment of the cross-party Committee in June 2016 was one of the first actions arising from the…

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Single injection ‘could repair damaged hearts’ after world-first trial

Professor Noel Caplice, University College Cork, has shown in a trial, the first example  of how a low dose insulin-like growth factor, injected into the heart to repair damage to the muscle, improves remodeling for heart attack patients. Around 20% of people who suffer heart attacks have severe ongoing difficulties due to lasting damage to…

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Measles Outbreak in Romania – a Wake-up Call for Europe

Press release Measles Outbreak in Romania – a Wake-up Call for Europe 11 May 2017 – Currently Romania is experiencing the largest measles outbreak in the European Union with 4.800 measles cases and 24 deaths as of 30 April 2017. This should be a wake up call for all European countries. The European Institute of…

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International Nurses’ Day – don’t downgrade nurses

EFN urges governments to not downgrade nurses and risking citizens’ lives to save money! 12th May, Florence Nightingale’s birthday celebrated for International Nurses’ Day, Nurses are the largest occupational group in the health sector, but can nursing in the EU celebrate today? Although the Council conclusions on Innovation for the benefit of patients (2014) recognised…

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