International Conference "Facing the Challenges: Equity, Sustainability and Access"
Access to medicines is a central pillar of universal health coverage and the sustainable development goals, in particular Goal 3.8 and 3.b. However, large gaps in access to needed medicines remain in low- and middle-income countries and increasingly, high-income country governments are also challenged to provide sustainable access, in particular to high-priced medicines for diseases such as cancer, hepatitis C and rare conditions etc.
To improve access to medicines and increase efficiency in introduction of new medicines, country governments in Europe have started cross border collaboration in a variety of areas using different mechanisms. Collaboration includes topics such as horizon scanning, health technology assessment, price negotiations and joint procurement.
Collaboration on high priced medicines access has increased in recent years due to political interest, uncertainties on the cost-effectiveness on some of the new medicines coming to the market, increased demand for these medicines and limited financial resources among other factors.
This conference aims to share experiences between partners and countries on new ways of collaboration including cross-border collaboration to increase access to medicines.
National Authority of Medicines and Health Products, I.P. (INFARMED)
In colaboration with WHO Europe
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Our Conference will take place at the Auditorium on Tomé Pires building, at INFARMED, Autoridade Nacional do Medicamento e Produtos de Saúde ,I.P., in the Lisbon Health Park (Parque de Saúde de Lisboa)
Adress: Avenida do Brasil, 53
1749 - 004 Lisboa.
GPS: 38°45'29.1"N 9°08'56.1"W
38.758069, -9.148908
Lisbon Health Park is close to the Airport, to Campo Grande and to the Lisbon University.
You can drive by car (entering from the Rua das Murtas), by taxi or you can arrive by METRO (leaving at the Alvalade stop by using the Green Line) or BUS (Hospital Júlio de Matos Stop, by lines 206-717-731-735-750-755-767-783)
Finally, you should drive/walk to the Auditorium of Tomé Pires building inside the Lisbon Health Park
All About Portugal
With its mild climate, 3000 hours of sunshine per year and 850 kms of splendid beaches bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, Portugal is the perfect holiday destination all year round.
This is a country that has the oldest borders in Europe, with an exceptional range of different landscapes just a short distance away, lots of leisure activities and a unique cultural heritage, where tradition and modernity blend together in perfect harmony. Its superb cuisine, fine wines and hospitable people make this a tourist paradise of the highest quality.
Situated in the extreme south-west of Europe, just a few hours from any of the other European capitals, Portugal attracts visitors from all over the world. Come and discover the charms of this country too.
GEOGRAPHY
Portugal is situated at the south-west point of Europe and also includes the Madeira and Azores archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean. Mainland Portugal occupies an area of 88,889 km2. It is 218 km wide and 561 km long. It has 832 km of Atlantic coast and a 1,215 km border with Spain.
The Azores are situated in the Atlantic Ocean between Europe and North America. They have an area of 2,355 km2 and consist of nine islands - São Miguel and Santa Maria in the Eastern Group, Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial in the Central Group and Flores and Corvo in the Western Group. It takes about two hours to get from the Azores to mainland Portugal by plane.
The Madeira Archipelago has an area of 741 km2 and lies in the Atlantic Ocean about 500 km from the African coast and 1,000 km from the European continent (1¿ hours flying time from Lisbon). It consists of the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo and the uninhabited Desertas and Selvagens islands, which are nature reserves.
CLIMATE
Mainland Portugal
The climate in Portugal varies considerably from one region to another and is influenced by the relief, latitude and proximity to the sea, which offers mild winters, especially in the Algarve.
In the Porto e Norte area and Beiras region, particularly inland, nearer Spain, the winters are colder, although the temperatures are still mild when compared to the rest of Europe. There is some snowfall. It occurs most in the Serra da Estrela mountains, where we find the highest point in mainland Portugal (1,991 m) and where it is sometimes possible to ski.
The summers are hot and dry, especially in the inland areas (Trás-os-Montes in north-eastern Portugal and Alentejo). Temperatures are slightly lower in the coastal areas, because of the influence of the sea.
There are often warm, sunny days in autumn. Nice weather at the beginning of November is often called "St. Martin¿s Summer" as this saint¿s day is on 11 November.
POPULATION
Portugal has a population of about 10 million.
The population density is at its greatest in Lisbon, the capital and its suburbs, where about 1.9 million people live. The second largest city in Portugal is Oporto in the north.
Generally speaking, there are more people living in the country¿s coastal regions than in the inland areas.
RELIGION
The majority of Portuguese are Catholics, but the Portuguese Constitution guarantees religious freedom and there are a number of different religions in Portugal.
LANGUAGE
From a Latin root, Portuguese is spoken by about 250 million people in every continent, and is the 5th most spoken language in the world and the 3rd, if we only consider the European languages.
The Portuguese-speaking countries are scattered all over the world. Portuguese is spoken in Africa (Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and São Tomé e Príncipe), in South America (Brazil) and in Asia, (East Timor, the youngest nation in the world), and it is also the official language in Macao Special Administrative Region of China.
In Portugal there are lots of people who are able to communicate in English, French and Spanish.
From: www.visitportugal.com
Lisboa
Lisbon is Portugal's capital and the hub of a multifaceted area that appeals to different tastes and senses.
In a city that has been influenced by many different far-off cultures over time, there is still a village feel in each historic neighbourhood. Stroll through the Pombaline grid of streets in the Baixa district that opens on to the Tagus in Praça do Comércio, then follow the river to discover some of the city¿s most beautiful parts: the monumental area of Belém with its World Heritage monuments, the mediaeval quarters and the latest contemporary leisure spaces, such as the Parque das Nações.
If you continue to the mouth of the river, you'll understand why we say that Lisbon is the centre of a vast resort. Along the coastal road you¿ll find beaches and beach resorts that combine villas and hotels from the beginning of the 20th century with marinas, terraces and excellent golf courses. Further along the coast you¿ll come across world-renowned surfing beaches, but also the palaces scattered across the cultural landscape of Sintra, a World Heritage Site.
The wide variety of landscapes and heritage is always close by, whether to the north or south of the capital. With beaches, natural parks, cultural routes and accommodation for all tastes, it is hard to escape the Lisbon region on a visit to Portugal.
From: www.visitportugal.com
Need help? Questions? For conference-related topics, please email:
gipi.eventos@infarmed.pt![]() | Francisco Ramos Secretary of State Assistant and of Health Ministry of Health Portugal Bio | ![]() |
| Fatima Suleman WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Policy and Regulation Utrecht University The Netherlands Bio | ||
![]() | Maria do Céu Machado President of the Executive Board INFARMED - National Authority of Medicines and Health Products, I.P. Portugal Bio | Marcus Guardian Chief Operating Officer EUnetHTA Bio | ||||
| Hanne Bak Pedersen Manager of Health Technologies and Pharmaceuticals Programme Division of Health Systems and Public Health WHO - World Health Organization |Regional Office for Europe Bio | ![]() | Yannis Natsis Policy Manager Universal Access and Affordable Medicines EPHA - European Public Health Alliance Bio | |||
![]() | Sofia Oliveira Martins Member of the Executive Board INFARMED - National Authority of Medicines and Health Products, I.P. Portugal Bio | ![]() |
| Paola Testori Coggi Chair of the Valletta Technical Committee Valetta Declaration Italy Bio | ||
![]() | Sarah Garner Coordinator Innovation, Access and Use Team Essential Medicines and Health Products Department WHO - World Health Organization Bio | ![]() |
| Flemming Sonne Chairman of the Board Nordic Pharmaceuticals Forum Denmark Bio | ||
![]() | Rui Santos Ivo Vice-President of the Executive Board INFARMED - National Authority of Medicines and Health Products, I.P. Portugal Bio | ![]() | Anna Strömgren Medical Assessor |TLV - Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency FINOSE Sweden Bio | |||
Rogério Gaspar Professor of Pharmacy School of Pharmacy |University of Lisbon Portugal Bio | ![]() | Dominik Dziurda President | Fair And Affordable Pricing Project Technical Unit Visegrád Group Poland Bio | ||||
![]() | Chantal Bélorgey | Julian Perelman | ||||
![]() | Ana Miranda Coordinator National Cancer Registry Portugal Bio | ![]() | Pedro Pita Barros | |||
Aldo Golja Senior Policy Advisor on Drug Pricing and Reimbursement Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports The Netherlands Bio |
| Panos Kanavos
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| Cláudia Furtado Director of HTA, Prices and Reimbursement INFARMED - National Authority of Medicines and Health Products, I.P. Portugal Bio | ![]() | Michael Berntgen | ||
![]() | Patricia Vella Bonanno Secretary of the Valletta Technical Committee Valletta Declaration Malta Bio | Flora Giorgio
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![]() | Sabine Vogler | ![]() | Valérie Paris | |||
November 29
KEY POLICY CHALLENGES
WHO Vision and Guidance on HTA and Access to Medicines
Sarah Garner
WHO Initiatives on Access to Medicines in the European Region
Hanne Bak Pedersen
Portuguese Medicines Policy and Developments
Rui Santos Ivo
HEALTH OUTCOMES /HEALTH DATA
Real World Data and Decision-Making Procedures
Chantal Bélorgey
Generation of Evidence: Data Monitoring and Registries
Ana Miranda
Horizon Scanning
Aldo Golja
Cláudia Furtado
BENEFITS OF COUNTRY COLLABORATION
Research Study on Impact and Benefits of Cross Border Collaboration
Sabine Vogler | Fatima Suleman
EunetHTA: Ongoing and Future Developments
Marcus Guardian
CROSSBORDER COLLABORATION INITIATIVES
Valetta Declaration
Paola Testori Coggi
BeNeLuxA
Aldo Golja
Nordic Pharmaceuticals Forum
Flemming Sonne
FINOSE
Anna Strömgren
Visegrad Group
Dominik Dziurda
November 30
SUSTAINABLE ACCESS PRACTICES
Sustainability and Access: The Portuguese Case
Julian Perelman
Innovative Payment Models for High-Cost Innovative Medicines - Expert Panel Opinion on Effective Ways of Investing In Health (EXPH)
Pedro Pita Barros
Positional and Collaborative Negotiations - The Key To Healthy Competition
Panos Kanavos
PROSPECTIVES
Bridging the Gap: Regulatory & HTA
Michael Berntgen
European Commission Proposal on HTA
Flora Giorgio
Pharmaceutical Innovation and Access to Medicines
Valerie Paris