Dear Mrs. Kyriakides,
I am writing on behalf of the European Pain Federation EFIC® to congratulate you on your nomination as the next European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety.
EFIC® represents close to 20,000 physicians, basic researchers, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists and other healthcare professionals across Europe, who are involved in pain management and pain research. We cover all aspects of pain and all pain types, including cancer pain. We consider pain from a biopsychosocial approach and advocate for multi-professional and multimodal pain treatment.
EFIC recently published a position paper on appropriate Standards for the management of cancer‐related pain across Europe, which we hope will contribute to improved evidence-based clinical management and patient care. We aim for its widespread adoption across Europe.
We would also like to point you towards our advocacy platform known as the ‘Societal Impact of Pain’ (SIP), created in 2009, together with the pharmaceutical Grünenthal GmbH, Pain Alliance Europe and Active Citizenship Network. This platform aims to raise awareness of the relevance of the impact of pain and share best-practices across all member states of the European Union, to develop and foster European-wide policy strategies and activities for an improved pain care in Europe. Cancer pain has been a frequent subject for discussion and policy debate.
In summary, we hope to contribute towards your Beating Cancer Plan, in particular with regards to survivorship and palliative care, where pain can be a highly relevant and distressing component.
We would like to propose a meeting at the earliest opportunity in Brussels, in order to discuss how we may be able to assist you in achieving your Plan, whilst ensuring that pain is included as an important element, for the benefit of patients.
With kind regards,
Prof. Bart Morlion
President
European Pain Federation EFIC®
