SIP Stakeholder Forum

Background

In Europe ¹ there are approximately 740 million people ², most of whom experience an episode of severe pain at some point in their life. For approximately 20 percent, that pain is chronic pain. This means that, at present, 150 million people are experiencing pain across Europe, approximately equal to the population of France and Germany combined.

In 2018, SIP published its Joint Statement ³ which includes recommendations for action and collaboration by the European Commission, Member States, and civil society to reduce the societal impact of pain. These recommendations form the over-arching and guiding principles for SIP, and are divided into four categories: health indicators, research, employment, and education.

1. Note: data taking from 37 countries, absent in Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, and the Vatican City.
2. Eccleston C, Wells C, & Morlion B. (2017). European Pain Management. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, ISBN: 9780198785750 Available at: http://oxfordmedicine.com/view/10.1093/med/9780198785750.001.0001/med-9780198785750-chapter-1
3. SIP Thematic Network – SIP Thematic Network 2018 – Joint Statement now available in several languages. Available at: https://www.sip- platform.eu/resources/details/sip-thematic-network-2018-joint-statement-now-available-in-several-languages Last accessed November 2020.

Key Objectives and Possible Collaborations

The SIP Stakeholder Forum aims to:

Involve all relevant healthcare professional, patient, and civil society organisations with an interest in pain policy (or related policies)
Provide a forum for discussion, cross-promotion, and cooperation on SIP’s and respective members’ projects and events, on a voluntary basis
Permit expert input and review of SIP positions on various policy topics, on a voluntary basis
Work together to strengthen the policy positions of the SIP platform

Minimum Expected Commitment

SIP Stakeholder Forum members will engage on activities that are relevant to them, but as a minimum, will engage in the:

Annual SIP Stakeholder Forum (2-3 hr meeting in Brussels / virtual, in November each year)
Bi-lateral meetings (45-60 min, in Brussels / virtual in May each year)
Ad-hoc, voluntary review / input into SIP positions (on average, two per year, up to 6 pages)

Prerequisites

SIP Stakeholder Forum member organisations should:

Have an interest in pain policy
Have an international or European scope
Declare possible conflicts of interest

Governance

The SIP team (the European Pain Federation EFIC and Pain Alliance Europe PAE), will ensure the day-to-day management of the Stakeholder Forum. In accordance with the SIP governance model, the scientific framework of the SF is under the responsibility of EFIC, and the strategic policy objectives of the SF are defined by both EFIC and PAE. SIP reserves the right to any final editorial decisions when concerning the drafting of SIP position papers. SIP Stakeholder Forum members can add their support and logos to SIP position papers, on a case-by-case basis, as they wish.

Sustainability and Funding

The scientific framework of the SIP platform is under the responsibility of EFIC, and the strategic direction of the project is defined by both EFIC and PAE.

In accordance with the SIP governance model, and in full transparency, the pharmaceutical companies Grünenthal GmbH and GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA are the main sponsors of the Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) platform. SIP is seeking divestment in sponsorship, with additional sponsors coming on board in the future. The sponsorship obtained for SIP is partially used to fund the day-to-day project management of SIP, and therefore, by definition, the day-to-day management of the Stakeholder Forum. It is important to stress that the activities of the SIP Stakeholder Forum remain entirely under the direction of EFIC, PAE, and the SIP leadership.

Signing Organisations (Alphabetical Order)

APED (Associação Portuguesa para o Estudo da Dor)
Associação Atlântica de Apoio ao Doente Machado-Joseph (AAADMJ) Associação de Doentes “Da DOR Para a DOR” (DPD)
Associação de Doentes com Lúpus
Associação de Doentes de Dor Crónica dos Açores (ADDCA)
Associação Portuguesa de Fibromialgia (APJOF)
Associação Portuguesa de Neuromusculares (APN)
Association Française de Lutte Anti-Rhumatismale
Europe Region World Physiotherapy
European Academy of Neurology
European Pain Federation EFIC
European Psychiatric Association (EPA)
Força 3P – Associação de Pessoas com Dor
Grünenthal Gmbh
Malta Health Network
Migra Portugal – Associação Portuguesa de Doentes com Enxaqueca e Cefaleias Myos – Associação Nacional Contra a Fibromialgia e Síndrome de Fadiga Crónica Pain Alliance Europe
SIP Malta
Sociedade Portuguesa de Esclerose Múltipla (SPEM)
…..

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

The SIP Stakeholder Forum is driven by the SIP Stakeholder Forum Memorandum of Understanding (SIP SF MoU). If your organisation is interested in pain or pain related policies and would like to be part of the SIP Stakeholder Forum, please do consider signing the SIP SF MoU. You can download the SIP SF MoU here.