The President of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association participated at the Patient Organization Networking Day with a poster, introducing the key points of the effectiveness of the awareness campaign “Each Breath” of the Association.

ERS International Congress 2016

ExCeL Conference Center, London, UK

Last week the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association (HCFA) went to London for the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress which was situated in the ExCeL Conference Center. More than 22.000 participants from all over the world took part in this year’s Congress and more than 40 patient organizations were represented.

The ERS International Congress is organized each year with the aim of covering key topics in respiratory medicine from across the spectrum of disease areas including TB, lung cancer, pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, COPD, and asthma. For the first time this year, during the first day of this annual congress, a “Patient Organization Networking Day” was organized by the European Lung Foundation (ELF).

Our president, Mr Kontopidis participated at this networking day with a poster, introducing the key points of the effective awareness campaign “Each Breath” of the Association.

He also outlined the elements that led to the campaign’s success at the World Village with a presentation entitled “Each Breath – an effective awareness campaign – CF Patients in Power”.

Last but not least, he took part in the debate concerning the collaboration between patient associations and health care professionals and the Patient Advisory Committee where issues concerning the patient organizations on a European level were discussed. During the latter he had the chance to hear and exchange points of view with representatives and patients from the UK, Poland, Switzerland, Ireland, Romania, Spain and other EU Countries.

From the Greek Science Community of Cystic Fibrosis Ms Elpida Hatziagorou and Mr Ioannis Vogiatzis participated in the ERS Congress with presentations, talks and posters.