October 20, 2025
IPOPI’s Eastern European Awareness and Advocacy Workshop
It was wonderful to host IPOPI’s Eastern European Awareness and Advocacy Workshop on 27–28 September 2025, in Budapest, Hungary. We brought together patient representatives and medical advisors from nine countries in the region—Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine.
This one-and-a-half-day workshop was designed to strengthen the capacity of National Member Organisations (NMOs) in Eastern Europe by equipping participants with the tools and strategies to develop effective awareness and advocacy campaigns tailored to their national needs. The workshop was very well received, with participants valuing it as a unique platform for meaningful collaboration between patient representatives and medical advisors, as well as a valuable network for medical advisors to exchange ideas and explore collaborations with colleagues from across the region.
During the workshop, participants shared insights on key challenges and achievements in their respective countries. We explored critical topics, including diagnosis and genetic testing, plasma collection, access to therapies such as immunoglobulins and antibiotics, transition of care, and the power of speaking up for patients’ rights.
The workshop not only provided valuable knowledge and skills but also fostered stronger connections among NMOs and medical advisors. These connections lay the foundation for future collaborations to advance diagnosis, treatment, and care for patients with primary immunodeficiencies across Eastern Europe.
More information about this meeting can be found here.
This meeting was made possible through the support of Grifols.
