Johan Prevot attended the HFE General Assembly on June 1^st 2016 in Brussels. The 2015 activities of Health First Europe were reviewed during the meeting and the work plan for 2016 was discussed. Johan Prevot who joined the Board of Directors of HFE in 2015 highlighted the need for a European action on newborn screening in order to tackle the disparities of newborn screening national policies in Europe. HFE remains committed to help on this topic.  HFE will continue to develop its programme and activities with a long-term view and centred around its Road Map 2020 which establishes 4 key issue areas for the organisation moving forward, including:

1. Organisation of care
2. Access to health and social care
3. Patient involvement
4. Researching value of innovation in health

The core belief of HFE that investing in health equals wealth was reemphasized during the meeting. This very much resonates with IPOPI’s view point that investing in health policies such as newborn screening will enable a better management of resources but most importantly enable patients to be diagnosed as early as possible and access their life-saving treatments which in turn will enable them in the long term to lead active lives and contribute to society.

Health First Europe is an alliance of patients, healthcare workers, academics and healthcare experts and industry. HFE’s mission is to ensure that equitable access to modern, innovative and reliable medical technology and healthcare is regarded as a vital investment in the future of Europe. HFE and IPOPI share many common objectives including on patient-centeredness, patient involvement in HTAs, early diagnosis and prevention. IPOPI looks forward to a new chapter in the collaboration with HFE at the European level.