European Forum of Medical Associations
Encyclopedia
European Forum of Medical Associations (EFMA) is an international organisation with an aim to establish dialogue and cooperation between National Medical Associations (NMAs) and World Health Organization (WHO)
in the European Region to improve the quality of health and health care in Europe; promote the exchange of information and ideas between NMAs and WHO; integrate appropriate aspects of policies for health for all into basic, postgraduate and continuing medical education; and as appropriate formulate consensus policy statements on health issues.
. At this time, it was recognized that clearly the medical profession had an important role to play if the philosophy of the Health For All (HFA)
movement in general and the European regional HFA targets in particular were to be achieved. Further meetings involving national medical associations, both from the West and East, took place in 1986, 1987 and 1988. At a meeting in Rome
in 1990, the national medical associations recognised that they had created a permanent forum permitting a fruitful dialogue with WHO. This was formalized at Helsinki
in 1991 when the aims of the Forum were finalized as follows:
"The aims of the Forum shall be, by establishing a dialogue and cooperation between National Medical Associations and the WHO Regional Office for the European Region, to:
a) improve the quality of health and health care in Europe;
b) promote the exchange of information and ideas between national medical associations, and between the associations and the World Health Organization;
c) integrate appropriate aspects of policies of Health for All into basic, postgraduate and continuing medical education; and
d) formulate consensus policy statements on health issues."
For the purposes of membership, a national medical association is defined as a free independent nongovernmental association of physicians constituted in an organization, which elect its own officers, appoints its own staff and determines its own constitution, except for any statutory duties that it undertakes, and whose activities cover all the various aspects of professional practice.
With the changes in the eastern part of the region during the 1990s, there was a need for special dialogue between the countries of the east of the region and those in the west. In Budapest
(1994), London
(1995) and Stockholm
(1996) post-Forum meetings were held for the benefit of the newly emerging and re-establishing national medical associations from this part of the region. In 1997, this was merged with the main meeting and devoted to a discussion on health care reform, based on the 1996 WHO Ljubljana Charter on Reforming Health Care.
In the annual meetings of the Forum, representatives from medical associations in around 40 countries are represented. Observers have included the Canadian Medical Association, which has attended regularly, and a number of Pan-European medical associations.
Each year, national medical associations report not only on their general activities but also on any action they have taken in areas which the Forum has considered. A handbook is updated annually containing information about the constitution, activities and officers of participating national medical associations.
From the beginning, the problems of tobacco and smoking and the subject of continuing medical education have been subjects of continuing report and action and, starting in Sofia
in 1988, the quality of care. The meetings have considered a spectrum of subjects including AIDS
, new patterns of infectious diseases, health care in the elderly, health promotion, the rights of patients, the physician’s role in environmental health
, financing of health care, development of new health care systems, suicide in the young
, quality of care development, use/misuse/abuse of drugs, medical education
, health care in prisons, and eHealth
.
Over the years, the Forum has adopted a number of declarations, statements and recommendations. Some of these statements have been followed up by establishing action groups, notably in relation to tobacco and to the quality of care, in order to assist national medical associations in carrying forward appropriate action in their own countries.
In 2006, the meeting was held in Budapest
, hosted by the Hungarian Medical Association, and in 2007 in Lisbon
, hosted by the Portuguese Medical Association. The annual meeting in 2008 is scheduled to take place in Israel
on 10–11 April 2008 and will be hosted by the Israel Medical Association
.
Participants at the annual meetings comprise representatives from the various medical associations, as well as observers from other associations and organizations in Europe e.g. the World Medical Association (WMA), the Standing Committee of European Doctors, Comité permanent des médecins européens (CPME), Permanent Working Group of European Junior Doctors (PWG), European Union of General Practitioners (UEMO), European Medical Students' Association
(EMSA), European Working Group of Practitioners and Specialists in Free Practice (E.A.N.A.), European Federation of Salaried Doctors (FEMS), European Association of Senior Hospital Physicians (A.E.M.H.).
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
in the European Region to improve the quality of health and health care in Europe; promote the exchange of information and ideas between NMAs and WHO; integrate appropriate aspects of policies for health for all into basic, postgraduate and continuing medical education; and as appropriate formulate consensus policy statements on health issues.
History and development
The dialogue between national medical associations and the WHO began in December 1984 with a meeting of western European national medical associations and WHO in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. At this time, it was recognized that clearly the medical profession had an important role to play if the philosophy of the Health For All (HFA)
Health For All
Health For All is a programming goal of the World Health Organization , which envisions securing the health and well being of people around the world that has been popularized since the 1970s...
movement in general and the European regional HFA targets in particular were to be achieved. Further meetings involving national medical associations, both from the West and East, took place in 1986, 1987 and 1988. At a meeting in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 1990, the national medical associations recognised that they had created a permanent forum permitting a fruitful dialogue with WHO. This was formalized at Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
in 1991 when the aims of the Forum were finalized as follows:
"The aims of the Forum shall be, by establishing a dialogue and cooperation between National Medical Associations and the WHO Regional Office for the European Region, to:
a) improve the quality of health and health care in Europe;
b) promote the exchange of information and ideas between national medical associations, and between the associations and the World Health Organization;
c) integrate appropriate aspects of policies of Health for All into basic, postgraduate and continuing medical education; and
d) formulate consensus policy statements on health issues."
For the purposes of membership, a national medical association is defined as a free independent nongovernmental association of physicians constituted in an organization, which elect its own officers, appoints its own staff and determines its own constitution, except for any statutory duties that it undertakes, and whose activities cover all the various aspects of professional practice.
With the changes in the eastern part of the region during the 1990s, there was a need for special dialogue between the countries of the east of the region and those in the west. In Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
(1994), London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(1995) and Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
(1996) post-Forum meetings were held for the benefit of the newly emerging and re-establishing national medical associations from this part of the region. In 1997, this was merged with the main meeting and devoted to a discussion on health care reform, based on the 1996 WHO Ljubljana Charter on Reforming Health Care.
In the annual meetings of the Forum, representatives from medical associations in around 40 countries are represented. Observers have included the Canadian Medical Association, which has attended regularly, and a number of Pan-European medical associations.
Each year, national medical associations report not only on their general activities but also on any action they have taken in areas which the Forum has considered. A handbook is updated annually containing information about the constitution, activities and officers of participating national medical associations.
From the beginning, the problems of tobacco and smoking and the subject of continuing medical education have been subjects of continuing report and action and, starting in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
in 1988, the quality of care. The meetings have considered a spectrum of subjects including AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, new patterns of infectious diseases, health care in the elderly, health promotion, the rights of patients, the physician’s role in environmental health
Environmental health
Environmental health is the branch of public health that is concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment that may affect human health...
, financing of health care, development of new health care systems, suicide in the young
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, quality of care development, use/misuse/abuse of drugs, medical education
Medical education
Medical education is education related to the practice of being a medical practitioner, either the initial training to become a doctor or additional training thereafter ....
, health care in prisons, and eHealth
EHealth
eHealth is a relatively recent term for healthcare practice supported by electronic processes and communication, dating back to at least 1999...
.
Over the years, the Forum has adopted a number of declarations, statements and recommendations. Some of these statements have been followed up by establishing action groups, notably in relation to tobacco and to the quality of care, in order to assist national medical associations in carrying forward appropriate action in their own countries.
Annual meetings
A meeting of the Forum is organized once a year (normally March or April), to review developments relevant to the medical profession and to exchange experience.In 2006, the meeting was held in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, hosted by the Hungarian Medical Association, and in 2007 in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, hosted by the Portuguese Medical Association. The annual meeting in 2008 is scheduled to take place in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
on 10–11 April 2008 and will be hosted by the Israel Medical Association
Israel Medical Association
Israel Medical Association , is a professional association of doctors in Israel. It traces its origins to The Hebrew Medicinal Society for Jaffa and the Jaffa District, founded in 1912, which later became The Hebrew Medical Association in the Land of Israel ...
.
Participants at the annual meetings comprise representatives from the various medical associations, as well as observers from other associations and organizations in Europe e.g. the World Medical Association (WMA), the Standing Committee of European Doctors, Comité permanent des médecins européens (CPME), Permanent Working Group of European Junior Doctors (PWG), European Union of General Practitioners (UEMO), European Medical Students' Association
European Medical Students' Association
The European Medical Students' Association is a non-governmental non-profit organisation for medical students focusing on medical education, ethics and science in Europe.- About EMSA :EMSA was founded in Brussels in 1991...
(EMSA), European Working Group of Practitioners and Specialists in Free Practice (E.A.N.A.), European Federation of Salaried Doctors (FEMS), European Association of Senior Hospital Physicians (A.E.M.H.).
Countries with member or observer status in EFMA
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macedonia
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russian Federation
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- Uzbekistan