09.00

Registration

09.30

Opening.

– Edgars Rinkēvičs, President of Latvia

– Olivér Várhelyi, European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare (video address)

– Zanda Lukaševiča-Kalniņa, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Latvia

– Hosams Abu Meri, Minister of Health of the Republic of Latvia

– Olga Valciņa, founder of the Latvian oncological patient organization “Onkoalianse”

Congress moderator – Inese Supe, journalist and cancer patient

10.00

INTRODUCTORY PRESENTATIONS

INEQUALITIES IN CANCER PATIENTS IN THE EU CHARACTERISTICS
– Nicolò Matteo Luca Battisti, Co-chair, European Cancer Organization Inequalities Network

EUROPE’S BEATING CANCER PLAN ON THE POLITICAL AGENDA OF EU COUNTRIES
– Ivars Ījabs, Latvian Member of the European Parliament, Deputy Head of the European Parliament’s Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA), Latvia

THE IMPACT OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE HEALTH SYSTEM ON CANCER INEQUALITIES
– Dr Dheepa Rajan, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, WHO European Centre for Health Policy, Belgium

THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES IN REDUCING INEQUALITIES IN CANCER CARE
– Dr Karla Hernández-Villafuerte, Senior Researcher on Health Economics, WifOR Institute, Germany

11.00

DISCUSSION: STRATEGIES AND EXAMPLES OF GOOD PRACTICE FOR ENSURING EQUALITY

Moderator: Ivars Ījabs, Latvian Member of the European Parliament, Deputy Head of the European Parliament’s Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA), Latvia

PARTICIPANTS:
– Līga Kozlovska, Head of the Public Health Sub-Committee of the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia

– Dace Kļaviņa, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Latvia

– Radu Gănescu, President of the Romanian National Coalition of Chronic Disease Patient Organisations (COPAC), Romania

– Jacek Maciejewski, Member of the management board of the Rak’n’Roll Foundation, Poland

11.40

BREAK

11.50

INTRODUCTORY PRESENTATIONS

EUROPE’S LEADING RESEARCH PROJECTS IN THE FIELD OF CANCER TREATMENT
– Bogi Eliasen, Executive Director, Movement Health Foundation

THE LATEST BIOTECHNOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES AND THEIR ROLE IN PERSONALISED TREATMENTS
– Prof. Mārcis Leja, Director of the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia

12.20

DISCUSSION: COOPERATION BETWEEN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIA IN CREATING INNOVATION

Moderator: Olga Valciņa, founder of the Latvian oncological patient organization “Onkoalianse”

PARTICIPANTS:
– Alinta Hegmane, Associate Professor at the University of Latvia, Chair of the Latvian Association of Oncologists, Director of National Cancer Center, Latvia

– Vladislava Marāne, Director of the Association of International Research-based Pharmaceuticals Manufacturers (SIFFA), Latvia

– Haralds Plaudis, Professor at Riga Stradins University, Member of the Board of Riga East University Hospital, Latvia

13.00

LUNCH BREAK

13.45

INTRODUCTORY PRESENTATION

A VALUE-BASED HEALTHCARE APPROACH TO INCREASING HEALTHCARE EFFICIENCY AND REDUCING COSTS
– Zofia Das-Gupta, Senior Director of Outcomes Research, International Consortium of Health Result Measurements (ICHOM)

14.00

DISCUSSION: OPTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING A VALUE-BASED APPROACH 

Moderator: Olga Valciņa, founder of the Latvian oncological patient organization “Onkoalianse”

PARTICIPANTS:
– Valts Ābols, Chairman of the Board, Children’s Clinical University Hospital, Latvia

– Daiga Behmane, researcher at the Riga Stradins University, Latvia

– Inès Aoufi, Associate Consultant, European Initiative on Ending Discrimination Against Cancer Survivors, Belgium

14.40

INTRODUCTORY PRESENTATION

PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR INNOVATING AND ENSURING EQUAL ACCESS TO NEW MEDICINES IN EUROPE
– Adam Sohn, Head of Patient Engagement Solutions, IQVIA, US

14.55

DISCUSSION: THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUITY IN CANCER CARE: OPTIONS, SOLUTIONS AND SYSTEMIC TOOLS

Moderator: Inese Supe, journalist and cancer patient

PARTICIPANTS:
– Ingrīda Circene, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Social and Labour Affairs, Latvia

– Neringa Ciakiene, Head of the Lithuanian Cancer Patient Coalition (POLA), Lithuania

– Maija Āboliņa, Member of the Supervisory Board, State Audit Office, Latvia

– Aija Geriņa, Chair of the Association of Oncology Chemotherapists, Latvia

15.30

CLOSING NOTE AND CONCLUSIONS

-Ingrīda Circene,Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Social and Labour Affairs, Latvia

– Olga Valciņa, founder of the Latvian oncological patient organization “Onkoalianse”

09.00

Patients’ NGO discussion: patient advocacy strategies and outcomes. Exchange of experiences.

11.00

Patients’ NGO discussion: patient advocacy strategies and outcomes. Exchange of experiences.

13.00

Closing note