09.00

Registration

09.30

Opening.

– Zanda Kalniņa – Lukaševica, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Latvia

– Edgars Rinkēvičs, President of Latvia (reading the opening address on behalf of President)

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

– Dace Kļaviņa, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry 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, Latvian oncological patient organization “Onkoalianse”

10.00

INTRODUCTORY PRESENTATIONS

BRIDGING THE CANCER GAP: THE ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN CANCER ORGANISATION TO DRIVE EQUITY IN CANCER CARE IN EUROPE
– Nicolò Matteo Luca Battisti, Co-chair, European Cancer Organization Inequalities Network (remotely)

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

– Aiga Balode, Deputy State Secretary for Digitalisation and Change Management, 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 (remotely)

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

– Egils Vjaters, Associate Professor at the University of Latvia, Member of the Board of the Latvian Association of Urologists, Head of the Centre for Urology of Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital

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), United Kingdom (remotely)

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

– Jūlija Voropajeva, Project manager, Department of Health Services, National Health Service of Latvia

– Daiga Behmane, Associate Professor at Riga Stradins University, researcher, health economist, 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, Latvian oncological patient organization “Onkoalianse”

PARTICIPANTS:
– Ingrīda Circene, Co-chair of the Committee on Social and Labour Affairs, Chair of the MP Group for the Support of Oncology Patients, Parliament of 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, Co-chair of the Committee on Social and Labour Affairs, Chair of the MP Group for the Support of Oncology Patients, Parliament of 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