HFE is delighted to welcome the Active Citizenship Network (ACN) as a new organisational member.
Launched in December 2001 as the European and International interface of the Italian civic participation organisation Cittadinanzattiva (Active Citizenship). ACN is a flexible network of European civic organizations which are involved as partners in its different projects, addressed to encourage active participation of citizens in European policy-making.
ACN’s mission is to promote and support the construction of the European citizenship as an “active citizenship” which means the exercise of citizens’ powers and responsibilities in policy-making.
In 2002 ACN drafted the European Charter of Patients’ Rights in collaboration with 12 citizens’ organizations from different EU countries. The European Charter of Patients’ Rights states 14 patients’ rights that together aim to guarantee a “high level of human health protection” (Article 35 of the Charter of fundamental rights of the European Union) and to assure the high quality of services provided by the various national health services in Europe.
The 14 rights are an embodiment of fundamental rights and, as such, they must be recognised and respected in every country. They are correlated with duties and responsibilities that both citizens and health care stakeholders have to assume. The Charter applies to all individuals, recognising the fact that differences, such as age, gender, religion, socio-economic status etc., may influence individual health care needs
Since the launch of the European Charter of Patients` Rights, ACN has been in charge of the annual organisation European Patients Day.
Health First Europe is excited to welcome ACN as a member and looks forward to working together to advocate for patients