Newsletter PAE 2017 – Welcome!
Dear reader,
I
n this first newsletter of the year 2017 we would like to give you an update on what PAE and the board has been doing the past period and is planning to do the upcoming months.
Although you would expect that the holiday season would also be applicable for PAE and the board it didn’t feel like that. A lot of things were going on and several preparations / activities should have been started already.
The written declaration was one of it. The Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) Symposium to be held in June in Malta. The progress of the Red Balloon project. The Brain, Mind and Pain interest group. And last but not least our own survey. Then there is the annual general assembly and all the paperwork which is needed for that. More on all these topics you can read in this newsletter.
Discussions and meetings with partners in grant applications. The preparations for the grant for patient centricity innovations. And off course the never ending story of finding the money for PAE’s activities. Besides that there is always the representation task of PAE in order to get more visibility, more recognition and inn that way more influence.
However we are not complaining because actually we are very pleased that PAE is doing so well and ask to participate in or join in other activities. We will try to do that as much as possible if the activity is aimed to improve the quality of life of chronic pain patients across Europe. We do keep a wide scoop on that as there are so many areas which can be improved so that the people we are doing this for will get a better life.
But PAE is more as the board only. It are also national associations which are very active on their own national level and trying their best to get the situation improved in their own country. It is good to read about that in this newsletter as well.
We can all learn from each other and see and discuss if some solutions could work in other countries. We should not wait till others come with these ideas. We are creative and skilled enough for ourselves to do so. If we as patient associations set the example that by cooperation one can achieve so much than the other stakeholders will join and work with us, because if we reach our goals it would benefit them in the end as well. It is a win-win situation for everyone.
Enjoy the reading and don’t forget we do appreciate new ideas.
Joop van Griensven
President PAE
