Malta to host conference on rare diseases in March

Malta will be hosting a conference on rare diseases in March, during the country’s presidency of the Council of the European Union, bringing together the Innovative Medicines Initiative, the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products and other entities, according to Helena Dalli, Minister for Social Dialogue.

Dalli, who was addressing a seminar on innovative medicines and patient involvement organised by the Bioethics Research Programme in collaboration with the Malta Health Network and the European patients’ Academy (EUPATI), said the conference would be organised by EURORDIS, the European Organisation for Rare Diseases.

She said that the March conference had been made possible through the initiative of Michelle Muscat, wife of prime minister Joseph Muscat, and patron of EURORDIS.

Dalli said that small countries encounter many difficulties when it comes to prompt access to innovative medicines, mainly because of their small unattractive markets.

She said this concern was being discussed throughout Europe as a major issue that warranted immediate action since it affected the public health of patients.

She stressed the importance of accessibility to medicines and noted that patients should be treated equally beyond the realm of sex, race, orientation and beliefs.