2022 was no ordinary year
2022 marked the 15th anniversary of MHN and we’re humbled to have been able to make headway on our mission; empowering patients all across the Maltese islands. We’ve worked hard to become a reputable, informed voice on health-related matters; updating ourselves on international best practices to be able to deliver people-centric information, resources and training to patient organisations, health professionals and the general public themselves.
From humble beginnings back in 2007, MHN has gone from strength to strength. We have completed comprehensive research on chronic pain, become a member of the European Patients Forum in 2010 and established full affiliation into the International Alliance of Patients’ Organisations (IAPO) in 2015. Year after year MHN has tirelessly promoted patient rights and contributed to governmental discussions on healthcare reforms. We’re proud to now have over 40 member organisations under our umbrella, estimated to represent over 12,000 families on the
island.
This year, to celebrate our 15th anniversary, we have organised a variety of high-profile meetings with policy makers to further advocate our mission to respective authorities.
Thanks to financial support via the Training Initiative Support Scheme, funded by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector and our collaboration with the Malta Medicines Authority, we have developed an exciting programme of information sessions, seminars and workshops, all in a bid to get closer to our members, patients and society at large. With topics ranging from the Prevention of Microbial Resistance to Access to Primary Healthcare and Accident and Emergency, our main focus is patient empowerment and advocacy. Running from January 2023 to March 2023 these sessions have been recorded and disseminated over multiple digital platforms to extend to as much of the general population as possible.
The full list of topics is as follows:
Access to Services (Accident and Emergency & Primary Care)
Information on Antibiotic and Antimicrobial Resistance
Patients’ Rights
Self-management
Safe use of Medication
During an event held to celebrate the 15th anniversary and announce the Patient Empowerment Training Programme, Gertrude Buttigieg (Chairperson) spoke of the importance of helping citizens become aware of their responsibility to manage their care, all whilst being an active partner in their health decisions. “From helping preventing the onset of illnesses or worsening of their condition to being part of their treatment and management plan in partnership with health professionals, citizens knowing their rights as patients is a huge step in the right direction towards a more collaborative, sustainable health-care system. Addressing the authorities, she offered active involvement at decision making level, in light of cases of decisions about patients being taken without the voice of the patient/citizen being reported.”
MHN will continue to strive to give patients an informed voice in health-related matters in Malta, the EU and internationally whilst providing an efficient platform where all our members can network and achieve common goals through sharing of resources. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for the network and continue to work towards a patient population that’s informed, confident and looking to the future, just as we are.