The United Nations General Assembly convened the Fourth High-level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health in September 2025 together with WHO, an important step forward for seeing the connections between physical and mental conditions.
The EU initiative Healthier Together focus on Non-Communicable Diseases. The purpose is to support the Member States in their work in five important areas but also connect to some others.
Cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, chronic kidney disease, obesity, liver conditions are connected to each other but also to Mental Health and we need to know more on how they work together. How to use the Europe´s Beating Cancer Plan and the coming EU Safety Hearts Plan in the best way?
Prevention is not easy, social and behavioural changes and other factors affecting health and healthcare. A stronger social, financial and environmental sustainability is needed to provide people with a good Quality of Life independent of who you are or where you live.
How do we like the future healthcare to look like? What kind of leadership is needed to build trust? Sweden has a long tradition of values, stating the need for equality and equity, and trust in healthcare and public organisations. Will that last forever?
Programme – 17 march
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08:15 - Registration opens
Room: The conference area
Registration opens
09:00 - Opening address
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Opening address
On stage: Penilla Gunther & Mattias Hellström, FOKUS Patient & Citizens Affairs
09:10 - Safe Hearts - Keynote speaker Fausto Pinto, Full Professor of Cardiology, Head of the Cardiology Dep. and of the Heart and Vascular Dep. of Santa Maria University Hospital, Portugal
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Keynote Speech: Safe Hearts
The Safe Heart Plan in Europe is an excellent example of a combined effort of different stakeholders to put in place an organized plan that will improve cardiovascular health for everyone.
Speaker: Fausto Pinto, Full Professor of Cardiology, Head of the Cardiology Dep. and of the Heart and Vascular Dep. of Santa Maria University Hospital, Portugal
09:25 - Keynote - TBC
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Keynote – TBC
Keynote speaker TBC
09:40 - Women’s health with a life-long perspective
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Women’s health with a life-long perspective
Research and development for women’s health needs to be strengthened through all periods of life.
A fire-side chat between Brian Kennedy, Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Patient Access – GAfPA and Penilla Gunther, FOKUS Patient about Partnership for Women’s Wellness (PWW), a new initiative for ensuring women’s wellness is a priority, not an afterthought. Across Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Africa and beyound, PWW brings together stakeholders in women’s health to identify unmet needs and align on shared priorities across non-communicable diseases and maternal health.
10:00 - Coffee Break
Room: In the conference area
Coffee Break
Break with coffee or tea.
10:20 - Parallel seminars
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Is it possible to measure people’s illness and its impact on society? Can the European and National plans for cancer and cardiovascular diseases improve healthcare and Quality of Life?
Introduction by:
Penilla Gunther, Member Cancer Mission Board, European Commission and Member, Heart Failure Policy Network Steering Committee.
Francesca Colombo, Head of Health Division, OECD – The State of Cardiovascular Health in the European Union.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death and disability in the European Union, with significant geographic, gender and socio-economic disparities in outcomes and care. Despite progress in prevention and treatment, the COVID-19 pandemic reversed some gains, and most countries still face challenges in ensuring effective prevention, early detection, access to acute care and long-term management. The economic and social burden of CVD is immense, driven by premature mortality, lost productivity, and high healthcare costs.
Thomas Hofmarcher, Research Director, IHE – Comparator Report on Cancer in Europe 2025
The report continues a 20-year legacy of analyzing and comparing the cancer situation in Europe. It provides a comprehensive view of the development of cancer between 1995 and 2023. It highlights differences between countries in terms of the disease burden, economic burden, and patient access to new cancer medicines and molecular diagnostics. It also describes the advances in the medical field and discusses policy implications relating to bridging inequalities in access to medicines, valuation of medicines, and providing better data.
Panel discussion about the presentations outcomes and visions for the future
Ulrica Sundholm, Secretary General, The Swedsh Heart-Lung Organisation
Eduardo Pisani, CEO, All.Can International, Belgium
Fausto Pinto, Professor Cardiology, Portugal
Fredrik Svedberg, President, Swedish Lung Cancer Organisation
Moderator: Penilla Gunther, FOKUS Patient & Member, Cancer Mission Board, The European Commission
Room: Vanadissalen Language:
Why influenza vaccine is important to prevent other diseases.
Each year, we are facing influenza and for some risk groups like elderly people, it can really be a dangerous thing. Is it time for a National Vaccine Programme?
Using vaccine as a tool for preventing further diseases like stroke, myocardial infarction, asthma and much more
Niklas Arnberg, Professor in Virology, Umeå University, Sweden
Effects of influenza. Complications for people with airway diseases
Mikaela Odemyr, President, The Swedish Asthma-Allergy Organisation
Cancer treatments and a lower immune system
Eva-Maria Strömsholm, Co-founder and vicechair at Gynecological Cancerpatients in Finland
The danger with influenza and diabetes
Thomas Magnusson, President, Diabetes Sweden
Moderator: Petra Eurenius, Senior Consultant, Life Science
11:20 or 11:40 - Lunch
Room: The Restaurant
Lunch
12:45 - Parallel seminars
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Support for people with chronic diseases or long-term conditions.
Many things in life will change when you get a chronic or long-term condition. How to deal with the mental side of having a physical condition? Are there any differencies between men and women and ages?
Cardiovascular Disease and Mental Health: A Dangerous Duo?
Christi Deaton, Emerita Professor of Nursing, Primary Care Unit, Dep of Public Health and Primary Care. University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine and Cambridge University Hospitals
Many questions about the future when being young having cancer
Maria Soares Lindberg, Deputy Secretary General, Young Cancer Sweden
Women and Cancer – Quality of Life in all periods of treatment and rehabilitation
Elisabetta Zanon, CEO, European Cancer Organisation, Belgium
Moderator: Johan Järte, MD & Medical Director, Oriola
Room: Vanadissalen
The importance of innovations in healthcare, but how do we use the existing resources?
What kind of importance do existing drugs, diagnostic tools and other medtech together with implementing systems play for new methods and products?
Presentations by:
From Prescription to Precision – Simple At-Home Sampling
Azita Hedayati, CEO True Dose, Sweden
When good ideas faces regulations and healthcare systems
Magnus Lejelöv, CEO, STUNS Life Science, Sweden
ATMP – innovative treatments in new ways
Ewa Ellis, Co-ordinator, Karolinska ATMP Center, Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden
HTA – to be able to assess use, risks, health economy and ethical aspects of new treatments
Niklas Hedberg, Chief Pharmacist at TLV, The Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency
Moderator: Anders Blanck, Senior Advisor, Life Science and Healthcare.
13:40 - Break
Break
13:50 - Parallel seminars
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“How to prevent further diseases by preventing the first one..?”
A discussion about connected diseases and why it is needed to have a holistic view on diagnostics and treatments for better preventive measures.
Introduction about prevention by
Ylva Trolle Lagerros, professor och specialist i internmedicin, Karolinska universitetssjukhuset
Panel discussion with
Elisabeth Dupont, International Diabetes Federation Europe
Brian Kennedy, CEO, GAfPA – Global Alliance for Patient Access & Global Patient Alliance for Kidney Health
Moderator: Daniel Ågren, Personalised Health Care Lead at Roche Sweden
Room: VanadissalenLanguage:
What will the coming Swedish CVD-plan look like?
The Swedish Government has decided to give the National Board on Health and Welfare an assignment to investigate this. Now its time to being inspired and take in good ideas!
How we have worked to influence the content of the Safe Hearts Plan
From the profession’s point of view
Sophie Millar, EU Policy and Advocacy Manager, European Society of Cardiology
From the patient’s point of view
Magdalena Daccord, CEO, FH Europé Foundation
Earlier and Better Diagnostics Are Critical to the Success of the Cardiovascular Plan
Jan Stenman, Network Lead Customer and Healthcare Value, Roche Sweden
Ulrica Sundholm, General Secretary, The Swedish Association for HeartLung
Moderator: Billie Pettersson, Patient Focused Market Access and Public Affairs Leader, Sanofi Sweden
14:40 - Break
Room: Restaurant
Break with coffee or tea.
15:00 - Parallel seminars
Room: Vasasalen
Patient Safety – wherever and whenever you will have your care.
People wish to have their healthcare in different ways nowadays. It can be provided at home, at hospital or other healthcare settings but also by mobile solutions or even in malls. How do we keep patient safety high, independent where and how we meet the patients?
Presentations with different point of views:
Cancer care in a mall? A unique development project between the Akademiska Hospital in Uppsala, care givers and life science companies.
New methods has lead to a more person centred and decentralised cancer care in Region Uppsala.
Maria Andersson Ödman, Assistant Chief Operating Officer, The Blood and Tumour disease department, Academic Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
The Empowered Patient: How standards enable safer, smarter, more personalised care
This session highlights how patient-centred innovation makes healthcare safer, more efficient, and truly tailored to individual needs. Join us to discover practical strategies for embedding patient empowerment at the heart of healthcare transformation.
Lena Coulibaly, Responsible Public Affairs Healthcare sector, GS1 Sweden
Designing safe systems across different care environments.
Patientt safety must be included as a natural way of working independently of where it is performed and by whom.
Stephane Boulanger, Policy Officer, European Patient Safety Foundation
Why an international patient organisation cares about patient safety
Jolanta Bilinska, Founder and treausrer Wordl Patient Alliance and President, The Polish Patient Safety Organisation
Moderator: Thomas Straumits, Director, Client Executive, Business Development EY
Room: Vanadissalen
The annual Patient Advocacy Award ceremony
Every year, FOKUS Patient liike to acknowledge people in networks and organisation who have made the patient and the patient community more well known by using different kind of tools and activities.
The two final candidates choosen by the jury are: “The Network for fair and safe acess to patient records for families with severely sick or disabled children over 13 yrs old” and The Patient Organisation for Atopic Dermatitis. Each one will give a presentation fo their activities.
The jury is: Jonas Edström, Roche AB, Billie Pettersson, Sanofi, Anna Yng, Novo Nordisk and Katarina Johansson (independent patient advocate)
Moderator: Penilla Gunther, Founder & Programme Director, FOKUS Patient
15:50 - Coffee Break
Room: In the conference area
Coffee or tea.
16:10 - Panel discussion: How do we look at healthcare, research and development at the same time as a lot of resources goes to other areas in society? What’s the future for life science and healthcare?
Room: Vasasalen
How do we look at healthcare, research and development at the same time as a lot of resources goes to other areas in society? What’s the future for life science and healthcare, how do we prepare for changes?
It happens a lot in the world right now. Independemt if we live in peace, in crisis or in war, the companies need to be able to produce and deliver services and products. A sustainable system for how to use and develop existing resources , as well as to make space for new innovations and new ways of working. How does the future looks like?
Panel discussion
Annika Szabo Portela, Executive Director, Digital Futures KTH – Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm
Björn Eriksson, Director General, The National Board on Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen), Sweden
Cecilia Linde, Professor Cardiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm and President-Elect, European Society of Cardiology
Erik Linderberg, Sustainability Manager, Novo Nordisk Sweden
Moderator: Magnus Lejelöv, CEO STUNS Life Science, Uppsala.
16:55 - Closing remarks
More information coming soon.
17:00 - The End