Finnegan's Take

Is polio eradication worth it?

December 10, 2012

It’s a question that seems almost rhetorical to most public health advocates. “Of course,” they say. “If we can, we should.” This is the conventional wisdom, often presumed to have been settled long ago and to be effectively beyond question. But historian Dr William Muraskin from the City University of New York has just published… » read more

Posted by Gary Finnegan

Health & Lifestyle, Uncategorized

, aid, development, foreign affairs, health, polio, vaccines

Euro crisis could see return of polio

July 11, 2012

When European governments’ credit ratings were downgraded it became more expensive to raise money for health development projects For the past six years, the GAVI Alliance has been raising money on financial markets through the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm). This is achieved by selling ‘Vaccine Bonds’ to investors which gives GAVI cash to… » read more

Posted by Gary Finnegan

Economy & Euro, Health & Lifestyle

, Euro, Financial crisis, health, polio, vaccines

European think tank (quietly) disowns ex-EU Commissioner and former Taoiseach

June 28, 2012

Better late than never: honour has been restored at the IIEA, eventually The Institute of International and European Affairs – a Dublin-based pro-EU think tank with a record of attracting big hitters to address its high-profile events – has quietly erased two names from its Comité d’Honneur. Bertie Ahern and Padraig Flynn were removed from… » read more

Posted by Gary Finnegan

English, EU Priorities and Opinion, EU Treaty & Institutions, Public Affairs

, Bertie Ahern, Committee on Budgets, ecb, European Commission, European Commissioner, European Parliament, IIEA, Ireland, MEP, Padraig Flynn, Pat Cox, Taoiseach

European Medicines Agency: a watchdog under fire

June 14, 2012

Amid resignations, political spats and question marks over its budget, there’s a new broom at the EU’s powerful medicines authority Pity Guido Rasi. Not for his €200 salary, the generous perks or the swanky Canary Wharf offices, but for the unenviable task of turning around the ailing European Medicines Agency. He takes the helm at… » read more

Posted by Gary Finnegan

EU Treaty & Institutions, Health & Lifestyle, Innovation and Growth, Science & Research

, counterfeit, drugs, EMA, European Medicines Agency, health, medicines, transparency

Recyling ideas: A Supersized EIB

May 18, 2012

EU leaders seem to have just discovered the EIB but the truth is the bank has grown increasingly active since the crisis broke In the sleepy Luxembourg headquarters of the European Investment Bank they are unsure how to handle their 15 minutes of fame. Suddenly everyone from François Hollande and Angela Merkel to David Cameron… » read more

Posted by Gary Finnegan

Economy & Euro, EU Priorities and Opinion, EU Treaty & Institutions, Innovation and Growth, Trade & Industry

, cameron, crisis, EIB, EIF, Enda Kenny, eurozone, Financial crisis, France, Germany, greece, Hollande, Ireland, Merkel, small business, SMEs, uk, Venture capital

Engaging with MEPs 2.0

May 14, 2012

My name is Gary and I have a MySpace account. There, I’ve said it. In my defence, I haven’t used it for five years and I now forget the password. However, for dozens of our esteemed Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), wandering alone in the social media wilderness we call MySpace is a regular… » read more

Posted by Gary Finnegan

eGovernment, Elections, English, EU Priorities and Opinion, EU Treaty & Institutions, Public Affairs

, DG Interpretation, elections, European Commission, European Parliament, Facebook, LinkedIn, MEPs, social media, Twitter, Wikipedia

Greek doctors call emergency ‘solidarity summit’

March 15, 2012

Doctors from across Europe are gathering in Athens on Saturday for an emergency meeting amid fears that the Greek health system is going into meltdown. The hastily-arranged medical summit, called by the Medical Association of Athens, is due to discuss plans for a new European Medical Network through which doctors could support the ailing health… » read more

Posted by Gary Finnegan

Economy & Euro, Health & Lifestyle, Social Europe

, Athens, crisis, Doctors, ecb, EU, Financial crisis, greece, Greek, health, IMF, medicines, pharmaceuticals

‘Patient information’: a case study in EU bureacracy

February 21, 2012

Three years after it was proposed the EU Information to Patients Directive is in limbo European health ministers have poured cold water on a long-standing EU proposal to allow pharmaceutical companies to provide information on medicines directly to patients. Ministers say the Information to Patients Directive could increase red tape for government agencies and companies… » read more

Posted by Gary Finnegan

EU Priorities and Opinion, EU Treaty & Institutions, Health & Lifestyle, InfoSociety, Trade & Industry

, consumers, EU, European Commission, European Council, European Parliament, medicines, MEPs, pharma, pharmaceuticals

Unhealthy austerity hits Europe

February 15, 2012

The reality of budget cutbacks is hitting frontline health services across Europe as governments close wards and patients beg for medicines At the turn of the year, the Czech Republic sent a platoon of army doctors to help neighbouring Slovakia keep its hospitals open after a mass walk-out of 1,600 medical staff. A state of… » read more

Posted by Gary Finnegan

Health & Lifestyle

, austerity, crisis, Euro, Financial crisis, greece, health

Greek patients pleading for aspirin

January 13, 2012

Chronic drug shortages in Greece have left thousands of patients without medicines and paralysed the drug supply chain. The impact of the ongoing financial crisis in Europe is having a deep impact on patients – and that’s before the possible return of the Drachma which could at least double the relative cost of imported medicines.… » read more

Posted by Gary Finnegan

Economy & Euro, Health & Lifestyle

, crisis, drugs, economy, Euro, Financial crisis, greece, Greek, health, medicines, patients, pharmaceuticals, pharmacists

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