Leading experts and top decision makers and stakeholders convened in Malta at the 2017 Societal Impact of Pain Symposium to address this urgent issue and find solutions to help European governments and EU Institutions act and prioritise the societal impact of pain in their policy agenda. The Seminar was hosted by Former Prime Minister and MEP Alfred Sant who pushed for action to tackle the societal impact of pain to find ways to improve pain care policies across Europe. Dr Sant told participants that around 100 million EU citizens have musculoskeletal pain that causes almost 50% of all absences from work lasting three days or longer and 60% of permanent work incapacity. The direct and indirect costs of musculoskeletal diseases have been estimated at €240bn each year – up to 2% of GDP across the EU. In Malta, one in five respondents to a European Commission survey indicated that they have felt pain in the week preceding the interview showing that a significant share of Maltese citizens and their families are affected by the burden of pain.
“Pain imposes a heavy burden on individuals’ private lives and leads to enormous costs for healthcare systems as well as for our societies and economies. From the patient’s aspect, pain is not always a temporary symptom of a disease. In fact, it could also become chronic with the need of specific treatment. Sadly, too few chronic pain patients receive treatment with devastating effects on their quality of life, and eventually on that of their families. Figures show that in Malta, one in five people are feeling pain,” Dr Sant told the Symposium.
The 2017 SIP Symposium structured discussions around the following issue areas: pain as a quality indicator for health care systems; European and national platforms addressing the societal impact of pain; impact of pain on labour and employment and challenges, lighthouses and best practices in pain policy.. This will lead to concrete policy suggestions which will be ratified at the plenary at the European Parliament.
Maltese Version – ALFRED SANT FAVUR AZZJONI DWAR L-IMPATT SOĊJALI TAL-UĠIGĦ
Esperti fil-qasam tal-uġigħ iltaqgħu f’Malta għas-Simposju 2017 dwar L-Impatt Soċjali tal-Uġigħ biex ikunu indirizzati kwistjonijiet urġenti u biex jinstabu soluzzjonijiet ġodda li jgħinu lill-Gvernijiet u l-Istituzzjonijiet Ewropej jaġixxu u jagħtu prijorita` lill-impatt tal-uġigħ fl-aġenda politika tagħhom. L-Ewroparlamentari Malti Alfred Sant ħa l-inizjattiva biex jitlaqqa’ dan is-seminar biex tittieħed azzjoni dwar l-impatt soċjali tal-uġigħ u biex jinstabu metodi differenti li jtejbu l-politika tat-trattament fl-Ewropa.
Dr Sant qal lill-parteċipanti li madwar 100 miljun ċittadin Ewropew ibatu minn uġigħ fl-għadam jew fil-muskoli. Dan jikkawża madwar 50% tal-assentejiżmu fuq il-post tax-xogħol għal tlett ijiem jew aktar u jikkawża 60% tal-inkapaċita` permanenti fuq ix-xogħol. L-ispejjeż diretti u indiretti ta’ mard muskolari jew fl-għadam jammontaw għal madwar €240 biljun ewro fis-sena – 2% tal-PGD tul l-Unjoni Ewropea. F’Malta, wieħed minn kull ħamsa li wieġbu f’survey tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea qalu li ħassew uġigħ fil-ġimgħa ta’ qabel ipparteċipaw fis-survey. Dan juri li numru sostanzjali ta’ ċittadini Maltin u l-familji tagħhom huma affettwati mit-tbatija li jikkawża l-uġigħ.
“L-uġigħ jitfa’ piż tqil fuq il-ħajja privata tal-individwi u jwassal għal spejjeż kbar fil-qasam tas-saħħa kif ukoll fuq is-soċjetajiet u l-ekonomiji. Mill-aspett tal-pazjent, l-uġigħ mhux dejjem ikun sintomu temporanju ta’ marda. Filfatt jista’ jiġi kroniku u jkun jeħtieġ trattament speċifiku. Sfortunatament, ftit huma il-pazjenti b’uġigħ kroniku li jingħataw trattament li jtejbilhom il-kwalita` ta’ ħajja li jgħixu u fuq il-ħajja ta’ familthom. Il-figuri juru li f’Malta wieħed minn kull ħames persuni jħossu l-uġigħ,” qal Dr Sant waqt is-Simposju.
Is-Simposju ta’ din is-sena fassal id-diskussjonijiet madwar dawn l-oqsma: l-uġigħ bħala indikatur ta’ kwalita` fl-oqsma tas-saħħa; għaqdiet Ewropej u nazzjonali li jindirizzaw l-impatt soċjali tal-uġigħ; l-impatt tal-uġigħ fis-suq tax-xogħol u l-isfidi u l-aħjar metodi fir-rigward tal-politika tal-uġigħ. Dan iwassal għal politika konkreta u suġġerimenti li jkunu ratifikati fil-plenarja tal-Parlament Ewropew.
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