The EU policy symposium will discuss the importance of pain management.

To bring the problem of managing chronic pain into focus and discuss solutions, including possible policy ramifications, the 2017 Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU the Societal Impact of Pain (SIP), will conduct a symposium beginning June 7^th. 

According to the SIP, 20% of the adult population in Europe suffers from chronic pain, including 153 million suffering from migraines. This as well as other sources of pain — such as back injury — are not only disabling for the patient, but also contribute to a social cost on productivity due to issues of absenteeism. The SIP estimates this cost as close to 441 billion euros from the previous year.

Symposium planners say the event will attract a diverse group of stakeholders including healthcare professionals, researchers, advocacy groups, pain specialists and payers. SIP’s platform and symposium agenda will be developed from the European Pain Federation EFIC and partners Pain Alliance Europe and Active Citizenship Network. Co-hosts include the Malta Health Network, the No Pain Foundation and Grünenthal GmbH, a German pharma company responsible for funding and non-financial support.

The SIP platform was designed to structure “EU-wide cooperation with lasting political impact, to find solutions that improve the lives of those with chronic pain, but also minimize the impact of pain on society.”