At the occasion of the 18th European Day for Organ Donation and Transplantation, Vytenis Andriukaitis, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, highlighted during his speech the added-value of European Reference Networks for Rare Diseases:
“I also want to harness the potential of a promising new initiative: European Reference Networks (ERNs), launched earlier this year. These are ‘virtual’ networks involving healthcare providers across Europe which aim to tackle complex or rare diseases and conditions that require highly specialised treatment and a concentration of knowledge and resources. As no country alone has the knowledge and capacity to treat all rare and complex diseases, I consider ERNs to be one of the most important and innovative cross-European cooperative initiatives in healthcare.
Of the 24 ERNs currently operating, one, “TRANSPLANT-CHILD”, focuses on paediatric transplantation. This ERN brings together experts in paediatric transplantations and post-transplantation care to improve outcomes for children and their families. This network aims to reduce hospitalisation time and the costs associated with transplantation, and to harmonise paediatric transplantation care to minimise the risks of post-transplantation complications.”
Read the full speech here