PROGRAMME

17 MARCH 18 MARCH

The challenges for healthcare and the life science industry are huge. How to handle the major causes for severe diseases and to reduce the number of deaths within the area of Communicable Diseases like virus and bacterises, which is really something that affect us all in our daily life? And Non-Communicable Diseases where cancer and cardiovascular diseases reaps a large number of lives every year together with connected diagnoses?

These areas are prioritized by WHO, UN and EU – so how do we deal with them in Sweden, and not the least the NCDs? The number of elderly is growing and with that, the comorbidities where we need to understand more about the connections between them. How can we increase knowledge, keep the trust for science and society and at the same time stimulate innovations in healthcare for the benefit of the patients?

Welcome to two interesting days with Swedish and International speakers and where you as a delegate also play and important role to the programme!

Programme – 17 march

08:30 Registration opens

08:30

Registration opens

Welcome to our registration desk when you arrive at ELITE Palace Hotel.

Please bring your e-mail confirmation for your participation.

You are required to wear your conference badge all day for security purposes.

09:00 Introduction / Welcome

09:00 – Vanadissalen / Vasasalen

Introduction / Welcome

Penilla Gunther
Founder FOKUS Patient®

Penilla Gunther is a former Member of Swedish Parliament and founder of the initiative FOKUS Patient®, President of the European Patient Safety Foundation and a member of the Steering Committee för The Heart Failure Policy Network since 2015. Gunther was appointed by the European Commission 2022 as Member of the Cancer Mission Board for implementing goals from the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan together with the Horizon Programme.

As both a former policymaker at all levels, and with a life-long patient experience, Gunther has got an overarching knowledge of healthcare systems, life science and is involved in several areas where especially can be mentioned patient’s rights, CVDs, transplantation & organ donation, and cancer.

09:05 Keynote Speech
Robb Butler, Director of the Division of Communicable Diseases, Environment and Health, WHO

09:05 – Vanadissalen / Vasasalen

Keynote Speech: Robb Butler, Director of the Division of Communicable Diseases, Environment and Health, WHO

Biography

Mr Robb Butler is a social scientist and public health promotion adviser with over 25 years of international experience working in public health, social protection, and humanitarian assistance in developing and transitional Member States.

Mr Butler began his career in rural Afghanistan in 1990, and worked for 17 years on rural development, social protection, and sexual and reproductive health programmes in South and South-East Asia, the Pacific, and the horn of Africa, before joining WHO in 2009. Initially, Mr Butler spearheaded efforts to strengthen childhood immunization demand in countries of the WHO European Region. In 2014 he was appointed Regional Adviser for Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Immunization at WHO/Europe.

Between 2020 and 2023, Mr Butler served as Executive Director at WHO/Europe. His division set new standards in communications and resource mobilization and drove innovation in governance, while building momentum for the European Programme of Work’s behavioural and cultural insights flagship.

Robb Butler
Head of CD Division, WHO

09:15 Keynote Speech
The importance of the European Health Union and a new standing Committee on Public Health in EP

09:15 – Vanadissalen / Vasasalen

Keynote Speech: “The importance of the European Health Union and a new standing Committee on Public Health in EP”

Jessica Polfjärd
Member of European Parliament, EPP. Member of ENVI – the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety & SANT – the new permanent Committee on Public Health. Former Member of Swedish Parliament (The Moderate Party). Virtual participation.

09:25 Panel Discussion
Resilience and actions in an uncertain world

09:25 – Vanadissalen / Vasasalen

Panel Discussion: “Resilience and actions in an uncertain world”

With an international to local perspective, this panel will discuss what to expect the next five years within healthcare, considering preparedness for. new pandemics, climate changes or other types of crises? Together with changed attitudes to science and expectations on healthcare and life science within the society?

Annette A Kraus
Senior Research Scientist, IVI – International Vaccines Institutet, Regional office, Europe

Robb Butler
Director of the Division of Communicable Diseases, Environment and Health, WHO

Olivia Wigzell
Director General, The Public Health Agency of Sweden. Former Director General, National Board of Health and Welfare. Member of WHO Region Europe Standing Committee

Moderator: Ander Blanck
Senior life science consultant

10:10 Break

10:30 Parallel seminars
1) The impact of viruses and bacteria on disease
2) Patient safety throughout the entire patient journey

10:30

Parallel seminars

Vanadissalen

THE IMPACT OF VIRUSES AND BACTERIA ON DISEASE

This seminar will bring the foundation to a discussion on “common” viruses and bacterias in our society and the effect it has on people already suffering from e.g cancer, cardiovascular diseases, or autoimmune diseases. But also the risks to get another disease or worsening from them with bad oral health, allergies, COP etc, being transplanted or in a cancer treatment. How to build better knowledge among the population how to prevent all this?

Ulrika Knutsson
Founder The Sepsis Foundation, Member of the Board, The Global Sepsis Alliance

Niklas Arnberg
Professor Virology, Umeå University, Secretary General, The Virus- and Pandemic Foundation

Margaret Sällberg Chan
Professor in clinical oral immunology. Director of studies for researchers and group leader at the Institution on Laboratory Medicines, Karolinska Institutet

Fanette Caudron
Policy expert HPV, The Swedish Cancer Society

Moderator: Petra Eurenius
Senior Life Science Consultant, Co-founder FOKUS Patient

Vasasalen

PATIENT SAFETY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PATIENT JOURNEY

This session will be about patient safety throughout the entire patient journey, from getting in touch with healthcare, to information and knowledge about patient safety in drugs and medtech, access to treatment and who is responsible for the different parts, especially in crisis. Another area, highlighted by WHO is blood health and patient blood management, something that needs to be considered in patient safety management.

Marit Lindberg
MD (General Practitioner) and Investigator healthcare, The Swedish Accident Investigation Authority

Sofia Wallström
CEO, LIF – the trade association for the research-based pharmaceutical industry in Sweden. Former Director of The Health and Social Care Inspectorate (IVO) a government agency

Brian Kennedy
Executive Director, Global Aliance for Patient Access

Moderator: Mirka Cikkelova
General Secretary EUPSF – European Patient Safety Foundation

11:20 Break

11:30 Parallel seminars
1) Pandemic Knowledge and Preparedness
2) Fact-based Information

11:30

Parallel seminars

Vanadissalen

PANDEMIC KNOWLEDGE AND PREPAREDNESS

This session will bring the topics of experiences and knowledge from the COVID 19-pandemic and about those who still suffer from the effects of the disease, but also what kind of preparedness we need to have for another pandemic. What are the biggest risks and how to equip society in ethical priorities?

Erik Gustavsson
Assistant Professor in applied ethics, Linköping University

Niklas Arnberg
Professor Virology, Umeå University, Secretary General, The Virus- and Pandemic Foundation

Helén Fält
Chair, The Working Group for Pandemic Preparedness, The Swedish Life Science Organisation – SwedenBio

Lisa Norén
Doctor, spokesperson Swedish Covid Association

Moderator: Petra Eurenius
Senior Life Science Consultant, Co-founder FOKUS Patient

Vasasalen

FACT-BASED INFORMATION – MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER!

How do we communicate so that as many as possible can understand what a pandemenic is, what kind of risks there are for virus and bacterias in society and how they spread? What kind of media should be used and listen to, when attitudes to media information also have changed the last couple of years, eg vaccine, cholesterol etc. And how can the European Health Data Space increase citizen engagement and knowledge?

Götz Gottschalk
Head of Health, YouTube DE (Google)

Lars Lindsköld
President, EFMI – European Federation for Medical Informatics, Senior Adviser, SciLifeLab DC, Uppsala, Member of the Board, Center for Transdisciplinary AI, Umeå University, Sweden

Nasim Bergman Farrokhnia
MD PhD Industry Director, Healthcare and Life Sciences EMEA, Microsoft Global HLS Team, Chair of eHealth Doctors Association, Sweden

Michel Silvestri
Senior advisor & Head of Unit, Swedish eHealth Agency

Moderator: Hanna Brodda
Senior Communications Consultant

12:30 Lunch

13:20 Parallel seminars
1) What’s the future for science?
2) Actions to prevent AMR - Is a broader use of vaccines one way to go?

13:20

Parallel seminars

Vanadissalen

WHAT’S THE FUTURE FOR SCIENCE?

The annual survey ”VA-Barometern” presented by the organisation Public & Science Sweden shows how much trust and confidence the Swedish people has got for science, researchers, news, technologies etc, and at the European level, EU has its own ”Eurobarometer”, showing how much truust people have for their country, EU, media etc. We can still see quite good results for democracy and science in Sweden, but for how long?

Ulrika Björkstén
Secretary General, The Science and Society Foundation

Annika Wäppling Korzinek
Head of European Commission Representation in Sweden

Samuel Lagercrantz
Editor-in-Chief Life Science Sweden and Medtech Magazine

Ingrid Helander
Journalist, The Dentist Magazine

Moderator: Edvard Agrell
Corporate Public Affairs Manager, Bayer Sweden

Vasasalen

ACTIONS TO PREVENT AMR – IS A BROADER USE OF VACCINES ONE WAY TO GO?

Many people need antibiotics but the AMR is increasing. What kind of other solutions are we currently seeing, is a broader use of vaccines one of them to protect patients at risk of complications due to infections when many also already having NCDs like cardiovascular or respiratory diagnoses, or being transplanted. Is a vaccine program for elderly something to work for?

Catherine Fleck-Vidal
Global Health Consultant, International Vaccine Institute (IVI), Region Europe

Charlotte Vernhes
Director, Scientific and Medical Affairs, Vaccines Europe

Margareta Linder
Nephrologist, Board Member, Senior Doctors Association

Anette von Koch
The Swedish Association for Heart-Lung transplanted Patients and President, LAM Academy (Patient Association for lymphangioleiomyomatosis)

Moderator: Johan Järte
Sr Consultant Radiologist, Medical Director Oriola

14:30 Keynote Speech
To employ governance and regulation for AI in health to build trust, advance equity, and deliver on AI’s potential

14:30 – Vanadissalen / Vasasalen

Keynote Speech: “To employ governance and regulation for AI in health to build trust, advance equity, and deliver on AI’s potential”

Dr. Ricardo Baptista Leite is a Portuguese-Canadian medical doctor trained in infectious diseases with extensive experience in global health, health systems and science-based policymaking. Prior to his current role as CEO of ‘HealthAI – The Global Agency for Responsible AI in Health’ in Geneva, Dr. Ricardo served four terms as a Member of Parliament in Portugal on both health and foreign affairs committees. Ricardo is a city councillor in Sintra and previously served as Deputy Mayor of Cascais.

He is the founder and President of the ‘UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health’, a network of current and former policymakers from 110 countries. With more than 15 years of academic experience, he is Chair of the Board of the Harvard-Charité Global Health Policy Lab, based in Berlin, and Chair of the Centre for Global Health at NOVA University Information Management and Data Science School in Lisbon. He completed postgraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University, Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Medical School. Previously, Dr Baptista Leite worked as a practising physician in the Portuguese National Health Service for several years, including an internship at the World Health Organization.

More recently, he served as a medical volunteer both during the COVID pandemic in his hometown hospital in Portugal for over a year and as part of a humanitarian mission at the Lviv Regional Hospital in Ukraine during the first summer after the beginning of the war.

Dr. Ricardo Baptista Leite
CEO HealthAI – The Global Agency for Responsible AI in Health

Moderator: Thomas Straumits
Client Executive Business Development, EY Sweden

15:00 Break

15:30 Presentation of nominees for The Patient Advocates of The Year

16:00 Panel Discussion
A competitive life science industry and a healthcare system which can be adjusted as needed - how is that going to happen?

16:00 – Vanadissalen / Vasasalen

Panel Discussion: A competitive life science industry and a healthcare system which can be adjusted as needed – how is that going to happen?

Europe’s healthcare needs to become more equal, as well as the rest of the world. New and more innovative products and methods have to be implemented for the benefit of the patient as well as for keeping the life science industry interest in Europe but maybe also in the US? Let’s listen to different angels of this problem, and solutions.

Hans Martens
Senior Advisor on core policies in the EU, President European Association of Value-Based Health Care

Hans Martens was born in Denmark, and he studied Political Science at Aarhus University, specializing in EU affairs and in public administration, and went on to become Associate Professor in international political and economic relations. He joined the European Policy Centre, a leading Brussels think tank, as Chief Executive in 2002, and retired from that post in September 2013. He is now Senior Advisor to EPC and to the Danish think tank Europa. He chairs CHES (Coalition for Health, Ethics and Society), the health policy programme of the EPC.

Elisabeth Nielsen
Manager at the Health Division, Vinnova – The Swedish Innovation Agency

Elisabet Nielsen has been working since 2012 at Vinnova, The Swedish Innovation Agency in different positions with European, Nordic and national programmes in health which finance research and innovation. Nielsen works in different ways to promote and increase collaboration between all stakeholders in healthcare and life science.

Lisa Salberg
Founder and CEO Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association, USA

Fredrik Öhrn
Healthcare Director, Deloitte. Former E-health strategist at The National Board of Health and Welfare, Sweden

Moderator: Anders Blanck
Life Science Consultant, Former CEO, LIF – the trade association for the research-based pharmaceutical industry in Sweden

16:55 Thank you

17:30 Networking Event

17:30 – Second floor, Bar Aperitivo

WELCOME to FOKUS Patient® Networking Event 2025

All guests registered for the conferences and the Networking Event are welcome to join us for some food, drinks and music at the second floor of the Elite Palace Hotel, The Bar Aperitivo.

Have you forgotten to register? Talk to Penilla Gunther if there are any seats left.

Musical entertainment with DJ Choco Canel

PROGRAMME

Programme – 17 march

08:30

Registration opens

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