EU Health Prize for Journalists 200 Europe for Patients EU Health Prize for Journalists 2010 foreword By Paola Testori Coggi, Director General, DG Health & Consumers The second edition of the EU Health Prize for Journalists gathers another outstanding collection of health articles from journalists in the 27 countries of the European Union. This year, we have built on the success of last year’s Prize with 42% more journalists taking part – 438 in total. The National juries have had to work especially hard to evaluate 745 eligible articles. This is a rise of 60% since last year. I would like to thank sincerely both the National Jury and EU Jury members for their work and dedication. A special thanks also to colleagues from the Commission’s Representations and from the Directorate General for Translations who contributed to the success of this Prize. The 27 national winning articles that appear in this booklet are on diverse subjects such as cancer, child birth, migration of doctors and the H1N1 flu pandemic. The issues raised cover the entire life span, with articles on pediatric cardiology and autism through to dementia and hospice care. Many are forward looking, covering for example eHealth and cross-border medicine. Seven of the final articles are on the subject of organ transplants. This is an important and emotive issue and an area where the Commission can claim a concrete achievement this year. The Organs Directive, adopted in May, ensures that European citizens in need of an organ transplant can benefit from the best possible quality and safety conditions, and that all donations remain voluntary and unpaid. Another ‘Europe for Patients’ initiative that has taken a big leap forward this year is the Directive on Patients’ Rights in Cross-border Health care which is progressing well in the decision making process. This initiative will make getting medical treatment in another Member State easier and more straightforward. There is truth in the old saying, “the pen is mightier than the sword”. Journalism is an incredibly powerful profession. It can form public perceptions, attitudes and behaviours. It can even bring about changes in the health system. All the articles contained in this The information contained in this publication does not necessarily reflect the opinion or the position of the European Commission. booklet illustrate the qualities of the highest form of journalism: integrity, objectivity, passion and sensitivity. I am sure you will enjoy Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on its behalf is responsible for any use that might be made of the following infor- reading them. mation. index introduction Introduction 7 This is the second edition of the EU Health Prize for Journalists which aims to stimulate high-quality journalism that raises awareness of issues related to healthcare and patients’ rights. EU Jury 8 Winners The prize is part of the “Europe for Patients” campaign, highlighting a series of healthcare and patient related policy initiatives of the Commission bound by a common goal: Italy 12 better healthcare for all in Europe. The initiatives and actions address patient safety, rare diseases, organ donation and transplantation, cancer screening, health workforce, flu and childhood vaccination, mental health, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias as well as prudent antibiotic use. Czech Republic 18 Denmark 24 The Europe for Patients Campaign and the Journalist Prize are funded under the second community health programme 2008-2013. Austria 30 Belgium 36 In this second edition, 348 journalists from all the 27 EU countries participated in the competition submitting 745 eligible articles published in printed or on-line media between Bulgaria 40 16 June 2009 and 18 July 2010 in all official EU languages. Cyprus 48 This number includes all members of team entries, where an article was written by more than one journalist. 399 journalists submitted articles through the online entry form Estonia 54 either as individual journalists or on behalf of their team. A vast majority of journalists was female, the ratio being 74% women compared to 26% men. Following this trend, Finland 58 the national finalists were also mainly women: out of the 34 finalists there were 27 women and 7 men. The average age of journalists in the competition was 37 years. France 66 Germany 70 The second edition was very successful in terms of participation: many more articles were submitted compared with last year: 60% more! Also, more 42% more journalists Greece 76 took part. Hungary 82 The selection of the winner was a two-step procedure: Ireland 86 1) National juries, one for each Member State, met under the chair of the Commission Permanent Representations during the summer and selected one national nominee. Latvia 90 2) The EU jury met on 28 October 2010 to appoint the winner and two runners-up of the EU-wide award. Lithuania 96 Luxembourg 100 First Prize: Gianluca Ferraris and Ilaria Molinari: Stealing Hope (Panorama, Italy) Malta 104 Second Prize: Lucie Hášová Truhelková: Love Dwells in the Kidney (MF Plus, Czech Republic) The Netherlands 108 Third Prize: Kasper Krogh, Morten Crone, Line Holm Nielsen and Jesper Woldenhof: The Great Failure (Berlingske Tidende, Denmark) Poland 112 This booklet features the 27 nominated articles in English , pictures and biographies of the finalists and the jury members from all over Europe. Enjoy the tour through European Portugal 118 health journalism! Romania 124 Slovakia 132 If you wish to read the nominated articles printed in this book in their original language, please consult our website under http://ec.europa.eu/health-eu/journalist_prize/2010/ Slovenia 136 index_en.htm . Spain 142 All the national finalists, together with several editors and jury members were invited in Brussels on 30 November 2010 to participate in a tailored media seminar on EU health Sweden 146 issues and the Award Ceremony. They met the Commissioner for Health and Consumer policy, John Dalli, and the Director General for Health and Consumers Paola Testori United Kingdom 156 Coggi, who awarded the prizes. National Juries 165 For more information about the Europe for Patients campaign and the Journalist Prize please visit the website: Rules 193 http://ec.europa.eu/health-eu/europe_for_patients/index_en.htm eu jury eu jury Andrzej Ryś, Lieve Fransen, Despina Spanou, Harro Albrecht, Emilio de Benito, Anita Kazai, Chair European European Journalist Journalist Journalist Commission Commission Andrzej Ryś joined the European Dr Lieve Fransen is the Director of Despina Spanou is since 1 April 2010 Principal Harro Albrecht is a Medical Doctor, Emilio de Benito studied Chemistry Ms. Anita Kazai is the medical editor Commission in June 2006 as the Directorate for Representations Adviser at the Directorate-General for Health and MD and is Medical Writer/Editor with (specialising in Biochemistry) at for the Hungarian Medical Tribune, Director in Directorate “Public Health and Risk and Networks in the European Commission’s Consumers. She works on policy and communication the German Weekly DIE ZEIT. Harro was Science the University Complutense in Madrid. From 1985 before which she worked as a freelancer and editor Assessment”, in DG “Health and Consumers”. He is Directorate General for Communication since and chairs a number of stakeholder fora, the Platform Editor with the German Newsmagazine DER SPIEGEL to 1999 he was employed as a Business System and for several hungarian dailies and magazines. She a medical doctor and graduated from Jagiellonian October 2007. Dr Fransen joined the Commission for action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, the (1999) and with the Swiss Weekly SonntagsZeitung Product Supporter with IBM. In 1999, he received had also worked for the Drug Focal Point, setting up University in Krakow, Poland. He specialized in in 1993 and headed the social policy department High Level Group on Nutrition and Physical activity, (1997-1999). He was a Nieman Fellow on Global his Master degree in Journalism and started working an early warning system and making the Hungarian radiology and public health. In 1991 he established after founding and directing a global development the Alcohol and Health Forum and the Sherpa High Health Reporting 2007 at Harvard University and as a Health/Science Journalist for EL PAIS. From drug monitoring system compatible with the EU’s. the School of Public Health (SPH) at the Jagiellonian foundation the EC AIDS Task Force in 1987. A Level Forum on the Competitiveness of the food is publishing articles concerning Golbal Health and 2008 to 2009 de Benito was a member of the Board She holds a degree in General Medical Sciences University and he was the SPH’s director until 1997. medical doctor by training, she practiced in Europe chain. Public Health matters on a regular basis. He has of the Spanish Association of Health Journalists. In from Semmelweis University of Medicine and had From 1997-1999 he served as director of Krakow’s and the developing world from 1975 to 1983 she She was previously the Deputy Head of Cabinet been a Temporary Advisor to WHO on Media and 2007, 2008 and 2010 he worked as professor of trained at the school of the National Association city health department. In 1999-2002 he became was in charge of policy research at the tropical for the European Commissioners for Health Mr. Bioterrorism. Health Journalism at the Universities Carlos III and of Hungarian Journalists. Her main interest is the the Deputy Minister of Health in Poland. In 2003 he institute of medicine and defended a PhD in Public Kyprianou (2004-2008) and Mrs. Vassiliou (2008- Complutense. Since 2009 Benito has been in charge function of the brain/mind, and its connection with established and directed the Centre for Innovation Diplomacy in 1987. She has broad experience in 2010) and was closely involved with the Europe for of the Health section for EL PAIS.