European Science Advisory Network for Health

17th June 2009

National scientific advisory bodies in the field of medicine and public health have agreed upon intensive European collaboration. This will lead to more effective and efficient use of scientific knowledge in health policies on the national and European level and to population health improvement. This is the result of the kick-off meeting of the European Science Advisory Network for Health (EuSANH) in Brussels in April 2009. EuSANH is a network of science advisory bodies in Europe who are active in the field of health. Currently, national science advisory bodies from twelve countries are participating.

Mission and goal
The objective of EuSANH is to promote independent scientific advice on health issues to national and European health authorities and to support evidence-based health policy. National advisory bodies participating in EuSANH share information and expertise. They aim at coordinating work programmes and seek cooperation in devising reports on health issues across national borders.

Members
The current member organisations are: Belgium, Superior Health Council; Czech Republic, National Institute of Public Health; Finland, National Institute for Health and Welfare; France, Haute Autorité de Santé, Germany, Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care/German Institute of Medical Documentation and Information; The Netherlands, Health Council of the Netherlands; Poland, National Institute of Public Health-National Institute of Hygiene; Portugal, National Health Institute; Romania, National School of Public Health and Health Services Management; Spain, Instituto de Salud Carlos III; Sweden, Swedish Council of Technology Assessment in Health Care; Switzerland, Swiss Federal Office of Public Health; The United Kingdom, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Advisors
Several European organisations have an advisory role in EuSANH: the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the Health Evidence Network (WHO Europe, HEN), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the Federation of European Academies of Medicine (FEAM), and the European Academies’ Science Advisory Council (EASAC).

Contact and more information
The EuSANH secretariat is located at the Health Council of the Netherlands: eusanh@gr.nl. Contact person is Ms Dorine Coenen, MSc (tel.: +31 70 340 74 73). More information can be found at
http://www.eusanh.eu/index.html.