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IC2PERMED: Fostering collaboration between Europe and Chine to enhance personalised medicine
Tailoring care to meet patients' needs can dramatically improve clinical outcomes; we hear how the IC2PerMed project is bolstering efforts in personalised medicine. Over the past twenty years, personalised medicine (PM) has shown the potential to transform healthcare by tailoring prevention, diagnosis, and therapies to meet individuals' needs. PM uses genotypic, phenotypic, and environmental data to adapt healthcare interventions, resulting in improved health outcomes.(1) It also aims to improve the efficacy of medications and therapeutic strategies by moving away from the 'one-size-fits-all' approach. 'Integrating China in the International Consortium for Personalised Medicine' (IC2PerMed) is a coordination and support action of the International Consortium for Personalised Medicine (ICPerMed) funded by EU Horizon 2020. The initiative aims to foster common approaches between the People's Republic of China and the EU on PM research, development, innovation, and policies, therefore promoting long-term EU-China research collaboration. (2)

The "WHO guidelines on ethical issues in public health surveillance" were ublished shortly after the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers published a Decree (3rd March, 2017) regarding surveillance systems and registries. The WHO document is a comprehensive framework of international import that forms a compendium of ethical principles to underlie public health surveillance. Although the Italian Decree is in line with the guidelines it contains no reference to mechanisms to ensure ethical surveillance, which instead are recommended in the WHO document. Ethics Committees would appear the most suitable candidates to fill this role.

In the world of modern health, despite the fact that we've been blessed with amazing advances of late - the advent of personalised medicine is just one example - "change" for most citizens seems slow. There are clear discrepancies in availability of the best care for all, the divisions in access from country to country, wealthy to poor, are large. There are even discrepancies between regions of the larger countries, where access often varies alarmingly. Too many Member States (with their competence for healthcare) appear to be clinging stubbornly to the concept of "one-size-fits-all" in healthcare and often stifle advances possible through personalised medicine. Meanwhile, the legislative arena encompassing health has grown big and unwieldy in many respects. And bigger is not always better. The health advances spoken of above, an increased knowledge on the part of patients, the emergence of Big Data and more, are quickly changing the face of healthcare in Europe. But healthcare thinking across the EU isn't changing fast enough. The new technologies will certainly speak for themselves, but only if allowed to do so. Acknowledging that, this article highlights a positive reform agenda, while explaining that new avenues need to be explored.

On 3rd October 2016 a convention was held in the Aldo Moro room of the Chamber of Deputies on "Research on biological materials of human origin. Jurists and scientists face to face". The convention was organised by the Bioethics Unit of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS, Italian National Institute of Health) in conjunction with the Italian Academy of the Internet Code (IAIC) and the Fondazione Centro di Iniziativa Giuridica Piero Calamandrei. The present contribution reports the topics discussed and the key conclusions reached. As a follow-up to the discussion, the scientists, jurists and institutions concerned are resolved to take further steps towards the formulation of operational proposals intended to facilitate research using human biological materials within a framework of precise and strict regulations.

This is the quick, go-to-reference book for public health trainees and practitioners. It distils information from the core disciplines of public health into one concise volume. It is also packed with practical tips on professional competencies and skills development, as well as new emerging topics.