On 28 January 2026, CPE participated in the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) high-level policy event at the European Parliament, “Addressing women’s health unmet needs through collaboration and excellence”, discuss current gaps and future initiatives in women’s health across Europe.
Representing the patient voice, Merel Hennink, CPE Secretary of the Board, highlighted the most urgent unmet needs for women’s health services, focusing on equitable access to innovative treatments and comprehensive survivorship care.
From Patient Experience to Policy Action
Merel outlined several critical challenges faced by women across Europe, including delayed detection, limited access to diagnostics, and inequities between Member States. She emphasized that disparities in incidence, screening, treatment, and survivorship care often leave younger, socioeconomically disadvantaged, or marginalized women with persistently unmet needs. Fragmentation in supportive care, variation in quality indicators, and gaps in psychosocial support were identified as key areas requiring urgent attention.
Elevating Patient-Centred, Gender-Sensitive Care
Merel highlighted the importance of involving patients from the earliest stages of policy, clinical trials, and research, ensuring inclusivity, real-world relevance, and equitable access to innovation. She also emphasized patient-reported outcomes to benchmark quality, personalize care, and identify disparities. She also stressed the need for holistic, gender-sensitive care models, including Nurse Case/Care Managers and coordinated support roles, alongside population-based quality indicators to drive accountability and improve outcomes for women with cancer.
CPE’s Ongoing Commitment
CPE keeps the patient perspective at the heart of European health policy. We will continue pushing for equity, inclusion, and patient‑centred research to reduce fragmentation, expand fair access to innovation, and strengthen survivorship care across Europe. Through initiatives like ESGO’s policy session, CPE elevates patient voices, guides policymakers, and builds collaboration to better meet women’s health needs.
