We live in an information age, but good information is still scarce and hard to find.
For the Commission, we work with a wide range of partners in order to generate and share relevant information that can help to guide policies to improve health at all levels in Europe.
Chronic conditions in general and diabetes in particular represent a challenge for good health in Europe that is already significant, and which we can expect to become greater in the years to come.
We know that action could be taken that would significantly reduce this burden, but that not enough is yet being done.
Good indicators to benchmark the problems we face and the steps being taken can be a powerful mechanism to help bring about improvements, as we have already seen in areas where these have been further developed at European level, such as cancer.
Our aim in the Health Information Unit of the European Commission is to provide information and analysis for evidence-based development, implementation and evaluation of action for health in the EU, at both Community level and within Member States.
European health information can provide added-value through information enabling comparisons in particular, which can in turn support identification, dissemination and application of best practice.
Providing such information is not easy. It requires a sustained effort across countries, across organisational and professional boundaries, and involving citizens and the wider community.
The BIRO project has worked to engage experts with different backgrounds (academic, policy making, clinical, engineering, statistical) to construct an innovative form of public health information system.
The solution that BIRO is producing is a valuable contribution to facing the health challenges of Europe. I welcome the contribution that BIRO has made, and offer my thanks to all those who have contributed to these results. I hope that continued work in this area can help us to build on these steps in order to help address these important European health challenges in the future.
Nick Fahy
Head of the Health Information Unit
Health and Consumers Directorate-General
European Commission
