The European Parliament is recommending that gender specificities are taken into account in health policies. At a meeting in Strasbourg on Tuesday 14 February, Parliament adopted a non-legislative resolution focusing specifically on mental health and clinical trials.
Beatriz Becerra Basterrechea (ALDE, Spain) the rapporteur explained that “It is in these two domains that inequality most frequently occurs”. She regretted that the largest group at the European Parliament, the EPP, had opposed the amendments relating to migrant women, LGBT and abortion. Earlier in the week, Commissioner Margrethe Vestager backed the draft resolution calling for a “holistic approach” to put an end to these inequalities. She particularly recommended that they examine the repercussions related to chronic mental health related diseases.
Among the key messages, the report highlights the fact that inequalities affecting gender representation in clinical trials are particularly damaging in areas involving the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and strokes. MEPs therefore emphasise that clinical trials should be, “inclusive, non-discriminatory and carried out in conditions pertaining to equality, inclusion and the absence of any marginalisation”. They also call on the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to draw up distinct guidelines for women in clinical trials. The report is available at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT +TA+P8-TA-2017-0028+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)