Subgroup Head: Raquel

Members: Carola, Elisa

We aim to register EMWA as a UN Sustainability Partner Organization. Therefore, we have analysed the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (https://sdgs.un.org/goals) and propose that EMWA fits well to the following goals:

Goal 3 – Good Health And Well-Being

Goal 4 – Quality Education

Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption And Production

In collaboration with the EMWA Executive Committee (EMWA EC), the SUS-SIG seeks to develop an implementation plan for the enlisted United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Resources:

• https://sdgs.un.org/goals
• http://globalresponsibility.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/170-Daily-Actions-SDGs.pdf
• https://go-goals.org/Plain Language Summaries

Subgroup Head: Raquel

Members: Carola, Blanca, Kimi, Elisa

With a focus on the environment, this workgroup aims to collect data on EMWA's carbon consumption and provide suggestions on reducing the ecological footprint of EMWA. The long-term goal is to become a carbon-neutral not-for-profit organisation.

Therefore, the following steps are undertaken:

- Organise webinars to increase awareness about environmental topics amongst EMWA members. For further information, please see our recent webinar from Achim Schneider on Sustainability in the healthcare industry: https://player.vimeo.com/video/471075316

- Collect carbon consumption data from EMWA's activities (e.g., conferences, journal publication) to calculate EMWA's current carbon footprint.

For collecting and analysing these data, we have established a partnership with the University of Lucerne. Through a 6-week Bachelor's Thesis, we will define actions and goals to reduce EMWA's ecological footprint.

By following this data-driven approach, we aim to provide goals and an action plan to the EMWA EC. We will communicate our results to the EMWA community through the Medical Writing (MW) journal and an EMWA conference seminar.

Resources:

• https://ama.com.au/position-statement/environmental-sustainability-health-care-2019
• https://www.wma.net/what-we-do/public-health/green-health
• https://www.phuse.eu/phuse-go-green
• https://thepublicationplan.com/2020/04/06/greenmedcomms-join-the-movement/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3PdSjQuhrI&feature=youtu.be
• The Lancet Commission on Planetary Health
  
  

Subgroup Head: Kimi

Members: Surayya, Archana, Carola, Elisa, Maria, Kate, Daniela, Andrea

We continuously investigate how the healthcare industry implements the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We plan to provide topical information on recent advances in the industry to the EMWA community. Therefore, we have implemented the MW section The Crofter: Sustainable Communications. Additionally, we are putting together a whole issue on Sustainability for March 2022 with Andrea Rossi, Elisa Sala, and Surayya Taranum as Guest Editors.

Resources:

World Health Organisation

• https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/341239/ESHS_Revised_WHO_web.pdf
• https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/321015/Towards-environmentally-sustainable-HS-Europe.pdf?ua=1

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

• http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_SustainableHealthSystems_Report_2013.pdf
• https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/02/how-sustainable-are-european-healthcare-systems/
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092134492030197X

EU GREEN DEAL

• https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en
• https://noharm-europe.org/articles/blog/europe/european-green-deal-new-opportunities-sustainable-healthcare
• https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_1669
• https://international.fnr.de/get-in-touch/funding-opportunities/horizon-2020
• https://ec.europa.eu/health/human-use/strategy_en

OTHERS

• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339230998_European_Green_Deal_a_major_opportunity_for_health_improvement
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092134492030197X
• A pathway to net zero emissions for healthcare
• Carbon footprint of the global pharmaceutical industry and relative impact of its major players

Subgroup Head: Archana

Members: Raquel, Kimi, Blanca, Daniela

Regulatory Writing in the Context of Sustainability

We continuously investigate how regulatory bodies implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Through webinars & EPDC approved workshops, we aim to provide information on regulatory guideline updates and on how these document should be written and updated. Currently, we focus on the following regulatory topics:

• Guideline on the environmental risk assessment of medicinal products for human use (EMEA/CHMP/CWP/4447/00 Corr 2),
• Healthcare Waste Management / Circular Economy (EU-HCWM project).

We currently team up with EMWAs Veterinary Medical Writing and Pharmacovigilance SIGs to provide you with in-depth insights on those topics.

Position Statement on the Fact-Checking Role of Medical Writers & Communicators

We aim to publish a Position Statement on Fact-Checking following the recommendation of the WHO's Information Network for Epidemics (EPI-WIN), the Code of Principles of The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), among others. This document will equip medical writers with a checklist to adhere to when looking for information and writing for their audiences.

The Role of Medical Writers & Communicators in Adapting the FAIR Data Principles

We believe that Medical Writers & Communicators have a role in familiarising and adapting the FAIR data principles. FAIR stands for findable-accessible-interoperable-reusable data, hence, how data is shared following the completion of a research study. This is aligned with the need to reduce and prevent research waste, such as unnecessary duplication of efforts. The requirement for explicit data sharing plans also reflects the recognition that the traditional silo-culture surrounding data management has kept data hidden, and opportunities to adequately and accurately inform new studies have been foregone.

FAIR data principles lead to creating data systems in which all data and metadata are machine-readable and GPDR-compliant and allow analyses to occur without the movement of data from their original storage locations. These principles are advocated by organisations such as the EMA and the Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA), European Commission, and the WHO.

Resources:

• https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/scientific-guideline/concept-paper-revision-guideline-environmental-risk-assessment-medicinal-products-human-use-first_en.pdf
• ad hoc WHO technical consultation managing the COVID-19 infodemic: call for action, 7-8 April 2020. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
• IFCN Code of Principles
• Wilkinson MD, Dumontier M, Aalbersberg IjJ, Appleton G, Axton M, Baak A, et al. Comment: The FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship. Scientific Data [Internet]. 2016 Mar 15 [cited 2021 Feb 19];3. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26978244/
• FAIR Principles - GO FAIR: https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/
• Ten recommendations to unlock the potential of big data for public health in the EU | European Medicines Agency https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/ten-recommendations-unlock-potential-big-data-public-health-eu
• Commission E. Final Report and Action Plan from the European Commission Expert Group on FAIR Data TURNING FAIR INTO REALITY 2018 Research and Innovation.: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6318-5028
• World Health Organization. WHO Data Principles: https://www.who.int/data/principles