Commission Launches The 2013 EU Health Prize For Journalists

Commission launches the 2013 EU Health Prize for Journalists

Today, the virtual doors swing open to journalists from across the EU wishing to participate in the annual EU Health Prize for Journalists. Winners can pick up EU-wide recognition and cash prizes for excellence in health journalism, by submitting their articles on line until 30 September 2013. The journalist prize, now in its fifth run, aims to stimulate and award high quality journalism that raises awareness about good health, healthcare and patients' rights. The Prize is now open to 28 European countries, in view of Croatia's accession on 1 July.

Health Commissioner, Tonio Borg, said: "Journalists have a key role to play in communicating health messages to Europeans. Whether it's on staying healthy, on patients' rights or on how to navigate the health system journalists are well placed to inform citizens. That is why EU health journalists are invited, for the fifth year running, to 'Be a Winner in the EU Health Prize for Journalists'".

Themes

The themes of this year's prize are preventing illness, healthcare, health systems and patients' rights. The specific topics are:

• cross border healthcare
• rare diseases
• organ donation and transplantation
• health workforce
• patient safety and hospital acquired infections
• chronic diseases: cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes
• flu vaccination and childhood vaccination
• prudent use of antibiotics
• ageing and dementias
• active and healthy ageing
• pharmaceuticals
• health determinants: tobacco, alcohol and nutrition & physical activity

Prizes

Awards will be given for first, second and third place, with prizes of €6,500, €4,000 and €2,500 respectively.

Selecting and awarding the winners

In each EU country, a national jury composed of journalists and public health experts, chaired by the European Commission, will select one national finalist. An EU jury will then select three EU level winners among the 28 finalists. The 28 finalists will be invited to Brussels at the beginning of 2014 for the award giving.

The rules

• Participants to the competition must be nationals or residents of one of the 28 EU Member States and aged 18 or over.
• A maximum of 2 articles can be submitted per participant and team submissions are accepted as long as the team does not exceed 5 people.
• All articles must be in one of the official languages of the EU and have been originally published in either a print or online media outlet between 1 August 2012 and 30 September 2013.
• The maximum length of the article should not exceed 20,000 characters (including spaces).
• More rules and conditions can be found on the dedicated website.

To submit an article and for more information, please visit the dedicated website:
http://ec.europa.eu/health-eu/journalist_prize

Commissioner Borg's website:
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/borg/index_en.htm

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Contacts :

Frédéric Vincent (+32 2 298 71 66)

Aikaterini Apostola (+32 2 298 76 24)