The Athens ONCA Conference

European Nutritional Care Policy Summit - Athens Greece - May 5 & 6

CONFERENCE REPORT

Optimal Nutritional Care for All

Launched in 2014, the Optimal Nutritional Care for All (ONCA) campaign is a multi-stakeholder initiative to facilitate greater screening for risk of disease-related malnutrition/undernutrition and nutritional care implementation across Europe.

The campaign supports national professional societies, associations and patient groups in public health and health care in 20 countries to implement nutritional risk screening and optimal nutritional care. The European Nutrition for Health Alliance (ENHA) provides structure, coordinates, inspires and facilitates. ENHA also supports the Malnutrition Awareness Week (MAW) initiatives of ONCA countries to raise awareness and promote better nutritional care.

EU4Nutrition

Through the EU4Nutrition programme, ENHA and ONCA engage with the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, to secure nutrition care in European Union’s policies, and programmes and in the recommendations to its Member States. The EU4Nutrition LIVE session will be live streamed throughout Europe and beyond. You can register for free.

Advancing Holistic Health Through Optimal Nutritional Care

Malnutrition and undernutrition affect over 30 Million European citizens and place an unacceptable burden on European citizens and health care budgets.

Integrating patient-centered nutritional care in health policies will significantly contribute to prevention, better patient outcomes, and improved quality of life. Moreover, ample scientific evidence shows that optimizing nutritional care is a very (cost-) effective measure.

Despite this overwhelming scientific evidence, malnutrition is often underdiagnosed and undertreated, causing unacceptable inequalities between people and countries.

Optimal nutritional care must be considered a human right and patients should have equitable, timely access to the nutritional care needed to achieve their best possible outcome. The overall aim of the conference was to provide tools and background to implement nutritional care plans for all citizens, whether at home or in a health care facility.

 

A Nutritional Care Policy Summit

This year’s conference promises to be a landmark gathering of professionals, policymakers, and advocates dedicated to combating malnutrition and improving nutritional care across Europe.

The conference will be co-hosted by the Greek ONCA team, which includes the Hellenic Dietetic Association (HDA), Hellenic Society of Medical/Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (GrESPEN), the Greek patient organizations, the active scientific societies leading in interdisciplinary collaboration, representatives of the Ministry of Health, and many more.

Day 1 of the ONCA Conference will take place at the prestigious National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

Day 2 of the Conference will be hosted at the conveniently located Wyndham Athens Hotel.

Pre-Conference Session Agenda

Pre-Conference Session Agenda

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The Preliminary Programme

Please find the programme for days 1 and 2 below.

Day 1
Day 2

Day 1 A EUROPEAN NUTRITIONAL CARE POLICY SUMMIT

Time
Event
9.00 – 10.30
ONCA Pre-conference Patient-session
Marek Lichota
Robert Greene
10:00 - 10:45
Registrations and Coffee
11.00 - 11.30
Opening
Michael Chourdakis
President of Hellenic Society of Medical/Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (GrESPEN)
Fani Preventi
President of Hellenic Dietetic Association (HDA)
Olle Ljungqvist
Chair of the European Nutrition for Health Alliance (ENHA)
11:30 - 12:45 Session 1
EU4NUTRITION LIVE! A holistic perspective on health: integrated nutritional care
Making the economic case for reimbursement and dietetic care in Greece
Maria Panousopoulou
PhD, HR & Administrative Manager at EOPYY, Vice President of Institute of Health and Technology Promotion
A holistic approach on nutritional care and Quality of life
Vasiliki Rafaela Vakouftsi
Greek Patients' Association
Greek ambitions in Health Innovation and the role of nutrition in care
Adonis Georgiadis
Greek Minister of Health
12:45 - 13:00
Interactive Panel Discussion
13:00 - 14:00
Optimal Lunch for All
14:00 - 15:00 Session 2
EU4NUTRITION LIVE! European Strategies for Advancing Nutritional Care Policies and Implementation
The new EU mandate: opportunities for nutritional care equality
András Kulja
Member of the European Parliament's SANT committee - RECORDED
Eleonora Meleti
Member of European Parliament - TBC
Initiatives to unite patients in need of nutrition care in Europe
Konstantina Boumaki
Board Member of European Patients’ Forum (EPF) - ONLINE
A joint approach to nutrition care in Europe
Grigoris Risvas
Vice President European Federation of the Associations of Dietitians (EFAD)
Christina Cuerda
M.D., General Secretary of European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN)
Nutritional Care, Quality and Disease Prevention
Alison Bate
WHO Athens Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety
Primary care in the nutritional care patient pathway: a European policy perspective
Radost Asenova
Board Member of World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) Europe
15:00 - 15:15
Interactive Panel Session
15:30 - 16:15
Coffee Break & Group Photo
16:15 - 17:15 Session 3
DRIVING PAN-EUROPEAN AWARENESS OF MALNUTRITION: KEY APPROACHES
Revolutionising nutrition and health: a start-up approach
Panos Papandreou
SymbIASIS Team
The role of patient advocates on nutrition in Europe
Katerina Nikitara
Head of EU Programmes for Hellenic Cancer Federation (ELLOK)
How can nutritionDay data inform European policies?
Michael Hiesmayr
Head of Department of Medical University of Vienna
The LIFE Survey First Results: opportunities to improve IF policies
Stéphane Schneider
Chair of LIFE
17:15 - 17:30
Interactive Panel Session
19:00 - 20:00
Leisure Activity
20:30
Optimal Dinner

Day 2 THE INTERACTIVE ONCA WORKSHOPS

Time
Event
07:00 - 07:50
Leisure Activity
08:45 - 09:45
Rapid Interview Panel Session: Next Steps in Nutritional Policies by Greek Societies
Tzortzis Nomikos
Hellenic Atherosclerosis Society
Evridiki Kravariti
Hellenic Association of Geriatrics and Gerontology
Paul Farajian
Hellenic Medical Association for Obesity
Charilaos Dimosthenopoulos
Hellenic Society for Internal Medicine
Lampros Mpizas
Hellenic Regulatory Body of Nurses
Michael Chourdakis
Hellenic Society for Medical/Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (GrESPEN)
Dorina Sialvera
Hellenic Dietetic Association (HDA)
9.45-10.00
ONCA Pre-conference Patient Session Recap and Actions
Marek Lichota
Robert Greene
10:00 - 11:15
Interactive Break-out Workshops Round #1
  1. Nutritional Education in Medical Schools: Latest State of Play
    Moderators: Cristina Cuerda & M. Chourdakis
  2. EU Session: Opportunities for Member State Actions on Nutritional Care
    Moderators: A. Laviano, A. Maghear & N. Erickson
  3. Health Economics: Identifying the True Policy Drivers
    Moderators: A. Marinho & H. Højgaard
11:15 - 11:45
Coffee Break
11:45 -13:00
Interactive Break-out Workshops Round #2
  1. Accelerating Malnutrition Awareness Weeks’s Impact
    Moderators: K. Togka & S. Tarantino
  2. Leveraging One Health to Drive Nutritional Care Policies for Patients
    Moderators: F. Tiniakos & M. Yannakoulia
  3. LIFE: The Leading Intestinal Failure Equality Initiative
    Moderators: S. Schneider & M. Lichota
13:00 - 13:30
Plenary Round-up
One Health, One Nutrition: A Holistic Path to Optimal Nutritional Care
Antonis Zampelas
Professor of Human Nutrition (AUA)
Closing & Farewell
13:30 - 14:00
Optimal Light Lunch

 

We are proud to have the support of the Medical Nutrition Industry International association to bring you EU4Nutrition LIVE. Sponsors do not influence the content of our activities.

Industry Delegate Package

The Industry Delegate Package offers access for two delegates to all in-person and online conference sessions on May 5th at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, including keynotes, panel discussions, slides, and on-demand videos until January 31st, 2026. It also includes coffee, lunch with vegetarian options, a leisure activity, and a special delegate dinner in Athens, as well as access to practical workshops at Wyndham Grand Athens on May 6th, providing ample networking opportunities. Delegates will receive a certificate of participation, ensuring a comprehensive and rewarding conference experience focused on learning and connection.

INDUSTRY DELEGATE PACKAGE

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