Full and equal citizens

AFM’s objective is still the same after all these years : fighting diseases on all fronts so patients can become full citizens and participate in the life of the community.
Disability situations also result from an often inadapted environment. As a result, AFM’s fight cannot be restricted to care and compensation of incapacities, but needs, more than ever, to involve lobbying.
This is why the Association defends patients’ rights which, it believes, will lead to positive change.
Some of its actions include making life easier for patients and their families and finding appropriate solutions for them. AFM has therefore developed a real political strategy by creating coalitions with other associations.
AFM’s political involment has helped raise people’s awareness of disability-related problems.
Since its objective is to act, the Association continues to put pressure on public authorities in order to see promises materialise. It makes sure their commitments do not go unheeded at the local, regional or national level (ministries, government, Parliament).

Objectives of the campaigning activities :
- Lobby public authorities in order to improve the social environment and restore the participative citizenship of disabled persons.
- Look after the interests of patients in current or future legislative developments.
- Verify that the practices specific to rare diseases are taken into account.

Means :
- Lobbying activities with the others associations, participation in different ministerial or associative work groups, raising awareness of medias and partners.
- Mobilising AFM delegations  and regional services – contacts with local administrations and elected representatives, particularly in setting up MDPHs.
- Participating in CISS (Health Inter-association Collective) activities, particularly concerning questions of the “insurability of persons with diseases” and the “development of the mechanisms of long-term diseases.”

Funding 2007 :  
3,9 million euros (out of the rare diseases platform).