A New Era for Health Care in Cyprus: Embrace, Evaluate, Evolve

Michalis Hadjipantela was born in Famagusta in 1974, and comes from the occupied village of Peristeronopigi. He is a graduate of the American Academy of Larnaca and accomplished his military service as an Armored Sergeant. He studied Economics at Thames Valley University in London and holds an MSc (Honors) in Economics from Queen Mary University and Westfield College London. He is a Fellow Chartered Accountant of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Prior to his appointment as Minister of Health in July 2021, he worked in auditing and accounting firms in London and Cyprus. In 2007 and until his appointment as Minister of Health, he was both the CEO and the founding member of HMI & Partners Ltd. During 2014 - 2016, Mr. Hadjipantela was a member of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Electricity Authority and then from 2016 until 2019, he was the Vice President of the Board of Directors at the same Organization. From 2019 until the assumption of the portfolio of the Ministry of Health, he was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Nicosia Mall of Companies, while he also collaborated with the European University of Cyprus as a special scientist, teaching Economics. Mr. Hadjipantela is, among others, a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the Cyprus Association of Chartered Accountants and the Association of International Accountants. Mr. Hadjipantela is actively engaged to social activities for the last 30 years. His involvement with sports and especially football, led him to the position of President of "Anorthosis Famagusta" football Club and Company.

Sue Saville is a highly-experienced Conference and Webinar moderator, specialising in health, having been the Medical Correspondent at Britain’s ITV News. Sue is a former News Correspondent for the BBC and Chief Correspondent for the breakfast channel, GMTV; she is the Lay Chair of the Patient-Public Reference Group at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Trust in London. She hosts podcasts for EFPIA and the EMJ (European Medical Journal); she makes corporate films with ITN Business and runs Media Training for pharmaceutical and industry executives. Sue has an MA from the University of Oxford and speaks French and German.

As European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides has been leading the Commission’s work on the public health response to COVID-19. Commissioner Kyriakides is responsible for a number of initiatives in the area of health, aiming to establish a strong European Health Union. She is also responsible for the ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy for sustainable food, covering every step in the transformation of the food chain from production to consumption. Since February 2022, Commissioner Kyriakides has been at the forefront of EU efforts to support Ukraine and its people in the area of health. In 2006-2019, she was elected to the Cyprus Parliament for the Democratic Rally party, of which she was the Vice-President for ten years. In 2011, she was appointed Head of the Cyprus Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). In 2017, she was elected President of the PACE, the fourth woman to hold this position in the history of the Assembly. She has been an active advocate on patients’ rights and on the rights of cancer patients, and served on numerous European patient advocacy and scientific boards.

Olga Solomon studied Chemistry at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece and holds an MSc in Food Science from the Gothenburg University, Sweden. Before joining the European Commission she worked for 5 years for a beverage producing company in Greece. She joined DG SANCO in 2000 and worked for 10 years in the field of Food Safety in particular dealing with legislation on Food Contact Materials, Food Additives and Enzymes. In 2010, she moved to the Directorate 'Health Systems and Products' where she worked in the field of substances of human origin before taking up a post in the pharmaceutical sector in 2011. She is currently the Head of the DG SANTE Unit responsible for Medicines: policy, authorisation and monitoring.

Kyriakos Mikellis is the appointed Pfizer Country lead for Cyprus and Malta and has 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical sector. He was elected President of KEFEA for a second term (2022-2024). As its President of a local industrial association, he was involved in the negotiations for the reform of the Cyprus Healthcare System. Mr. Mikellis also leads the Cyprus Medicines Verification Organization, (KOEΦ) responsible for the application of the falsified medicines regulations in Cyprus. He is also a member of the Heath Committee of the American Chamber of commerce in Cyprus (AmCham). Before joining Pfizer in 2010 through the Wyeth acquisition, he had served as Country Manager of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Kyriakos Mikellis holds a degree in Biology from the University of Athens.

Nathalie Moll joined the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) as Director General in April 2017. Prior to joining EFPIA, between 2010 and 2017 Nathalie was the Secretary General of EuropaBio ranked as the most effective European Trade Association in Brussels in 2013. She spent over 20 years working for the biotech industry at EU and national level in associations and corporate positions and held the position of Chair and Vice Chair of the International Council of Biotech Associations (ICBA). In 2013, Nathalie won the Technovisionaries Women Innovation Award organised by Women & Technologies® while in 2009, Nathalie and the Green Biotech Team of EuropaBio were presented with the Leadership and Excellence in Advancing Ag-Biotech and Food Issues Award. Nathalie was also named one of the 15 leading women in biotech in Europe in 2017 and recognised as one of the "20 Women Who Shape Brussels" by POLITICO Europe in 2020. Nathalie holds an Honours Degree in Biochemistry and Biotechnology from St Andrews University, Scotland.

Juan Jose joined EPF in January 2021. As Policy Officer, he is in charge of regularly monitoring of intelligence and updates on policy developments, carrying out background research for EPF’s policy briefs and position statements, and assisting the policy team on membership issues. He has a background in European policies and public affairs. Prior to joining the EPF, he has worked for other Brussels-based policy organizations, the European Medicines Agency, and for the Spanish diplomatic corps. He holds an MA degree in European Studies obtained at the University of Gothenburg (Sweden).

Ioannis Kkolos earned his Bachelor Degree in Pharmacy from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston USA and his Master Degree in Clinical Pharmacy from the University of London, School of Pharmacy in the UK. Ioannis has been with the Pharmaceutical Services of the Ministry of Health for several years, serving in many posts relating to the regulation of human medicinal products as well as an expert for the European Medicines Agency. He is currently the Head of the Post-Authorization and Clinical Trials Directorate of the Pharmaceutical Services of the Ministry of Health on Cyprus.

Achilleas Demetriades joined the firm in 1988. He has developed a broad practice that includes both contentious and non-contentious matters, and spans intellectual property, competition law and human rights, representing both national and international clients. He is particularly sought after for his expertise in representing clients before the European Court of Human Rights. He is also a European Patent Attorney, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and has a keen interest in intellectual property matters, acting only on behalf of rights-holders and preparing and executing anti-piracy plans. Finally, he advises on pharmaceutical regulatory matters and assists startups. He was heavily involved in the drafting and enactment of the Patents Law in 1998 and is a founding member of the Copyright Association in Cyprus (Ένωση Δικαιωμάτων Πνευματικής Ιδιοκτησίας). Moreover, he is a member of the Human Rights Committee in the Cyprus Bar Association, and a founding member of the NGO TRUTH NOW in Cyprus. Achilleas is frequently asked to speak on copyright issues as well as on human rights matters, particularly with regard to the property issues arising from the Cyprus Problem. He has been named as a “Leading Individual” in the fields of EU & Competition as well as Intellectual Property by the Legal 500.

Athos Tsinontides holds a Doctorate in Pharmacy from the Ohio State University, College of Pharmacy, a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (Honors) from St. John’s University and a Master in Public Sector Management from the Cyprus International Institute of Management. He is also a Registered Pharmacist in Cyprus and the State of New Jersey in USA. He worked as a Staff Pharmacist at the Department of Pharmacy of the Ohio State University Hospitals in Ohio and as a Clinical Pharmacist at the Department of Pharmaceutical Services in the Ministry of Health in Cyprus. He joined the Health Insurance Organization in 2006 and has held the position of Director since 2008. He has been Acting Director General since 2015 and headed the effort for the preparation and the implementation of the National Health Insurance System in Cyprus in 2019.

Dr Petros Agathangelou was born in 1961 in Famagusta, Cyprus. He studied Medicine at the University of Chicago in the US, he gained Bachelor’s degree in Human Physiology and subsequently he specialized in Cardiology and internal medicine. At present, he is the President of the Cyprus Medical Association. Moreover, he is an active member of various Scientific Committees in Cyprus and abroad. He is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Cardiology. He has participated in several scientific studies that have been published in the local and international medical press, as well as in several medical conferences in Cyprus and abroad.

Mr. Marios Kouloumas was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 10. He has been working in the Public Sector since 1983, and from 1993 has been working at the Nicosia General Hospital. For the past 21 years, he has been actively involved as a volunteer in the movement of people with RMDs and chronic patients, both at a national and international level. He is currently the President of the Federation of Patient Associations of Cyprus an umbrella organisation representing the National Patient Organisations. He is qualified Patient Research Partner and Patient Expert. He is the leader of the Eular Campaign “don’t delay, connect today” Task Force, and Strategy Advisor of the Eular PARE Standing Committee. He is the former President and currently the Honorary President of the Cyprus League against Rheumatism, and the Past EULAR (European League Against Rheumatism) Vice-President and Honorary member of Eular. He is awarded at the European Congress of Rheumatology with a Meritorious Service Award. He is a member of the National Committee for Hepatitis, and recently appointed by the President of Cyprus member of the Committee for Clinical Excellences. He participated in many congresses, conferences, workshops and research projects both in Cyprus and internationally.

Eleni Piera-Isseyegh holds a degree in Pharmacy from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She has many years of experience in pharmacy management issues as, she is the owner and pharmacist in charge of a private pharmacy since 1985. She has an active participation in Committees related to the pharmaceutical profession with a multi-level contribution to the development of the pharmaceutical profession in Cyprus, especially with regards to the Community Pharmacy. She is the President of the Pancyprian Pharmaceutical Association (CPA) since 2014 and a member of the Pharmaceutical Council from 2014 until today, she has been for many years a member of the Disciplinary Council, she is the representative of the Pancyprian Pharmaceutical Association in the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union (PGEU) and a member of the Health Committee of OEB. As the president of the CPA she had a catalytic role in the negotiations for the participation of the private pharmacies in the National Health System (GESY), which was implemented in 2019.

Efthymios Diplaros is a member of the Parliament of the Republic of Cyprus, since 2011. He is also the President of the Parliamentary Committee on Health Affairs and Vice-President of the Democratic Rally (DISY) since 2020. Before his election he was a journalist specialising in Political issues.

Prim. Dorijan Marušič, MD, a specialist in internal medicine, MSc., was medical director of the General hospital Izola, State Secretary at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Slovenia, adviser to the Director-General of the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia and Minister of Health of the Republic of Slovenia. He was a member of the Expert Panel on Effective Ways of Investing in Health at DG SANCO and recently became a member of the National Observatory at the Ministry of Health in Luxemburg. He achieved a master's degree at the Faculty of Social Sciences with the theme "Measuring the outcomes of health services". He has been involved in several national and international projects in the health care and health insurance system, payment methods, quality improvement, national data standardisation and health informatics. He teaches at the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Primorska. He is widely published and quoted in renowned scientific journals and publications.

Prof. Dr. Dennis A. Ostwald is the founder and CEO of WifOR Institute. Through his research, Prof. Ostwald aims to make the importance of health innovations visible and enable evidence-based decision making for a healthier society. He conducts research on topics such as health economics, the value of impacts, and international social policy – constantly striving to make data measurable, standardizable and comparable. As Professor of Economic Research and International Management at the Steinbeis School of International Business and Entrepreneurship (SIBE), he wants to develop young minds into responsible managers who understand the interplay between social, environmental and economic sustainability.