From 11 to 13 March 2025, WONCA Europe participated in the POINT Project Meeting #POINT_health which took place at the General University Hospital “Attikon” in Athens, Greece, and was attended by members of the WONCA Europe Executive Board, Professor Thomas Frese, President Elect of WONCA Europe and Dr. Ferdinando Petrazzuoli.
The POINT project seeks to develop innovative strategies for the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases that arise as complications during the post-acute phase of COVID-19. The project team leaders include the president of WONCA Europe Professor Shlomo Vinker along with the leaders of the other partners of this project:
University Of Copenhagen (Denmark) ; Region Hovedstaden (Denmark) ; Tartu Ulikool (Estonia); Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven (Belgium) ; Din Deutsches Institut Fuer Normung Ev, Berlin, (Germany) ; Elliniko Instituto Meletis Tis Sipsis, Athens (Greece); Fondazione Icons, Lodi (Italy); Det Kgl. Bibliotek, Copenhagen (Denmark) (https://point-health.eu/project/ ).
The POINT project is designed to focus on the post-acute phase of the disease, which occurs months after the infection; the project seeks to develop innovative strategies for the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases that arise as complications during this phase.
Despite the acute phase of COVID-19 being the primary focus of global healthcare systems, evidence suggests that the post-acute phase poses a significant risk for the emergence of non-communicable diseases affecting pulmonary, cardiovascular, and renal systems. With over 183 million reported cases in the EU and up to 70% of patients experiencing reduced organ function post-infection, there is a critical need to address these long-term impacts. The POINT project aims to mitigate the socio-economic costs associated with these health challenges by introducing advanced biomarkers, a virtual twin model for clinical support, and comprehensive guidelines for healthcare providers.
The aim is to get the healthcare community to adopt the procedures and guidelines on a large scale for better patient outcomes.”
POINT assembles an interdisciplinary team, leveraging the expertise of clinical, molecular, and behavioural scientists alongside computer scientists. The consortium will access extensive cohorts and biobanks, encompassing data from over 6 million Europeans, to drive their research. This collective effort is poised to deliver a transformative impact on how post-COVID health challenges are understood and managed.
By prioritizing the development of clinical guidelines and decision-support tools, POINT will provide crucial support to over 120,000 physicians and the broader healthcare value chain.