Brussels, 03/12/2024 — The European Union (EU) has adopted Council Conclusions that will set a milestone for the continent’s cardiovascular health.  Cardiovascular disease (CVD) – the leading cause of death in the EU and globally – affects more than 60 million Europeans, accounts for over 1.7 million deaths annually on the continent, and costs its economy an estimated €282 billion each year.

The European Alliance for Cardiovascular Health (EACH) welcomes the Council Conclusions which reflect key objectives of the EACH Plan that includes strengthening primary and secondary prevention, early detection and screening, and optimising management and rehabilitative care of CVD. The Council’s recommended actions invite Member States to expand screening programmes for cardiovascular risk factors, address socioeconomic and environmental determinants of health, and increase access to therapy tailored to the needs of patients and families.

The Council Conclusions acknowledge the scale of the challenge, and EACH is pleased to see the EU stepping up with plans and resources that match this immense health and economic burden. Particularly encouraging, is the expressed commitment of the newly appointed Health Commissioner, Olivér Várhelyi, to transform these Council Conclusions into a comprehensive European cardiovascular health plan.  

“Early detection and diagnosis, timely intervention and eventually better management of patients with cardiovascular disease and a strong focus on prevention and rehabilitation will result in a significant reduction of premature deaths in Europe” said Prof. Thomas  F. Lüscher, President of the European Society of Cardiology, which is currently acting as Secretariat of EACH. “This is important for the individuals and their families and friends. At the same time, it is important for society at large. The EU Cardiovascular Health plan will play an essential part in improving lives and health outcomes for citizens allowing them to actively take part in, and contribute to, society.”

The Council Conclusions also call on the European Commission to ensure adequate funding and to map cardiovascular health actions in an integrated way, through primary, secondary and tertiary care. Proposed steps include promoting evidence-based prevention measures, advancing innovative treatments, and leveraging digital health tools for better data integration and research. These actions aim to reduce risk factors common to both cardiovascular diseases and cancer, such as poor nutrition, tobacco use, and physical inactivity.

EACH welcomes the inclusion of public health campaigns to improve health literacy and expand access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in community spaces. These efforts, alongside commitments to environmental health measures such as reducing air and noise pollution, reflect a comprehensive strategy to tackle the root causes of cardiovascular diseases.

Brussels, 18/11/2024 – EACH event

At present, more than 60 million people in the EU live with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), which remain the main cause of death and disability in Europe, accounting for over €282 billion in healthcare expenditure in the EU every year. The upcoming Council Conclusions on cardiovascular health (CVH) that the Hungarian Presidency is working on, along with the inclusion of CVD in both the European Commission President’s political guidelines and the Mission Letter to the Commissioner-Designate for Health signal a much welcome political commitment towards improving cardiovascular health (CVH) in Europe.

Building on this momentum, this event aimed to provide a platform for discussion between EU and national-level stakeholders to explore ways to address CVH in Europe, reduce mortality and morbidity, and improve the quality of life of people living with or at risk of CVD.

This event explored how to best focus EU-level action towards the unmet needs of the cardiovascular community and ensure that the new EU mandate puts forward the right tools to support the communities and the Member States in promoting CVH. The event also saw the participation of representatives of the national Health Ministries, to draw on national best practices and on the learnings of countries that have recently developed national cardiovascular health plans or other strategies to tackle CVD.

The event was moderated by Prof. Michal Vrablik, Professor of Internal Medicine at Charles University in Prague, the Czech Republic.

Agenda

Opening remarks

• Victoria Tzouma, Co-Chair EFPIA Cardiovascular Health Platform
• Csaba Kontor, Health Attaché, Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU

Interview with the Rijken Family

• Marc, Manon, and their three daughters Beau, Arwen and India bring a poignant perspective as they share their collective experience with elevated Lp(a), a familial lipid disorder that significantly increases the risk of CVD.

Panel 1

• Ruth Biller, Chair of the European Patient Advocacy Group of ERN GUARD-Heart, the European Reference Network for rare heart diseases
• Prof. Cecilia Linde, Cardiologist, President-Elect of the European Society of Cardiology
• Prof. Raymond Vanholder, President of the European Kidney Health Alliance
• MEP Vytenis Andriukaitis (S&D, Lithuania)

Panel 2

• Václav Pláteník, Deputy Minister of Health, Czechia
• Michael Brinkmeier, Chairman, Stiftung Deutsche Schlaganfall-Hilfe (German Stroke Foundation)
• Konrad Korbiński, Director, Department of Coordinated Care, Ministry of Health, Poland

Closing remarks and networking reception

Brussels, 21/10/2024 – EACH Partners are proud to support an MEP Cardiovascular Health Group.

This Group is an informal forum for MEPs interested in promoting cardiovascular health (CVH) in all policies, and raising cardiovascular health as a priority on the EU political agenda. We look forward to announcing members in the coming weeks. Find out more: https://www.cardiovascular-alliance.eu/mep-group/

Brussels, 30/09/2024 – In order to commemorate World Heart Day, EACH is honoured to be invited to the Subcommittee on Public Health (SANT) of the European Parliament.

Prof. Cecilia Linde, President-Elect of EACH-Partner European Society of Cardiology, presents on behalf of our Alliance and sheds a light on the needs to prioritise action on cardiovascular health in the EU. Prof. Linde reiterated once more the need for a comprehensive European Cardiovascular Health Plan, urging MEPs to match the ambitions of their own health ministers. Watch the full presentation at: https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/webstreaming/sant-committee-meeting_20240930-1500-COMMITTEE-SANT”  

Brussels, 26/09/2024 – With World Heart Day around the corner, it is now more important than ever to let the voice of the people be heard. Sign the petition at: https://world-heart-federation.org/world-heart-day/petition/#sign-the-petition.

Cardiovascular disease remains the biggest killer of men and women, both in the EU and globally. Despite these alarming figures, many countries still lack comprehensive national plans to address this immense burden. In response, World Heart Federation launched a global petition calling on governments to develop and implement dedicated cardiovascular health plans. At EACH, we would like to express our support for this campaign. Dedicated plans can save millions of lives, prevent suffering, and reduce costs. Sign the petition and hold your national policymakers accountable!  

Brussels, 19/09/2024 – In light of the continued negotiations around the draft Council Conclusions on Improving Cardiovascular Health in the EU, EACH Partners welcomed several Health Attachés from the Permanent Represenations to the EU for a breakfast meeting on cardiovascular health.

The meeting featured two keynote speakers: Assoc. Professor Melinda B. Roaldsen shared her personally story of stroke recovery, reminding us once more why cardiovascular disease should be tackled as a political priority; Professor Paul Dendale underlined how small preventative actions can make huge impacts, the importance of early detection and screening, and areas of support which could be unlocked at the EU level. Our early morning meeting ended with a discussion between EACH Partners and Health Attachés, focused on national progress on CVD action plans.

Brussels, 17/09/2024 – President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen unveiled her new College of Commissioners and put forward Mr. Olivér Várhelyi as the Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare.

At EACH, we welcome the inclusion of cardiovascular disease in President von der Leyen’s Mission Letter to Commissioner-Designate Várhelyi. CVD remains the biggest killer of men and women in the EU today, and the time to act is now. EACH partners stand ready to support and make a European Cardiovascular Health Plan a reality.

Brussels, 16/09/2024 – Today EACH Partners have sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asking for the promise of action on CVD to be upheld. In this mandate, CVD has a real chance to be tackled holistically and in a meaningful way for European citizens across the region. Let’s not miss it.

Budapest, 25/07/2024 – Today, European health leaders gathered in Budapest for an informal EPSCO meeting to discuss critical health issues affecting millions across the continent.

The first working session, titled “European Action Against Cardiovascular Diseases”, emphasized the critical need for concerted strategies to combat CVD, which remains the leading cause of mortality in the EU. The session featured a keynote speech by Franz Weidinger, President of the European Society of Cardiology.

Emphasis was placed on cardiovascular health from childhood through old age, on promoting a healthy lifestyle, and on granting equal access to advanced medical treatments across the EU.

Budapest, 04/07/2024 – Today, the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU organised a High-Level Conference on CVH.

Leading experts from the field, as well as key policymakers and patient representatives, have gathered together to discuss European action on fighting cardiovascular disease, the biggest killer of both men and women in the EU. Besides four technical panels on primary and secondary prevention, treatment and innovation, and rehabilitation and patient centered support, a fifth, Ministerial panel took place with high-ranking officials from several EU Member States (Poland, Spain, Hungary, Malta, Ireland, and Romania) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe. Many EACH Partners were present in person to share their expertise and take part in the discussions.