BCW Brussels

Last Wednesday, the European Commission adopted its Communication on the European Health Union, highlighting its achievements over the past four years including Europe’s Beating Cancer plan. With €4 billion of EU funding, the comprehensive plan adopted in 2021 addresses cancer at every stage, from prevention to diagnosis and treatment, to post-cancer care. The Plan has already seen the adoption of new screening guidelines, forthcoming recommendations to boost vaccine-preventable cancers, a new Knowledge Centre on Cancer, and the publication of the first EU Inequalities Registry. But cancer does not wait, and there's no time to rely on past achievements: 2️⃣ Cancer is the 2nd most important cause of death and morbidity 👩⚕️ 1 in 5 people will develop cancer in their lifetime 📈 By 2040, cancer cases are estimated to increase in Europe by 21% With the EU Parliamentary elections ahead, the political attention seems to have shifted away from cancer care. Of all the political parties, only one mentioned the European Beating Cancer Plan in its manifesto. There is still a lot to be done! 40% of cancer cases are preventable and through prevention, early detection, and equal access to medical care, EU action can save the lives of over 3 million Europeans. How, you might ask? Here is a handful of measures from the Plan, among many others, still waiting to be implemented: ➡️ Improving health promotion through access to healthy diets and physical activity ➡️ Reducing harmful alcohol consumption ➡️ Achieving a tobacco-free Europe ➡️ Promoting EU cancer screening recommendations at the national level ➡️ Providing equal access to innovative treatments for all citizens across Europe Which other measures do you consider a priority? How Europe will address cancer care in the next years will be determined by the outcome of the upcoming #EUElections and the priorities set by the European Commission for the next mandate. The fight against cancer is ongoing, and there is still much work to be done. Let's continue to keep #cancercare at the forefront of the EU agenda.

If you go to the polls on foot 🚶🏽 or by bike 🚲 between 6 and 9 June, you will help reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in the European Union. #Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of major health concerns in the EU, responsible for 32.7% of all deaths in 2020. Many voices within the EU are calling for CVD to be the European Commission's next health priority. EFPIA - European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations argues that improving CVD population health can strengthen healthcare systems' resilience, while MEPs call for a comprehensive and integrated EU strategy on non-communicable diseases (NCDs). ☑️But what has the EU done so far? Some interesting EU-funded projects caught my attention: 🖥BigData@Heart is a European Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) funded project that leverages the power of big data to improve the definition and understanding of CVD and patient-centred outcomes. It enhances real-world evidence research to develop standardized approaches for collecting and analysing cardiovascular health data, aiming to identify new risk factors, biomarkers, and treatment strategies for CVDs. ⏳ Prevention in Action under the EU4Health program promotes healthy lifestyles and prevents CVDs through workshops, physical activity programs, and awareness campaigns. The project is coordinated by the Red Cross Portugal and involves five different EU countries (HU, IT, PT, SI, SP). It aims to help individuals adopt healthier habits, reduce their risk of chronic diseases, and improve access to healthcare for vulnerable populations. 👩🏼⚕️ CoroPrevention Project focuses on secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases by creating new methods to identify people at high risk. It works to develop personalized prevention strategies using a new CoroPredict score based on biomarkers to pinpoint patients at very high risk for coronary artery disease. These are just some examples of the work that EU stakeholders have already initiated to reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases, but much more is still needed. CVD cost the EU €210 billion in 2015, both in direct and indirect costs; nevertheless, CVD does not appear as a priority in the election manifestos of many political groups in Parliament for the upcoming elections. The EU can make significant strides towards improving the prevention of CVD and reducing inequalities in access to care services by ensuring the implementation of national CVD action plans throughout the Union. Every little step count, so let's take that first step by walking or biking to the polling station between 6 and 9 June! #EUElections

What do you think is the leading cause of death among women, both in the EU and worldwide? There's a good chance that the correct answer, cardiovascular disease, did not immediately come to mind. We are dealing with a problematic misperception where cardiovascular disease (CVD) is often perceived as a male disease. However, a quick look at the facts reveals that these conditions kill more women than men: almost half (43%) of all deaths in women are caused by CVD, while it accounts for 36% of deaths in men. Another shocking comparison: while some may have considered breast cancer as the answer to my initial question, cardiovascular diseases take twice as many women's lives as breast cancer does in the under-65 age group. One primary concern here is that women's symptoms can manifest quite differently, potentially leading to misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, as these symptoms are regularly dismissed as anxiety-related. Both in the general public and among healthcare professionals a huge lack of awareness on this persists which could - in the worst case – be life-threatening. Imagine being told that you’re feeling symptoms because you’re anxious, to later find out that you were experiencing a heart attack. Making things even more challenging is the severe underrepresentation of women in clinical trials for CVD (less than 30%!), resulting in unresolved knowledge gaps regarding the optimal care for female heart patients. Despite repeated calls to action by a myriad of stakeholders, the EU still does not have a comprehensive cardiovascular plan. With the elections approaching, some parties are starting to address these pressing needs, such as the proposal in the EPP Group’s Manifesto for a European Cardiovascular Health Plan. There's still so much work to do. This could be the beginning of a targeted EU approach to cardiovascular disease, and there's no better time to remind stakeholders about this crucial gender gap.