EHN contributes actively towards the WHO-Europe activities as a Non-State Actor and it plays an active advocacy role towards the EU institutions (European Commission, European Parliament, Council of Ministers, EMA, ECDC).
In 2018, the WHO Regional Committee for Europe decided to adopt a set of indicators for the joint monitoring framework for the Sustainable Development Goals, Health 2020 and the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases 2013–2020. In 2020, WHO-Europe formed the NCD Advisory Council to inspire and reform prevention and management of NCDs. There exists also the World Health Assembly Resolution on Climate Change and Health.
WHO-Europe continued its work on cardiovascular health by creating a WHO-Europe signature initiative on hypertension and salt reduction. EHN CEO, Birgit Beger, member of the Regional Director’s Advisory Council on Innovation for noncommunicable diseases, represented EHN at the meeting of the Advisory Council, which was held on 9 November 2022 in Berlin.
Launch of the WHO-Europe Cardiovascular Signature Initiative, 9 December 2022
The Regional Director for Europe has initiated an NCD Advisory Council for Innovation in Noncommunicable Diseases of which EHN CEO, Birgit Beger is a member. This has six Signature Initiatives including the Signature Initiative to reduce inequalities in cardiovascular disease burden and high blood pressure prevalence through improving hypertension control in primary care and implementing salt-reduction strategies. This ‘CVD Signature Initiative’ aims at being pragmatic and practical. Taking person-centred, facility-based and population-level approaches, the following strategies will be employed by WHO to reduce inequalities in the CVD burden and the prevalence of high blood pressure.
EHN plays an active advocacy role towards the EU institutions (European Commission, European Parliament, Council of Ministers, EMA, ECDC) in the EU legislative process on patient-related developments such as particular aspects of the Pharmaceutical Review, the implementation of the Medical Devices Regulation, anti-microbial resistance or the impact of communicable diseases on CVD etc.
EU4Health – Healthier Together Initiative
In December 2021, the European Commission launched its Healthier Together – EU non-communicable diseases (NCDs) initiative to support EU countries in identifying and implementing effective policies and actions to reduce the burden of major NCDs and improve citizens’ health and well-being.
EHN submitted its views on priorities for the strands of cardiovascular disease and health determinants. In the strand on cardiovascular diseases, EHN, in its submission to the EU, stressed the importance of having an EU Plan to tackle cardiovascular diseases. The existing burden of CVD, both in terms of morbidity and mortality, the cardiovascular inequalities in the EU and the cardiovascular legacy of COVID-19 beg for this plan to become a reality.
Click here to read EHN submissions.
Reponses to Commissions consultations
EHN responded to the following EU Public consultations, published in 2022: