On 6th March 2024, the European People’s Party (EPP) adopted its political manifesto for the 2024 EU elections. The manifesto includes the EPP’s commitment to launch a European Cardiovascular Health Plan. In today’s press release, the European Alliance for Cardiovascular Health (EACH) strongly welcomes and supports the EPP manifesto and the party’s commitment to make cardiovascular health a top priority in their next political mandate.
A strong commitment to cardiovascular health from the EPP – the biggest political party in the European Union (EU) – is a major step towards the implementation of a European Cardiovascular Health Plan. The EPP was the driving force behind the Beating Cancer Plan at the time. This outcome comes from significant advocacy efforts from the European Heart Network (EHN) and all the public health organisations representing the interests of cardiovascular patients in Europe.
In these times of high political momentum for European cardiovascular health, it is more important than ever to reaffirm our commitment to a European cardiovascular health plan aimed at tackling the first cause of death in the European Union (EU). A plan that is centred on primary prevention at the population level, improvements in secondary prevention through timely detection, equal access to high-quality patient-centred healthcare and an increased uptake of rehabilitation.
For the European cardiovascular health plan to become a reality at EU level, it is equally important that the EU Member States rally behind and commit to a CVH Plan and demand the European Commission to draft such a plan. For this reason, European public health organisations have to continue working in synergy with national governments and organisations and make their lobby and advocacy work as pervasive as possible.
The engagement of EHN members with their health ministry, national parliament and the Members of the European Parliament of their country is as important as ever, in order to benefit from this European window of opportunity at the national level as well. The European Heart Network (EHN) will continue working closely with its national members and ensure a mutual exchange of information and cooperation.
Click here to read the EACH Press Release.