The Hungarian Presidency of the Council of European Union will host a High-Level Ministerial Conference on 4 July in Budapest, dedicated to tackling Europe's biggest killer: cardiovascular disease (CVD).
This landmark event, organised in collaboration with the European Society of Cardiology, will bring together high-ranking officials from EU Member States, presidents of National Cardiac Societies and representatives of the European Alliance for Cardiovascular Health (EACH) to discuss the concept paper that aims to enhance cardiovascular health in Europe.
Today lack of funding for primary and secondary prevention strategies, as well as innovation and CVD data collection, threatens to undo hard fought trends in reducing mortality in cardiovascular disease. The conference couldn't be more timely or essential.
"I have spent my entire career treating patients with cardiovascular disease, but making a cardiovascular health plan a national and European health priority would save millions of lives. This responsibility is not just on doctors, but on all of us," ESC President Prof. Franz Weidinger says.
This conference is a milestone in the fight against cardiovascular disease, paving the way for a healthier future for all Europeans.
Key facts:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is EU's biggest killer.
- CVD is the cause of 1,7 million deaths per/year in Europe.
- Over five million new cases of CVD are diagnosed annually in the EU, and nearly 53 million people live with the disease.
- The CVD morbidity and mortality rates vary across the EU. Age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and region play a role.
- Cardiovascular disease cost the EU 282 billion euros in 2021. It is 100 million euros more than the entire EU budget.
- 40% of all deaths in women are due to CVD.
- CVD kills almost twice as many women than every cancer combined.
