European Alliance for Cardiovascular Health (EACH)

🩺 Health as a Priority Across All Policies: a strong message from the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament. Their newly adopted Position Paper places health and prevention at the heart of all EU policymaking, calling for a comprehensive, equitable, and resilient European Health Union. Importantly, the paper recognises that cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death in the EU, and calls on the European Commission to develop an EU Cardiovascular Health Strategy: ✅ Strengthen prevention, early detection, and screening of CVDs; ✅ Ensure equitable access to high-quality treatment and digital tools for coordinated care; ✅ Address the social, environmental, and commercial determinants of cardiovascular health; ✅ Support Member States in developing national cardiovascular plans aligned with common EU quality indicators. EACH welcomes this strong political commitment and the recognition that cardiovascular health must be central to Europe’s public health agenda. 📄 Read the full publication here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eRFDmuBs #CardiovascularHealth #EUHealthPolicy #CVHealtForAll #CVD #EACH

📢 Save the date! EACH Cardiovascular Health Summit 🗓️ 10–11 December 2025, Brussels With the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan set to be published by the end of this year, there is no better time to gather the cardiovascular health community in Brussels. The EACH Cardiovascular Health Summit will mark a defining moment for cardiovascular health in Europe, taking place as the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan is expected to set a new direction for EU action. It represents the culmination of years of joint advocacy by EACH partners to ensure cardiovascular health is deemed a priority in the EU policy agenda and is backed by robust investment. The event will bring together EU policymakers, EACH partners and their national representatives, people with lived experience of cardiovascular disease (CVD), researchers, and leaders in the cardiovascular field to reflect on progress and shape the next steps for implementation across Europe. The Summit will explore: 💡 Science, research, and innovation ❤️🩹 Insights from people with lived experience of CVD ♀️ Gender differences in cardiovascular disease 🌍 Inequalities and equity in health 🧠 Links between cardiovascular and mental health, and the environment 💶 How investing in cardiovascular health can help keep the EU competitive Stay tuned for more updates as we approach the event! #CVHealthForAll #EACHSummit2025

In less than three weeks, the European Heart Network (EHN) - a proud partner of EACH - will host the FILTERED Conference 2025, organised within the framework of the FILTERED project: From Silos to Synergies to Prevent NCDs. 💡 FILTERED Conference 2025 Prevention over Profit: Breaking the Silos to Put Health First 📅 3–4 November 2025 📍 Thon Hotel EU, Rue de la Loi 75, Brussels The conference will bring together EU and national policymakers, WHO experts, and civil society leaders to discuss how to strengthen prevention and address the commercial and social determinants driving non-communicable diseases (NCDs). 🗣️ Highlights include: • A plenary panel on the state of health promotion at EU level • Presentation of the FILTERED study on cross-risk factor collaboration • Expert sessions on pro-health taxation, conflict of interest, and commercial determinants of health • A forward-looking policy panel on shaping the EU’s next public health agenda Don’t miss the chance to join powerful discussions and take part in an important event shaping the future of NCD prevention! 📄 Discover the full Conference programme: https://lnkd.in/gYu-bNgW 📧 Request your invitation: teamdesk@ehnheart.org 🔗 Learn more about the Filtered Conference: https://lnkd.in/eb4dUuXF #FILTERED2025 #PreventNCDs

Today, EACH partner organisations European Stroke Organisation and Stroke Alliance For Europe (SAFE), organised a key event at the European Parliament: “Closing the Gaps in Stroke Care: A Call to Action for Europe – Putting Stroke at the Heart of the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan.” The event brought together people with lived experience, policymakers, researchers, and public health experts to discuss stroke: the second leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability in Europe. 🧠 Every year, over 1.1 million Europeans experience a stroke, and up to 50% of survivors live with chronic disability. By 2040, the number of people living with stroke is projected to rise by 35%, reaching 12 million. Behind each statistic is a person and a life, as one participant noted, “Conditions can be forever, so a life saved must be a life worth living.” Speakers emphasised that stroke care in Europe remains fragmented and under-resourced, and that we must and can do better. 💡 The solution lies in the Stroke Action Plan for Europe, a clear framework to strengthen prevention, acute care, rehabilitation, and life after stroke, supported by the call for a dedicated stroke pillar within the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan. 👉 Discover the Stroke Action Plan for Europe: https://lnkd.in/epjRU36S At the event, Billy Kelleher MEP and MEP Romana Jerković underlined that access to healthcare must not be determined by inequalities and that no health system can sustain the social and economic burden of inaction, estimated at €60 billion per year. Other key messages included: ✅ The need to integrate prevention and rehabilitation across the entire chain of care. ✅ Investing in workforce capacity, data systems, and research to ensure faster treatment and better recovery. ✅ Recognising gender disparities and addressing inequalities through digital innovation and coordinated EU action. 🧠 ❤️ This year, the European Alliance for Cardiovascular Health (EACH) is bringing together World Heart Day and World Stroke Day to highlight that integrated cardiovascular care is the only sustainable solution to one of Europe’s greatest health challenges. Learn more about the campaign and how EACH is uniting both days: https://lnkd.in/ebrw7Pp5 #CVHealthForAll #WorldHeartDay #WorldStrokeDay #DontMissABeat #StrokeActionNow

💡 The forthcoming EU Cardiovascular Health Plan should include a primordial prevention strategy focused on preventing the emergence of risk factors by addressing the underlying social, economic, and environmental conditions that promote disease. 🌍 Air pollution is now clearly recognised as a risk factor for cardiovascular health, alongside classic ones such as malnutrition, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, and smoking. It is associated with around 340,934 deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) every year in the European Region, accounting for 8% of all CVD deaths. As MEP Tilly Metz rightly states: “Air pollution is a major driver of heart disease and stroke. Europe needs a Cardiovascular Health Plan that addresses environmental and social determinants of health to ensure cleaner air, healthier lives, and a fairer future for all.” The European Environment Agency also notes that reducing pollution and adapting to climate change can significantly reduce the number of cases of cardiovascular disease and resulting deaths. While environmental regulation is not primarily led by health policymakers, it must form part of a ‘health in all policies’ approach, ensuring cleaner air, safer environments, and healthier lives. ❤️🧠 The European Alliance for Cardiovascular Health (EACH), supported by members of the MEP Cardiovascular Health Group, is bringing World Heart Day and World Stroke Day together to call for an EU Cardiovascular Health Plan that tackles the environmental and social determinants of health, alongside prevention and care. 👉 Find out more about the campaign and explore resources: https://lnkd.in/ebrw7Pp5 #CVHealthForAll #WorldHeartDay #DontMissABeat #WorldStrokeDay #StrokeActionNow

On World Mental Health Day, we are shining a spotlight on psychosocial support: a crucial yet too often overlooked component of rehabilitation for cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients. Rehabilitation is too often viewed only through the lens of physical recovery, while the mental health and psychosocial aspects remain overlooked. A holistic approach to rehabilitation is essential to improve the quality of life for people living with and recovering from CVD. CVD patients face a higher risk of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as challenges related to social inclusion, relationships, and finances during recovery. To improve patients’ experience and outcomes, it is essential to ensure access to: ✅ ongoing cardiovascular health maintenance 🤝 structured programmes 👥 peer-to-peer support from patient organisations 🧠 psychological and community-based support (nursing and care, medical adherence programmes, remote monitoring) A comprehensive, person-centred rehabilitation strategy should be a core principle of the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan, as outlined in EACH’s policy document "A European Cardiovascular Health Plan: The Roadmap" 👉 Read the full document here: https://lnkd.in/esSjrh57 #WorldMentalHealthDay #MentalHealth #CVHealthForAll #CardiovascularHealth #Rehabilitation #CVD #EACH

💙 As the European Commission prepares its EU Cardiovascular Health Plan, it is essential to build on successful EU-level initiatives that are already driving progress, such as JACARDI, the Joint Action on Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes.   From innovative screening and health literacy initiatives to integrated care pathways, self-management support, and dedicated actions on women’s heart health, JACARDI is piloting interventions designed to reduce inequalities and strengthen cardiovascular prevention and care across Europe. 🤝   💡 As Benedetta Armocida MD, PhD, European Coordinator at JACARDI, explained, equity runs through all of JACARDI’s work, recognising how gender, age, culture, and geography shape cardiovascular risk and access to care, and ensuring that every intervention helps close these gaps. She also underlined the importance of strong, harmonised data to understand what works, for whom, and in which context, guiding countries towards more inclusive and effective cardiovascular strategies.   "At this pivotal moment in Europe, as the Cardiovascular Health Plan takes shape, JACARDI stands as a crucial reference point, showing how innovation, evidence, and a steadfast commitment to equity can translate into sustainable and scalable solutions for cardiovascular health across Europe"   Find out more about JACARDI’s work: https://jacardi.eu/   Discover more about the campaign and how EACH is uniting World Heart Day and World Stroke Day: https://lnkd.in/ebrw7Pp5 #CVHealthForAll #WorldHeartDay #DontMissABeat #WorldStrokeDay #StrokeActionNow

💙 The EU Cardiovascular Health Plan is an opportunity to shape Europe’s response to its leading cause of death and to become a powerful regional example: a holistic, robust, and deliberate game-changer in saving and improving lives. Cardiovascular health is one of the most complex and most decisive pillars of our well-being. To rise to this challenge, MEP Andras Kulja MD calls for a truly holistic vision for the European Cardiovascular Health Plan: “One that addresses social and commercial determinants of health, strengthens health literacy, and confronts the common comorbidities we know so well — diabetes, obesity, kidney disease, and mental health challenges. The political will is already here; now we must unite resources, knowledge, and action to deliver real change in the everyday lives of European families.” 🤝 ❤️ 🧠 This year, EACH, supported by members of the MEP Cardiovascular Health Group, brings World Heart Day and World Stroke Day together — highlighting the commonalities and intersections between heart disease and stroke. 👉 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ebrw7Pp5 #CVHealthForAll #WorldHeartDay #DontMissABeat #WorldStrokeDay #StrokeActionNow

On World Heart Day (29 September), the Croatian League for Hypertension organised another successful edition of “Hunting the Silent Killer” in Zagreb’s European Square – this year for the first time in official cooperation with EACH. 💡 Around 200 citizens were screened for blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, arrhythmias, and more, with counselling and educational materials provided on site. The initiative also promoted sister campaigns “Do You Know Your Number?” and “Mission 70/26” – aiming for 70% of hypertensive patients to be under control by 2026. The event attracted strong national media coverage, featured outreach activities such as live music and a public health film broadcast in Zagreb’s central square, and once again demonstrated how continuity in prevention campaigns can raise health literacy and save lives. 👏 Congratulations to the Croatian League for Hypertension, its partners, and volunteers for this inspiring example of cardiovascular prevention in action. #CVHealthForAll #WorldHeartDay #DontMissABeat #CardiovascularHealth #EACH