Project: Action Statement on Heart Failure

Action Statement on Heart Failure
A call to action outlining clear policy recommendations for European institutions to address the growing burden of heart failure.

What is the Action Statement on Heart Failure?

The Action Statement on Heart Failure is a call to action for the European Union (EU) to address the growing burden of heart failure. It was developed to help advocates engage European institutions on heart failure, and to support growing calls for an EU Action Plan on Cardiovascular Disease.

The statement details clear recommendations for the European Commission, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament, drawing on existing and forthcoming EU programmes.

It was developed in collaboration with an independent group of experts in heart failure and cardiovascular disease.

Click the button below to download the Action Statement.

Download

Why do we need urgent EU action on heart failure?

One in five people can expect to live with heart failure at some point in their lives. The syndrome is the leading cause of preventable hospitalisations in the EU. It is also a major contributor to the burden of cardiovascular disease, which is itself the biggest cause of illness and death in the EU.

Despite its impact, heart failure is often not recognised as a healthcare priority. Urgent action is needed to protect citizens, health systems and economies.

The European Commission should:

  • Incorporate heart failure into its efforts to help Member States meet international targets on non-communicable diseases, including knowledge sharing, funding research, and supporting prevention and best-practice care
  • Consider heart failure initiatives for EU funding to support Member States in increasing awareness of heart failure, preventing the syndrome, training a heart failure specialist workforce, and investing in multidisciplinary and integrated care
  • Ensure heart failure is considered in EU initiatives, such as the European Health Data Space, and the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan
  • Develop and propose a concrete EU Action Plan on Cardiovascular Disease

The Council of the European Union should:

  • Prioritise heart failure in upcoming EU Presidency agendas

The European Parliament should:

  • Propose and draft an own-initiative report on heart failure
  • Consider heart failure, and cardiovascular disease more broadly, in relevant Parliament reports on mental and physical health

Endorsements

The following organisations endorse the Action Statement on Heart Failure:

Project advisory group

Professor Damien Gruson
Head of the Clinical Biochemistry Department, Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Belgium; Member, European Commission’s Expert Panel on Effective Ways of Investing in Health
Neil Johnson
Executive Director, Global Heart Hub; Chief Executive, Croí, West of Ireland Cardiac Foundation
Dr Ambrose McLoughlin
Chairperson, HeartBeat Trust; former Secretary General of the Department of Health, Ireland
Dr Luís Filipe Pereira
President, Association for Support to Patients with Heart Failure (AADIC); former Minister of Health, Portugal
Professor Giuseppe Rosano
President-Elect, Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology; Consultant Cardiologist and Professor of Cardiology, St George’s University Medical School, London; Scientific Director, Nutramed programme, IRCCS San Raffaele, Rome
Professor Izabella Uchmanowicz
President-Elect, Association of Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions of the European Society of Cardiology; Past-President, Nursing and Medical Technology Section of the Polish Cardiac Society

Funding information

The development of the Action Statement on Heart Failure was made possible with financial support from AstraZeneca.

The Heart Failure Policy Network is an independent, multidisciplinary platform made possible with financial support from AstraZeneca and Roche Diagnostics. The content produced by the Network is not biased toward any specific treatment or therapy. All outputs are guided and endorsed by the Network’s members. All members provide their time for free. The Network is hosted by The Health Policy Partnership .