The HFPN led one of the largest political campaigns on heart failure (HF) in Europe from 24 October 2015 to 24 January 2016. This culminated in Written Declaration 110/2016 on Heart Failure, which closed with 234 signatures.
The Written Declaration requested that the European Commission consider initiatives to:
The Written Declaration was available in 23 languages. The HFPN also produced an infographic to accompany the campaign, available in 11 languages.
Most European countries do not have a national healthcare strategy for HF, and there is no EU-wide strategy supporting public awareness, prevention, diagnosis and management. Strong leadership from European and national policymakers is essential to reduce the burden of HF.
A Written Declaration in the European Parliament is a means by which MEPs can raise awareness of certain issues. It is limited to 200 words on a topic of EU competencies – in this case, the often neglected condition of HF.
The preparation of the Written Declaration on heart failure and associated materials was supported through grants from Novartis Pharma and St Jude Medical.