Noncommunicable diseases are the biggest health challenges facing Europe. 86% of all deaths and 77% of disease burden in Europe are caused by noncommunicable diseases. Seven risk factors account for 59.6% of the entire disease burden. These are high blood pressure, tobacco, alcohol, high blood cholesterol, overweight, low fruit and vegetable intake and physical inactivity.
The joint European Heart Network (EHN) and European Society of Cardiology (ESC) session provided a platform for the European Commission and the WHO to present their efforts in tackling these risk factors.
Mr Robert Madelin spoke about the European Platform for action on diet, physical activity and health - a multi-stakeholder forum with members from several sectors including food and advertising industry, health and consumer NGOs and health professionals - created in March 2005. Mr Madelin also spoke about the European Commission’s Green Paper on ‘A European dimension for the prevention of overweight, obesity and chronic diseases’.
Dr Francesco Branca talked about the imminent adoption of a WHO European strategy for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the Ministerial Meeting on Obesity, to take place from 15-17 November 2006 in Istanbul, Turkey.
Dr Karen spoke about how the European Union’s agricultural policy may be put to good use promoting an increased fruit and vegetable consumption. Dr Lock noted that with an optimum consumption of fruit and vegetables (i.e. 600g or more/person/day) in the European Union, 135 000 deaths from cardiovascular diseases could be avoided each year.
Conclusion
The session emphasised the importance of multi-sectoral cooperation in order to effectively address the major health burdens in Europe, including cardiovascular diseases.
WHO, European Region, has a vital role in defining health strategies for all countries in Europe whilst the European Commission focuses specifically on the countries that are members of the European Union (EU). Increasingly, the two organisations work together to enhance each others efforts.
The session demonstrated how the WHO recommendations, for instance on increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables, can be facilitated by the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the EU largest policy area in terms of budget. The session also presented the case why the CAP should do so. Research carried out on behalf of the EHN showed that 135 000 deaths from cardiovascular diseases could be avoided each year if consumption of fruit and vegetables is increased to an average of 600g per person per day.
Several other policy areas, which can have a beneficial impact on promotion of cardiovascular health, such as clear and understandable nutrition labelling, and regulation of advertising and marketing of so-called junk food were raised.
Although the development of policies on diet and physical activity often is complex and up against significant barriers, it was highlighted that everybody has a role to play in formation and implementation of policies, including the national heart foundations - which traditionally contains strong advocacy voices as well as the clinical cardiologist - by counselling his/her patients and by speaking up as a member of his/her community.
List of presenters:
Diet, physical activity and health: a European platform for action. Presented by Robert Madelin (BE), Director General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for health and consumer protection.
Policy options for tackling child obesity. Presented by Prof. Lluis Serra-Majem (ES), University of Barcelona Science Park.
World Health Organization Euro strategy for obesity and non-communicable diseases. Presented by Mr Francesco Branca (DK), WHO European Region.
Fruit and vegetable consumption and cardiovascular disease: the impact of the agricultural policy of the European Union (Common Agricultural Policy). Presented by Dr Karen Lock (GB), London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.