EU Screening Week: helping Europe know its numbers for heart health

Cardiovascular disease remains Europe’s leading health challenge, but many risks can be detected earlier, understood better and acted on sooner. This year, the first EU Screening Week will mobilise health organisations across Europe to encourage people to know their numbers and understand why health checks matter.  

Cardiometabolic risk factors can often develop silently. Knowing your numbers can help people take earlier, informed action together with healthcare professionals. This is the key message behind the first ever EU Screening Week, taking place from 28 September to 04 October, alongside World Heart Day.

A key component of the Safe Hearts Plan, the EU Screening Week encourages people to understand the importance of three numbers – blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar – and to act earlier to protect their health.  

As part of this campaign, the European Society of Cardiology, in partnership with the International Diabetes Federation Europe and with the support of the Belgian Heart League, Belgian Society of Cardiology, Diabetes Liga and Association du Diabète, will bring #KnowYourNumbers to the heart of the European Union. A dedicated cardiovascular health check zone will be set up outside the Berlaymont Building of the European Commission from 28 September to 2 October. By offering free blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar checks to the public, this initiative aims to raise awareness of cardiovascular risk factors and highlight the importance of early detection and prevention.

The ESC is an active partner in this challenge, and we are proud to support our National Cardiac Societies who are helping to make EU wide screening a reality. 

ESC National Cardiac Societies in action  

Across Europe, ESC National Cardiac Societies are turning the message of EU Screening Week into practical action. From cardiovascular health checks and public awareness campaigns to community outreach and education events, discover what’s happening in your country.  

If your country is not listed, why not get involved and make something happen!  

Use the list and the map below to explore participating countries and their activities.

Austria

Austria will run a nationwide HerzCheck Österreich campaign across all nine federal provinces. It will combine community blood pressure measurement and pulse/rhythm assessment for people aged 65+, cardiovascular risk estimation and Herz-Pass result cards. The campaign will be supported by promotion of the free preventive health check, student HerzCheck Scouts, press activity and anonymous data collection. The project is closely aligned with EU Screening Week and Know Your Numbers by focusing on blood pressure and risk awareness, improving uptake in disadvantaged areas, linking citizens to preventive services and generating transferable tools and comparable reporting. 

Bulgaria

Bulgaria will integrate a cardiovascular risk self-assessment tool into the national E-health application, adapting it into Bulgarian with the Ministry of Health and National Health Information System. This will be promoted through a launch press conference, Sofia city transport QR-code stickers and a Facebook campaign. The initiative supports EU Screening Week by giving health-insured citizens free access to individual risk assessment and advice to seek cardiology consultation where needed, thereby strengthening early detection and broad national awareness through an existing digital health platform.

Czechia

Czechia will build on the 11th annual FH Week and World Heart Day campaign with at least eight city stops offering blood draws, blood pressure measurement, identification of possible familial hypercholesterolemia, prediabetes/diabetes and hypertension, physician guidance, nutrition and cardiology education, public lectures and collaboration with CAKO. The activity supports the Know Your Numbers campaign by giving participants their cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose values on a card, advising on next steps and preventive check-ups, and referring at-risk individuals for timely examination and care.

Finland

Finland will deliver a nationwide Know Your Numbers awareness and screening campaign targeting 40–55-year-olds. It will be led by the Finnish Heart Association and supported by TV, social media and outdoor advertising, pharmacy and local heart association screening events, educational webinars and printed self-monitoring guides. The campaign aligns strongly with EU Screening Week by promoting early detection of hidden cardiovascular risk through accessible blood pressure screening, public education and practical tools that empower people to monitor and manage their heart health proactively.

Greece

Greece will run a coordinated national awareness and screening initiative with the Ministry of Health and public health stakeholder collaboration. This will include blood pressure and blood glucose measurement through community pharmacies, a national public awareness survey and a press event to present findings. The project supports EU Screening Week by increasing awareness of cardiovascular risk factors, giving citizens accessible checks and using survey evidence to identify public education needs while amplifying national prevention messages.

Hungary

Hungary will organise a Know Your Numbers Screening Week around a free Community Cardiovascular Health Day at Semmelweis University Heart and Vascular Center. It will include blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, BMI/body composition, ECG, risk assessment, counselling, expert lectures, physical activity sessions, patient association activities and national communications. The initiative delivers for the Know Your Numbers campaign during EU Screening Week through branded result cards, referral pathways and follow-up for high-risk participants, while combining screening with health literacy, patient involvement and European visibility. 

Ireland

Ireland will combine screening for members of Government and staff at Leinster House, support for Irish Heart Foundation and other public screening activities during World Heart Week, and the inaugural meeting of the Irish Alliance for Cardiovascular Health. The initiative aligns with EU Screening Week by promoting early detection and prevention through both public and political-facing screening, reinforcing World Heart Week messaging and connecting awareness raising with long-term coalition-building for cardiovascular health.

Italy

Italy participated in the ESC pilot project on cardiovascular advocacy. Building on this work, the Italian Federation of Cardiology (IFC), together with SIC and ANMCO, published the National Strategic Plan for Cardiovascular Health 2024–2027, available on the IFC website. The IFC has also launched cardiovascular screening activities during EU Screening Week. Italy now needs a nationally coordinated program providing free, mandatory cardiovascular risk screening for all Italian citizens, comparable to its established cancer screenings.

Latvia

Latvia will hold a national cardiovascular health awareness event combining public education, preventive screening, individual risk assessment and personalised advice. It will be supported by a central public conference, expert sessions, recordings, digital dissemination and social media outreach. The activity advances the Know Your Numbers campaign by enabling participants to check blood pressure, BMI, blood glucose and cholesterol. Citizens will also receive individual prevention advice and benefit from a broader public communication on cardiovascular prevention and regular monitoring. 

Malta

Malta will run two community awareness campaigns in Mosta and Birgu through cardiac rehabilitation services, using public engagement points to provide education on primary prevention, blood pressure and BMI measurement, point-of-care glucose and cholesterol testing, diet and smoking cessation advice. There will also be CPR demonstrations and educational materials. The project supports EU Screening Week by encouraging citizens to know their baseline health metrics, offering decentralised opportunistic screening, strengthening patient empowerment and involving a multidisciplinary on-site team. 

The Netherlands

The Netherlands will organise two public Hartcheckpunten at AFAS Stadion in Alkmaar and Hoog Catharijne in Utrecht on Dress Red Day. This will include free checks for eligible adults aged 40–70, and covers blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose and BMI, with immediate explanation and personal advice. The initiative aligns withthe  Know Your Numbers campaign by helping participants learn key health values, supporting earlier identification of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes risk factors, providing next-step advice and linking the activity to Dress Red Day to highlight cardiovascular disease in women. 

Portugal

Portugal will implement the Portugal Knows Your Numbers national programme, combining structured health checks with awareness activities at football stadiums, workplaces, Parliament, campuses, pharmacies and commuter hubs. It will be supported by ambassadors, cinema ads, a digital hub and media outreach. Checks will include BMI/waist, blood pressure, cholesterol, HbA1c, smoking status, risk assessment and single-lead ECG, with result cards and referral pathways. The aim is to deliver opportunistic screening into community settings, reaching groups less likely to use routine health services and generating aggregate results to support national implementation. 

Spain

Spain will run a week-long World Heart Day campaign, “How are the hearts of the Spanish people?”, offering individual cardiovascular risk assessments based on blood pressure, BMI and lipid profiles, ESC-guideline-based digital risk reporting, personalised reports and an anonymous population awareness survey. The campaign directly supports the Know Your Numbers campaign by combining core health checks with personalised reporting, ESC-aligned risk assessment and survey data to identify knowledge gaps for future prevention activities.