Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan needs a thorough prevention pillar to tackle challenges common to all non-communicable diseases (NCDs), reads a statement by 30+ health organisations.
NCDs, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory diseases and diabetes, undermine people’s health and well-being, threaten the sustainability of health systems and Europe’s economic and social prosperity. Over half a million people under the age of 65 die of NCDs in the EU each year, while up to 80% of healthcare spending goes towards treating chronic diseases.
Common causes ask for common solutions. What connects all NCDs is that they are highly preventable, exacerbated by socio-economic inequities and are driven by a number of common, modifiable risk factors – especially related to tobacco and alcohol use, unhealthy food environments, insufficient physical activity and air pollution.
The flagship Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan offers a major opportunity to firmly and strategically tackle these common risk factors and support the creation of health-enabling living environments. This will answer the aspirations of Europeans for a healthy, equitable and ecologically thriving continent for current and future generations.
SIGNATORIES
Age Platform Europe
International Association of Mutual Benefit Societies (AIM)
Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME)
EuroHealthNet
European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL)
European Alcohol Policy Alliance (Eurocare)
European Chiropractors’ Union (ECU)
European Chronic Disease Alliance (ECDA)
European Committee for Homeopathy (ECH)
European Heart Network (EHN)
European Institute of Women’s Health (EIWH)
European Medical Students’ Association (EMSA)
European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS)
European Public Health Alliance (EPHA)
European Public Health Association (EUPHA)
European Region of the World Confederation for Physiotherapy (ER-WCP)
European Respiratory Society (ERS)
International Diabetes Federation Europe (IDF Europe)
Movendi International
NCD Alliance
Smoke Free Partnership (SFP)
United European Gastroenterology (UEG)
Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)
National:
Alcohol Action Ireland
Association of Italian Chiropractors
British Medical Association (BMA)
Finnish Association for Substance Abuse Prevention (EHYT)
Hungarian Alliance of Patient Organizations (HAPO)
IOGT-NTO
Lithuanian Tobacco and Alcohol Control Coalition (NTAKK)
Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP)
Slovenian Coalition for Public Health, Environment and Tobacco Control
