ERS along with nine partners in the Chronic Disease Alliance (CDA) have joined forces to put the case for immediate political action to reverse the alarming

rise in chronic non-communicable diseases that affects more than a third of the population of Europe – over 100 million citizens.

In June 2010, the CDA presented a document entitled ‘A Unified Prevention Approach’ to John Dalli, EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, setting out their strategy for tackling chronic diseases.

It calls for the introduction of innovative measures addressing tobacco, poor diet, alcohol and lack of physical activity to prevent chronic diseases and protect the future health of the European population.

For tobacco, it recommends harmonisation of taxation at high levels across Europe, adoption of standardised packaging for cigarettes with 80% of the package devoted to pictorial health warnings and a ban on internet sales of tobacco and on cigarette vending machines.

The Chronic Disease Alliance

CDA brings together ten not-for-profit European organisations, representing over 100,000 health professionals:

• European Respiratory Society
• European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) 
• European CanCer Organisation (ECCO) 
• European Heart Network (EHN) 
• European Kidney Health Alliance (EKHA) 
• European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 
• European Society of Hypertension (ESH) 
• European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 
• Federation of European Nurses in Diabetes (FEND) 
• International Diabetes Federation – European Region (IDF Europe) 

Chronic non-communicable diseases account for 86% of deaths

Chronic non-communicable diseases, including respiratory, cardiovascular, liver and kidney diseases, hypertension, diabetes and cancers, respiratory and liver diseases, account for 86% of deaths in the WHO European Region

Furthermore, up to 40% of the EU population aged over 15 reports having a long standing health problem and two out of three people who have reached retirement age have at least two chronic conditions.

‘A Unified Prevention Approach” stresses that while the individual human costs cannot be overstated, chronic disease also places an unsustainable financial burden on health care budgets.

“A key message is that health equals wealth and that investing in health ultimately will lead to improvements in the European economy,” says Professor Lars Rydén, chair of the European Society of Cardiology Prevention Group.