Chronic diseases

Recent EUPHApedia articles 22 April, 2013 Innovative Care for Chronic Conditions:Organizing and Delivering High Quality Care for Chronic Non communicable Diseases in the Americas 28 February, 2013 Organisation of Care for Chronic Patients in Belgium 28 February, 2013 Non-Communicable Diseases Series 2013 28 February, 2013 Assessing national capacity for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases: report of the 2010 global survey 12 November, 2012 Prevention and control of NCDs: guidelines for primary health care in low-resource settings

President
Dr Iveta Rajnicova-Nagyova
Safarik University, Faculty of Medicine
Inst Public Health – Dept Social Medicine
Graduate School Kosice Institute for Society and Health - KISH
Tr SNP 1
040 01 Kosice
Slovakia
Email: iveta.nagyova@upjs.sk

Vice presidents:

Dr David Stuckler

Cambridge University

United Kingdom

Email: ds450@cam.ac.uk

Dr Colette Andree

University Basel

Switzerland

Email: migraine_action@vtxmail.ch

The EUPHA section on Chronic Diseases (ESCD) was formally established at the 14th EUPHA annual conference in Montreux, Switzerland in 2006 and currently has 885 members.

Click here to join this section

Click here for the 2011 Annual Report of the EUPHA section on Chronic Diseases

EU HPF Answer to Consult on CDs Jan12
European Health Policy Forum's answer to the EU consultation on communicable diseases (link). Dr Iveta Nagyova, president of the EUPHA section on Chronic Diseases, has given ample input on behalf of EUPHA in this answer set up by the European Health Policy Forum.

Activities

The section participates in PHIRE (Public Health Innovation and Research in Europe), an EU-funded collaborative project for EUPHA member associations and Sections.

The section organises its annual meeting during the European Public Health Conference, this year 8 – 10 November 2012 in Malta.

Click here for the minutes of the 2011 annual meeting.

Workshops at our conferences:
2011 Workshop: Chronic Diseases\EPH 2011 - WHO-ESCD workshop
2011 Workshop: The Year of Noncommunicable Diseases: Implications of the Global Movement for the European Region
2010 Workshop: Monitoring chronic respiratory diseases in Europe: what we know, new challenges and new opportunities for public health intervention
2009 Workshop: Health-related functioning in terms of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health
2009 Workshop: What’s the use of cost-effectiveness of disease prevention
2008 Workshop: The major and chronic diseases report 2007-state of the art of major and chronic diseases information in Europe and the way forward
2008 Workshop: Supporting self management of the chronically ill
2008 Workshop: Overcoming the incomparability of European morbidity data
2007 Workshop: The task force on major and chronic diseases of the DG SANCO - overcoming the incomparability of morbidity data at the European level
2007 Workshop: Psychosocial determinants of health and quality of life in the elderly

Pre-conferences
2011 Pre-conference: The Year of Noncommunicable Diseases Implications of the Global Movement for the European Region
2010 Pre-conference: Chronic disease control in Europe: examples of good practice

Publications, short reports
2007 Helsinki: Chronic Diseases
2007 EJPH: News from the EUPHA section on Chronic Diseases
2006 Montreux: Chronic Diseases and Care for the Elderly
2005 Graz: The Growing Burden of Chronic Disease: New Challenges for Public Health

Aims of the section
The aim of the section is to increase and spread knowledge on chronic disease control. The section seeks to identify common approaches to develop the evidence and information base needed to guide policy and identify best practices for combating chronic diseases, and thus contributing to a sustainable and significant reduction of illness, disability and premature death. Furthermore, the section aims to lead efforts that help eliminate health disparities and negative socioeconomic consequences caused by chronic diseases and that promote health and well-being.

The strategic objectives are:

• Research.
To provide a platform for the exchange of research information and expertise, to stimulate new research activities and networking of researchers. To encourage the dissemination of scientific knowledge, experiences and best practices. To accelerate the translation of scientific findings into public health policy and practice.
• Policy.
To promote evidence-based social, environmental, health policies and system approaches that support healthy living for individuals, families, and communities. To raise awareness for chronic disease and ensure that fighting chronic disease and its consequences is included in and placed on top of the agenda of health care policies.
• Practice.
To stimulate programme and policy activities, build partner capacities, and establish tailored interventions. To encourage developing partnerships and collaborations with scientific communities, health care providers, civil society organisations and the private sector to promote collaboration for chronic disease prevention and control. To link regional, national and international networks to pursue common goals.
• Training and education.
To stimulate training and capacity building to develop a skilled, diverse, and dynamic public health workforce and network of partners. To identify the needs of public health experts for training and education. To develop guidance packages for chronic disease prevention and control.

Background information

• Chronic non-communicable diseases cause 86% of all deaths in Europe
• Up to 40% of the EU population aged over 15 report a long-standing health problem related to chronic diseases
• Up to 80% of health-care expenses are allocated to chronic diseases; i.e. cost of chronic diseases are in the billions of euros every year
• The majority of chronic diseases can be prevented; 4 factors account for a majority of the burden of chronic diseases: tobacco, poor diets, alcohol and lack of physical activity

Strategies to fight chronic non-communicable diseases include (1) prevention and early detection, (2) health services reorientation, integrated care models, (3) disease management programmes, (4) new provider qualifications and settings, (5) surveillance, monitoring, evaluation and research strengthening.

Institutional and organizational challenges for policy-makers and managers involve (1) stimulating the development of new effective pharmaceuticals and medical devices, (2) designing appropriate financial incentives, (3) improving coordination, (4) using information and communication technology, and (5) ensuring evaluation.

References

• Busse R, Blümel M, Scheller-Kreinsen D, Zentner A (2010) Tackling Chronic Disease in Europe: Strategies, interventions and challenges. World Health Organization on behalf of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.
• European Chronic Diseases Alliance Statement. Preventing chronic diseases using evidence based knowledge. http://www.ehnheart.org/downloads/929.html
• Nolte E, McKee M (eds) (2008) Caring for people with chronic conditions: A health system perspective. Maidenhead, Open University Press: 4–91.
WHO (2004) Health Statistics and Health
• Information Systems. Revised Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2002 Estimates. Geneva: World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/healthinfo/bodgbd2002revised/en/index.html

Links http://www.who.int/nmh/en http://www.ga-cd.org http://www.epha.org http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/index.htm http://ec.europa.eu/research/health/medical-research/severe-chronic-diseases/index_en.html http://www.escardio.org/about/what/advocacy/Pages/Chronic-Disease-Alliance.aspx http://www.esmo.org/policy/political-initiatives/european-chronic-disease-alliance.html