World Heart Day: EU4Health projects supporting heart health

Covering a broad group of circulatory system problems, including heart attacks and strokes, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death in the EU.  

On World Heart Day, let’s take a closer look at projects funded under the EU4Health programme that are supporting heart health by raising awareness about cardiovascular disease risks and by implementing early screening measures. 

These new projects started at the end of 2023. Several of them are tackling diabetes alongside heart issues, since diabetes is a risk factor for heart diseases. 

• The RESIL-Card project is developing a resilient assessment tool to enable EU cardiac care systems to self-assess their crisis preparedness and resilience. The project also works on improving patients’ awareness and health literacy. 
• The PIA project (Prevention In Action) is implementing actions to reduce sudden deaths from CVD and diabetes, with a focus on premature death, including:
  •  Organising health screenings for vulnerable groups; 
  •  Developing training for action in a situation of cardiorespiratory arrest;
  •  Creating educational material for the reduction of risks; 
  •  Disseminating scientific results to influence public policies and raising awareness. 
• The PREACT project (PRophylactive Education & Actions for Cardiovascular diseases and diabetes) focuses on preventing CVD and diabetes by developing a web platform that helps promote early detection, improve health literacy, raise awareness of CVDs and diabetes. It also offers solutions to adopt a healthier lifestyle and provides tools for self-monitoring of one’s health status.  
• The PROVIDE project aims to develop a screening system for rapid screening of early CVD risks, improving the quality of clinical monitoring in patients with diabetes and allowing early personalised prevention. 
• The PERFECTO project (Preventing the Preventable – Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Paediatric Screening for Cardiovascular Health) focuses on childhood screening programs for inherited high cholesterol. Its work will help to early detect CVD risk factor in order to prevent premature heart attacks and other serious health complications. 

EU4Health also co-funds the Joint Action JACARDI on cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, which has been designed to integrate best practices and cost-effective interventions across EU countries. It does so by implementing transnational pilot initiatives as well as complementing and reinforcing existing policies and programmes. The Joint Action covers the entire care experience of patients, from improving health literacy and screenings for high-risk populations to supporting individuals with CVD and diabetes.

Background  

EU4Health is the fourth and largest of the EU health programmes. The EU4Health programme goes beyond an ambitious response to the COVID-19 crisis to address the resilience of European healthcare systems. The programme provides funding to national authorities, health organisations and other bodies through grants and public procurement, contributing to a healthier Europe.  

HaDEA manages the vast majority of the total EU4Health budget and implements the programme by managing calls for proposals and tenders from 2021 to 2027.