Diabetes patients need election manifesto pledge from all EU parties, says EUDF

The European People’s Party (EPP) is still the only political group to directly address diabetes as part of its 2024 election manifesto pledge – the group says it will launch a European Cardiovascular Health Plan. European Diabetes Forum (EUDF) is now asking all of Europe’s politicians to pledge their manifesto support to fight diabetes in Europe.

The International Diabetes Federation has also called on all EU political groups to back the launch of a Joint Cardiovascular-Diabetes Plan by the forthcoming European Commission. The EUDF and IDF both want to see action towards creating a strong EU diabetes policy framework supportive of national diabetes action plans.

They aim to do this by trying to sensitise the political agenda, and potential candidates for the election, on the importance of dealing with a non-communicable disease like diabetes. As part of its pledge campaign, the EUDF is highlighting what it calls “The Four ‘E’s’ – Early Detection, Equitable Care, Empowering People and Embracing Science and Technology.”

Historic step, a holistic approach needed

The EPP’s 2024 election manifesto says citizens should be able to “(…) seek healthcare wherever they want and be confident that they will receive quality healthcare when moving to another country. Suffering from a disease should never be a barrier to free movement in Europe.”

The political group aims to launch a European Cardiovascular Health Plan, they said: “(…) in response to the fact that cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer in the EU. This plan should include a European Knowledge Centre and promote a joint cardiovascular and diabetes health check.” They emphasised this is crucial, as 85% of the persons living with diabetes die from cardiovascular disease.

The European Alliance for Cardiovascular Health (EACH) welcomed the EPP’s ‘European Cardiovascular Health Plan’ as a core component of their electoral manifesto, noting that “This historic step answers the urgent need for comprehensive action to address Europe’s health crisis and tackle its leading cause of death – cardiovascular disease which costs the EU €282 bn every year.”

Elisabeth Dupont, Regional Director of IDF Europe, said: “IDF Europe welcomes the EPP’s acknowledgement of the need to act on diabetes in its manifesto and urges the European Commission and all political factions to go further and consider diabetes as an equal priority in a joint Cardiovascular-Diabetes Plan.” She said is required to ensure a holistic approach to people living with NCDs and improve health outcomes for all citizens in Europe.

Renew – coordinated action needed

Catherine Amalric, MEP, Renew Europe’s coordinator for the health subcommittee told Euractiv: “More than 30 million Europeans suffer from diabetes. It is a common disease, yet we are struggling to limit its impact.” Amalric, a French medical doctor, added: “We need to take coordinated action at the EU level to step up research and prevention. The European Commission urgently needs to present its proposal for an efficient and harmonised nutritional labelling at the European level, to better inform citizens about what they are eating.”

Despite widespread activity when it comes to World Diabetes Day, not all political parties have been definitively engaged in driving diabetes-focused policies when it comes to manifesto pledges for June’s European elections.

A spokesperson for The Left in the EP told Euractiv: “As a group, we don’t have explicit policy proposals on diabetes specifically. However, our position emphasises the need for initiatives to strengthen public healthcare infrastructure, boost research spending in the public interest, ensure affordable medicines, and safeguard healthcare workers’ rights.

By challenging profit-driven models and prioritising people’s health over corporate interests, the EU could be a force for a healthier Europe for all, improving care for all patients, including those living with diabetes.

The Left said they advocate for healthcare systems that prioritise universal access, public ownership, and equitable distribution of resources as the best way to improve patient care and research. The spokesperson remarked: “We oppose the EU-backed neoliberal agenda that seeks to erode healthcare rights and call for robust public investment in services to address systemic inequalities.”

ECR – urgency of diabetes cannot be overstated

A spokesperson for the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) told Euractiv that the ECR has consistently supported initiatives aimed at combatting diabetes. From backing Parliament’s resolution on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, to championing the EU diabetes epidemic resolution.

The ECR spokesperson said: “The urgency of addressing diabetes cannot be overstated. With almost 10% of the EU population affected and millions more at risk, the toll on healthcare systems is substantial and growing. Against the backdrop of rising obesity rates and an ageing demographic, the economic burden (which currently represents approximately 10% of healthcare expenditure across the EU) is poised to escalate further.”

The ECR called on the Commission to build on the work of the Healthier Together—EU non-communicable diseases initiative to ensure continued support for diabetes funding under the current and future EU framework programmes for research, including research on integrated care models, and effective interventions in diabetes prevention and management.

Diabetes funding dynamics

European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides speaking at the 28 March Brussels event “Cardiovascular Healthcare in Europe: Challenges and Perspectives”, said: “We just launched the biggest-ever EU collaborative action on cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, with 53 million Euros from the EU4Health programme. We have also provided around 7 million Euros for stakeholder-led projects on health determinants, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.”

On World Diabetes Day, Kyriakides said the Commission had provided €53 million from the EU4Health programme – the EU’s largest-ever financial contribution to actions on diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

She said the Commission is also investing heavily in research, with over €296 million from Horizon Europe to support almost 120 diabetes-related projects, while continuing to work closely with and support Member States through the Expert Group on Public Health to scale up health promotion and disease prevention activities.

The legal framework for diabetes

EU Member States are responsible for their healthcare policies, and EU action should complement national policies, guided by Article 168 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The EU focuses on prevention, research and information, while also fostering cooperation between Member States. The European Commission addresses diabetes in its work on non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Complicating the political landscape in Europe is the diverse legal basis for taking action on diabetes.

Frontiers in Public Health published a detailed legal surveillance study asking “How the European Union legislations are tackling the burden of diabetes mellitus.” The study concludes that surveillance of the EU’s legislation on the prevention of diabetes mellitus (DM) is needed, to more effectively tackle the rising prevalence of DM.

The researchers found 22 laws aimed at preventing DM, NCDs and obesity, but only five of them specifically addressed preventing DM. They said their results prove: “(…) that the EU has made cross-sectoral legislative efforts to reduce the disease burden and prevent DM but does not exhaust all possibilities (…) and that given its persistently rising DM prevalence, it is imperative to make sure that DM is a top health priority for various EU authorities and is incorporated into new initiatives, policies and laws.”

The Socialists & Democrats (S&D) and the Greens/EFA were also asked to comment for this article.

[By Brian Maguire | Euractiv’s Advocacy Lab ]

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