A new report - developed by R-Health Consult and commissioned for EFPIA - provides an analysis of the economic and health benefits of investment in five key non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The research looks at stroke, ischaemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and breast cancer across the 27 European Union Member States and makes recommendations on how to reduce mortality, improve quality of life for patients while improving return on investments (ROI) for the European economy. It shows that substantial ROI can be made from targeted health interventions; it uses specific insights from case studies in three countries - Portugal, Romania, and Sweden.  

In 2023, the five major NCDs cost the EU about €530 billion equivalent to 3.13% of its combined annual GDP. Direct health care costs were the largest contributor, amounting to 60.5% of the region’s direct healthcare costs. By 2050, the annual number of new NCD cases is expected to reach 7.4 million, a 16% increase from current levels, with deaths increasing by 50% from the 2023 level. 

ROI analyses  

ROI analyses were conducted for diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) interventions in Portugal, cardiovascular care in Romania, and comprehensive breast cancer treatments in Sweden.  

All three effectively demonstrate the benefits of health interventions both to patient and population health and for the economy.  They illustrate how investment in early detection and intervention provides ROI and, furthermore, how the benefits increase the earlier such initiatives begin. 

Romania: Cardiovascular diseases alone accounted for over 55% of all deaths in 2020 

• In Romania, scaling up care for cardiovascular disease could save more than 107,000 lives by 2050.  

For each €1 spent, at least €1 is returned directly to the economy as people can stay in the workforce, meaning that the investment pays for itself.  

Portugal: Has a high prevalence of NCDs, and one of the highest diabetes rates globally at 9.1%  

• Targeted interventions to improve diabetes management and increase screening for complications are predicted to save approximately 8700 lives between 2023 and 2050  

• For every €1 spent investing in better diabetes control, €1.4 would be returned to the economy.  

• Scaling up this intervention package would avert an estimated 239 000 new cases of diabetes-related complications. 

Sweden: Breast cancer accounted for 7257 new cases and 1456 deaths in 2023. It is projected to reach 8702 new cases (+20%) and 1887 deaths (+30%) annually by 2050 

• Providing comprehensive breast cancer treatment to women could return as much as 5 times the initial investment directly to the economy. 

Areas for action to enable investment  

This report underscores the urgent need for a fundamental shift in how health care is perceived and funded across Europe, and makes five recommendations:  

1. Strengthen the role of economic analysis and retrospective research in health budgeting 
2. Improve patient pathways to ensure successful uptake of investment in disease prevention 
3. Strengthen collaboration between health and finance ministries and address governance challenges to align health investments with national priorities 
4. Make a paradigm shift to position health as a strategic investment 
5. Protect and expand investment in health and innovation, aligning funding with strategic priorities to address the investment gap 

Nathalie Moll, Director General, EFPIA, said: “Prevention and early management of NCDs will enable a healthier and more productive European workforce and reduce future health care costs. In this sense, the analysis presented in this report makes a case for increased focus and investment in health, demonstrating numerous benefits to future patients.  

Urgent policy change will ensure better prioritisation of the prevention and treatments of these five diseases and ensure that any long-term investment can help prevent thousands of deaths and improve the quality of life for Europeans."