Managing the status quo is not an option – it is time to change how we fund and deliver health in Europe.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like heart disease, diabetes, obesity and Alzheimer’s, account for 88-90% of all deaths in Europe, and almost one in three people over fifty are living with two or more chronic conditions. They place a heavy cost on European societies in terms of expensive hospital and long-term care, reduced labour force participation, and sickness and disability benefits.
Five major NCDs are estimated to cost EU countries €530 billion annually, which is more than 3% of the EU’s combined annual GDP. And this is not even accounting for the “invisible” burden of informal care, which for Alzheimer’s alone was estimated to over $200 billion for the European region in 2019.
