Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
1794. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the actions that have been undertaken by his Department to participate with other European Union member states in the prevention and detection of cardiovascular disease in the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40480/22]
View answerIrish cardiovascular health policy is shaped by the European Heart Health Charter and highlights the need to work through the lifespan from childhood to promote and protect cardiovascular health. The Department of Health’s Changing Cardiovascular Health: Cardiovascular Health Policy 2010-2019 established a framework for the prevention, detection and management of cardiovascular to reduce the future burden of cardiovascular disease.
The current EU approach to the challenge of cardiovascular disease as a Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) involves an integrated response focusing on prevention across sectors and policy fields, combined with efforts to strengthen health systems. In June 2022. the European Commission launched a new Healthier Together EU Non-communicable diseases initiative to support EU countries in reducing the burden of NCDs, focusing on 5 key action areas which includes cardiovascular diseases. While focusing on promotion and prevention, this initiative will support better knowledge and data, screening and early detection, diagnosis and treatment management, and quality of life of patients. Support will focus on implementation, helping EU countries to transfer best practices, develop guidelines, roll out innovative approaches. Yet very little of the EU budget is presently being spent on prevention, which is something the initiative seeks to change. This is why 30% of the EU4Health budget is allocated to health promotion and disease prevention.
In 2018, National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services was established by the then Minister for Health to review the delivery of cardiac services nationally. The evidenced based review seeks to achieve optimal patient outcomes at population level with particular emphasis on the safety, quality and sustainability of the cardiac services that patients receive. Moreover, the review considers the delivery of cardiac services nationally with a focus on the current cardiovascular disease prevention, detection and treatments of cardiovascular diseases and how they align with international best practice guidelines.
Substantial progress has been made on the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services and it is currently in its concluding stages. The Steering Group met most recently in May and is due to meet again in August where recommendations will be finalised to achieve the aims set out above.
It is important to note, I am aware, population level approaches to cardiovascular prevention centre around upstream measures requiring broad public-health interventions targeting lifestyle and promoting monitoring of cardiovascular diseases. Healthy Ireland, A Framework for Improved Health and Well-being 2013-2025, a cross government well-being policy, lays the foundations to improve the health and well-being of our nation over the coming generation. It gives significant emphasis to improving well-being across the life course, addressing key lifestyle challenges, health inequalities and the wider determinants of health. The Healthy Ireland Framework is further supported by the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy and Action Plan 2021- 2023 and the Healthy Ireland Strategic Action Plan 2021-2025.
