Members of the European Parliament emphasised the need for the European Union to prioritise prevention in its health strategy, particularly focusing on cardiovascular diseases, during an event in Brussels on July 1. Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death in the EU, causing approximately 1.7 million deaths annually and costing over €280 billion in healthcare and economic losses.

Speakers highlighted that investing in prevention offers one of the most effective long-term solutions as health systems across Europe face mounting pressures. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, addressing the event via video, stressed the importance of expanding digital healthcare solutions and improving early diagnosis to combat cardiovascular mortality in Cyprus.

Attendees also pointed to a persistent gap between policymaking and implementation, calling for a coherent and structured policy framework supported by political will and pan-European funding. The event drew on the European Commission’s “Healthier Together” initiative, which promotes maintaining health proactively rather than focusing only on treatment after disease onset.