Healing Europe’s heart: a mission to conquer heart failure

LIH researcher part of the team that will put prevention of heart failure at the core of European policies

• Cardiovascular Research Unit
• Department of Precision Health

In the continuous fight against preventable hospitalizations, the Heart Failure Policy Network is dedicated to enhancing patient outcomes through strategic collaboration with stakeholders. Dr Yvan Devaux from the Luxembourg Institute of Health will play a pivotal role in advancing the prioritization of heart failure prevention in European policies.

Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of preventable hospitalisations in the European Union. It is both a major area of unmet societal need, economic costs, and warrants strategic collaboration to tackle barriers. The risk of hospitalisations related to heart failure can be cut by one-third through early diagnosis and optimised care: this is at the core of the Heart Failure Policy Network (HFPN), which is working to position heart failure as an EU priority.

HFPN is the largest multidisciplinary platform working across Europe and the world. Founded in 2015, it aims to elevate government policies and decision maker awareness in the area of HF. Its main goal is to secure national plans and programmes which are comprehensive, modern, and fully resourced, in order to ultimately transform patient outcomes. It works through national advocates to engage decision makers, via consensus positions and joint policy campaigns. HFPN’s vision is part of a fundamental shift in European collaboration in health, with the European Commission pushing for greater health competences via the concept of a European Health Union.

Dr Yvan Devaux of the Cardiovascular Research Unit of the Department of Precision Health was appointed as a Working Group Member of the European Heart Failure Mission of the HFPN. He is part of the stakeholders that launched the European Heart Failure Mission in an event at the European Parliament in Brussels on October 24-25^th, 2023.

This was a great demonstration of political constituency in the European Parliament, which will inform the campaign for years to come. We hope it will help launch a clear road-map of what the Commission can do to change the lives of people affected by heart failure.

explains Dr Devaux.

By the end of 2024, the HFPN hopes to have identified common challenges, areas needing investment, and EU involvement. The mission also plans to launch key actions, upgrade resources, and plan for future strategies. Additionally, it will advocate for a broader Cardiovascular Health Plan and set standards for heart failure care in Europe.

“Continuous support for improved care of heart failure is an investment in a sustainable and resilient Europe,” concludes Dr Devaux. “I am privileged to be part of the stakeholders that will lead Europe into patient-centred, guideline-based care that is truly able to respond to the real needs of patients.”