Every action the European Heart Network (EHN) undertakes aims to achieve its mission: to prevent and reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD).

To establish its operational objectives and construct its work programme for 2018, EHN has scanned the EU policy horizon and consulted widely with its members.

EU policy areas upon which we will act include sustainable development, common agriculture policy and trade. We aim to inject consideration of CVD/chronic diseases into these areas to help achieve SDG goal 3.4 and the WHA 25x25 targets.

A major focus in 2018 is implementation of EHN’s policy recommendations contained in its paper “Transforming European food and drink policies for cardiovascular health”.

EHN is a closely-knit member organisation and has, consequently, planned a series of workshops and seminars to strengthen its members' capacities and provide knowledge-exchange opportunities for them. EHN will also strengthen its own operations and continue to ensure good governance.

EHN’s near-to-final 2019-2023 strategy encompasses three pillars (general objectives): I-prevent avoidable CVD; II-strengthen the support for people with CVD; III-reinforce CVD research. These pillars are supported by horizontal objectives and our 2018 work programme includes, notably, an operational objective to ensure a framework of strong cooperation with institutional as well as non-governmental, like-minded organisations working to promote health and reduce risk factors.

In conclusion, we believe that the 10 operational objectives and activities that we have selected for 2018 will contribute to achieve the general and specific objectives set out in our Framework Programme Application of June 2017. We believe that, collectively and albeit in the longer term, they will help address the large inequalities due to CVD in the EU and thus provide substantial EU added value.

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Main objectives: The three main objectives of the proposal are: prevent avoidable cardiovascular diseases (CVD); strengthen the support for people with CVD; and reinforce cardiovascular research.

How to achieve: The whole population needs to be addressed as well as those at high risk of and those already living with CVD. Therefore, the proposal’s intervention logic is to target policy makers, especially at EU level, to effect changes in policies to achieve small reductions in risk factors across EU’s population of about 500 million, and thus reducing the overall number of people at risk of CVD. The intervention logic, with respect to individuals at high risk for CVD and those already living with it, is to enhance member organisations’ capacity to support patients and fund optimal research. Activities to underpin the intervention logic include a) effective dissemination to EU policy makers of evidence for action (advocacy); b) training and exchange meetings for member organisations (capacity-building and knowledge-sharing); and c) strategic interaction with stakeholders (cooperation/engagement with alliances).

Relevance to the work programme: Two priority areas of the 2017 work programme are: 1) prevention and health determinants; 2) chronic diseases. The proposal’s activities address these head on. CVD make up a substantial part of the chronic disease burden accounting for 19% of all DALYs (on a par with cancer). Tackling CVD is essential for the EU and its member states to achieve international targets on chronic diseases, i.e. a 25% reduction in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 2025; and to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one third by 2030 (Sustainable Development Goals, Goal 3). The proposal’s activities focus strongly on promoting cost-effective promotion and prevention measures in line, in particular, with the EU strategy on diet and nutrition. The proposal is highly relevant to third health programme’s thematic priorities
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