A defining CVH moment in Europe: The Commission announced the Safe Hearts Plan

“When Europe acts together, we do not simply improve systems, we improve lives,” points out Benedetta Armocida, Coordinator of JACARDI, as the European Union’s Cardiovascular Health Plan is launched. At a time when cardiovascular disease remains Europe’s leading cause of death, this moment marks a collective step toward strengthening heart health across the continent.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death and disability in Europe, as confirmed by the newly released OECD report “The State of Cardiovascular Health in the European Union“. CVD claims 1.7 million lives each year, more than cancer and diabetes combined, and affects an estimated 62 million people. CVDs also contribute significantly to disability, early retirement, and absenteeism, lower the quality of life and reduce life expectancy, according to data from the European Commission [1], [2], [3].

The total economic burden of CVD in the EU is estimated at EUR 282 billion annually, around 2% of GDP, and significantly higher than that of cancer. The OECD report highlights stark geographic, gender and socio-economic disparities in cardiovascular outcomes and access to care, reinforcing the need for coordinated EU-level action. It also acknowledges JACARDI’s input to the report, and references JACARDI’s 4C Framework and pilot actions in France and Spain.

Bearing that in mind, the European Commission’s launch of the Cardiovascular Health Plan, under the name Safe Hearts Plan, marks a decisive moment for public health in the region. JACARDI strongly welcomes this Plan, as coordinated European action is essential to reduce the number of people falling ill with cardiovascular diseases, and to prevent premature deaths for those with existing conditions or risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure.

“The launch of the Cardiovascular Health Plan marks a pivotal moment for Europe’s public health. JACARDI welcomes this initiative, recognizing the crucial role of Joint Actions in fostering collaboration among countries, experts, and stakeholders. By working together, sharing knowledge, and aligning efforts, we can ensure that advances in prevention, care, and innovation in cardiovascular health truly reach all communities, leaving no one behind,” notes Prof Graziano Onder, Scientific Coordinator of JACARDI.

The Plan arrives at a critical time. For too long, CVD and diabetes have lacked the political visibility their burden demands. The CVH Plan opens the door to a new European approach that puts prevention first, strengthens early detection and screening, and promotes equity and integrated, patient-centred care across health systems. For JACARDI, this initiative is an essential step towards making the healthy choice the easy and default choice for citizens across Europe.

“The CVH Plan is a decisive step forward, and JACARDI is proud to contribute with its experience and technical expertise. Our work shows that no cardiovascular strategy can be effective without putting equity at the centre, addressing the gaps linked to income, geography, education and gender that still shape health outcomes across Europe. We look forward to supporting the implementation of a Plan that has the potential to change lives across the region”, explains Dr Benedetta Armocida, coordinator of JACARDI.

The CVH Plan is needed as fragmented efforts can no longer address challenges that are inherently interconnected. “Prevention, early detection, treatment, rehabilitation, digital innovation, community engagement, these elements only create real impact when they are aligned and mutually reinforcing”, adds Dr Armocida.

Equally important is the improvement of data collection and use, ensuring that high-quality, reliable information drives policy decisions, guides clinical practice and allows progress to be measured transparently across countries, as highlighted in a recent policy paper published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, developed jointly by the Joint Action on Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes (JACARDI), the Joint Action Prevent Non-Communicable Diseases (JA PreventNCD), and the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe), [4].

“Robust and accessible data are essential to understand where inequalities arise, to identify people at risk earlier and to ensure timely, high-quality care across Europe. Strengthening data systems, from availability and quality to interoperability and sharing, is key to improving early detection, screening programmes and continuity of care”, says Dr Héctor Bueno, co-leader of the working group on data availability, quality, accessibility and sharing from JACARDI.

Through its multidisciplinary network, technical expertise and strong partnerships, JACARDI stands ready to support the successful rollout of the Safe Hearts Plan. The Joint Action will continue to contribute practical knowledge on prevention, governance, data systems and quality of care, building on lessons learned from other European health initiatives and aligning closely with the shared vision set out by the European cardiovascular community.

Joint Actions are more than projects, they are engines of collaboration. JACARDI can serve as a bridge between countries, stakeholders, and other EU initiatives, helping to translate the CVH Plan into coordinated, coherent, and sustainable action across Europe.

JACARDI is generating concrete insights on equity, early detection, integrated care, digital tools, data systems, and workforce capacity. These lessons, grounded in practice and validated across diverse health systems, can inform the plan’s priorities, standards, and operational frameworks. JACARDI remains fully committed to supporting the European Commission in prioritizing the Cardiovascular Health Plan and promoting its effective implementation across Member States, ensuring that every step forward translates into meaningful impact for people’s health.

The Safe Hearts Plan at a glance:

• Prioritises prevention as one of its main pillars
• Sets clear targets, including reducing mortality related to cardiovascular disease by 25% by 2035
• Encourages Member States to develop or implement national cardiovascular health plans by 2027
• Emphasises reducing health inequalities and improving access to healthcare
• Supports an EU protocol on health checks to shift the focus from treatment to prevention
• Addresses lifestyle risks, including unhealthy diets, ultra-processed foods, and smoking

Read the full European Commission Safe Hearts Plan here.


References:
[1] OECD (2025), The State of Cardiovascular Health in the European Union, OECD Publishing, Paris,
[2] Cardiovascular health; European Commission
[3] Fighting cardiovascular disease – a blueprint for EU action, June 2020. European Heart Network and the European Society of Cardiology.
[4] Benedetta Armocida, Hanna Tolonen, Ivo Rakovac, Beatrice Formenti, Jill Farrington, Allison Ekberg, Hector Bueno, Giovanni Capelli, Silvia Francisci, Morten S. Frydensberg, Ane Fullaondo, Linda Granlund, Yhasmine Hamu Azcarate, Torben F. Hansen, Emil Høstrup, Tomi Mäki-Opas, Luigi Palmieri, Markku Peltonen, Valentina Possenti, Marco Silano, Gundo Weiler, Kremlin Wickramasinghe, Edwin Wouters, Knut-Inge Klepp, Graziano Onder, Gauden Galea, Strengthening non-communicable diseases monitoring systems in Europe through a multistakeholder collaborative approach: a key priority for advancing data-driven policymaking, The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, Volume 61, 2026, 101553, ISSN 2666-7762,