5 March 2025

On March 5, MEP Elena Nevado Del Campo (EPP, Spain), a member of the MEPs Mobilising for Diabetes (MMD) Group, hosted the event “A wake-up call: Key trends and policy asks in cardiovascular health for women and girls” at the European Parliament. The event was held alongside MMD co-chair, MEP András Kulja (EPP, Hungary), and concentrated on cardiometabolic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

With 32 million people living with diabetes and 60 million affected by CVD across Europe, there is an urgent need for comprehensive, person-centred policies. One in three people living with diabetes will develop CVD as a direct complication of their condition, which contributes to the growing burden of CVD.

The interconnectedness between diabetes and CVD underscores the necessity for integrated, holistic and person-centred European policies. Addressing these public health challenges requires moving beyond the current siloed approach of health policies. A comprehensive policy framework that recognises and responds to the shared risks and complications of diabetes and CVD is essential to improving patient outcomes and reducing the long-term burden on healthcare systems.

This event enabled the MMD Group to continue to advocate for collaborative, cross-sectoral solutions that place the needs and experiences of patients at the heart of EU health policy. As the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan takes shape, we remain committed to ensuring that the voices of people living with diabetes are heard and that policies reflect the reality of managing these complex and interlinked conditions.