EU adopts Resolution on the EU position and commitment on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases

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Created on Saturday, 22 October 2011 14:47

Published on Saturday, 22 October 2011 14:47

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Please find below a Press Release from SIP (Societal Impact of Pain) on the recent adoption by the EU of a proposal on Non Communicable Diseases. It recognises that Chronic Pain is a common factor in most NCDs and that it needs to be addressed. Better Chronic pain facilities would benefit people with fibromyalgia as well as a lot of other conditions.

ANNOUNCEMENT
EU Parliament adopts Resolution on the European Union position and commitment on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases

Brussels, Belgium, 15 September, 2011. Today the European Parliament adopted a Resolution on the European Union and its commitment on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This Resolution represents the official position by the European Union during the up-coming United Nations Summit in New York on 19-20 September 2011.

Amongst others, the Resolution includes a reference to chronic pain as a common symptom to the majority of NCDs:

L. whereas the majority of NCDs have common symptoms, such as chronic pain and mental health problems, which directly affect sufferers and their quality of life and should be addressed by means of a common, horizontal approach, so that healthcare systems can tackle these diseases more cost-effectively;

The Resolution calls for establishing an EU strategy on NCDs to be followed by a Council Recommendation with individual sections on the four main NCDS, i.e. cardiovascular diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases and diabetes, and also calls for national NCD plans.

Furthermore, the Resolution puts pressure on the EU Commission for a strong political commitment at the UN Summit and to tackle ND epidemic both in the EU as well as globally. Although a non-binding act, a Resolution is a strong signal from the EP to other EU institutions and member state governments that action on NCDs should be prioritised on the EU and national health policy agendas

This Resolution is the tangible proof that the EU Parliament acknowledges that chronic pain is a common symptom to the majority of NCDs and that it is regarded as an issue that needs to be addressed.

The adopted text of the EP Resolution on NCDs is available on the European Parliament website here.