Download Minutes of the Health Council of Ministers meeting (7 December 2012)

Health Council of Ministers
Subject: Public deliberation on “Healthy Ageing across the Lifecycle”
Date: December 7 2012
Document: Council Conclusions
In the chair, Cyprus Minister for Health Androulla Agrotou presented healthy ageing
as a priority of the Cyprus presidency that should become an EU level priority. She
explained that health is linked to economic growth. The Minister recognized that the
Commission promotes strategies for combating certain risk factors, but wanted to make
sure that the implementation of the plan on active and healthy ageing is followed up.
Commissioner Tonio Borg emphasized the challenge that the ageing population poses on
the healthcare systems. He explained that the financial resources to evaluate healthy ageing
come from other programmes. This work is based on the European innovation partnership
for healthy ageing that will be evaluated next year. Clear milestones are set for the
partnership and how it develops. The aim is to assess the progress of the partnership but
that will take some time. The Commissioner noted that the Council conclusions call for a
new alcohol strategy to be drawn up. Work should be conducted to combat risk factors such
as alcohol, tobacco and obesity rather than focusing on particular diseases. The Commission
can support work on alcohol-related harm but intends to finalize the current EU strategy
before launching another.
The Finnish health minister stressed that health should be promoted holistically and work
should focus on major lifestyle aspects, such as physical activity, diet, smoking and alcohol
consumption. She recalled that the current EU health policy was launched in 2006, so it has
only just been initiated. However, it does not suffice to continue working on the old
strategy. A single member state alone cannot prevent health hazards, because the
legislation takes an EU dimension. Sectoral self-regulation is not enough.
The Minister pointed out that the EU policy does not adequately reflect the problem of
alcohol abuse among the elderly, which is potentially a very harmful factor. That change in
lifestyle is not sufficiently addressed and a new strategy is needed. An active and healthy
lifestyle should be promoted in all policy areas and across all age groups. The Commission
should continue work on this strategy as soon as possible.
The Lithuanian representative welcomed this discussion with the new Commissioner for
Health Tonio Borg. This is a major social and economic challenge that has an impact on all
European countries. The implementation of the health strategy should advance.
The Slovenian representative expressed support for the policy on healthy ageing as a
process that develops throughout the lifecycle. There should be an emphasis on preventive
medicine and health promotion, as well as health care. Health promotion plays a key role for
early detection and holistic treatment of illnesses. Inequalities in health should be addressed
by ensuring access to health programmes. Healthy choices for the elderly must be promoted
by tackling risk factors. The strategy should prevent risk from alcohol consumption among
the elderly.
The Swedish representative stressed the social dimension of the health policy, as well as
the importance of prevention. There must be care options for older people that allow them
to live independently. The most important risk factors to health should be clearly set out in
the Council documents. For Sweden, as well as for the other Nordic countries, the EU
alcohol strategy is of particular importance. Within the EU, alcohol is the third greatest risk
factor in terms of health threats. Alcohol-related damage should be tackled at EU level.
Recent research shows that alcohol consumption is growing among older people. There are
problems of cross-border nature, such as alcohol advertising that targets children and the
young. The Swedish government was of the view that there is a need for a new political
initiative to tackle damage caused by alcohol across the EU.
The representative from Poland agreed that a new alcohol strategy would be welcomed.
The representative from Estonia recognized the importance of this topic. A reduction in
alcohol consumption does promote good health. The policy should be based on scientific
evidence on the harms of alcohol, because overconsumption of alcohol is a serious problem.
EU countries should pool their information on the harms of alcohol consumption for a
knowledge-base that would shape national policies. EU regulation could be modernized in
areas where the EU has competence, such as exercise rates and labelling.
The Italian representative recalled that elderly people are the main users of
pharmaceuticals and that sets requirements in terms of the prescription and labelling of
medicines, as well as the distribution of drugs. That should be addressed as part of the plan
for active ageing.
The Greek representative agreed that active and healthy ageing should be a priority in
the years to come. The increase in chronic disease represents challenges for the financial
viability of the health systems including the treatment of chronic disease. The structure of
services should be re-examined. The EU should tackle pharmaceutical over-expenditure and
the excessive consumption of medicines. That requires integrated approaches to healthcare
and prevention of illnesses. Primary healthcare should be boosted with the aim of ensuring
an active ageing and independent living. A more healthy lifestyle should be promoted by
tackling non-communicable disease.
The Danish Minister of Health was pleased with the emphasis on chronic disease. That
will remain an important issue. It is crucial that patients have their own sense of
responsibility. An anti-alcohol strategy is also important, because it is related to the whole
question of chronic disease, which is a large-scale problem in the whole of Europe. Alcohol
abuse affects the healthy development of children and it carries all sorts of other
implications as well.
The UK representative noted an alarming increase in liver disease throughout all age
groups, which again calls for a reduce in alcohol abuse. There is a concern that this is
something that affects all societies across all age groups, in particular the future of children.
Alcohol costs the EU health systems a great deal. A minimum price per unit of alcohol will
be introduced in the UK. A new strategy would enable the EU countries to work together
and stop this scourge.
The Irish Minister for Health thought it best to pursue the issue through the council
conclusions. The ageing population requires action to ensure that people enjoy good health.
Ireland supports healthy ageing throughout the lifecycle. Another focal area is the mental
health and well-being of older people and measures to address loneliness. The issue
concerning the cost of pharmaceuticals has been raised. As no part of the health system
exists on its own, proper provisions have to be secured for work on prevention and early
intervention. Over-medication of old people is a real problem. The issue of low-cost selling
of alcohol has to be tackled, because so-called ‘binge drinking’ causes all sorts of problems
in terms of health and social order. Tobacco is one of the single greatest threats to health.
The representative from Croatia welcomed the council conclusions towards a
multidisciplinary approach to health and social care and stressed the importance of disease
prevention. Health services for the elderly have to be promoted. The Croatian
representative welcomed an EU strategy on alcohol. Cooperation within the WHO is
important because it complements the EU action on active ageing.
The Cyprus presidency recalled that the council conclusions thus had been adopted and
will be made available for publication.