Debate: A systematic EU approach to chronic kidney disease
Date: THURSDAY, 10 MARCH 2022
Speaker: Stella Kyriakides
Language: EN

Ms Pietikäinen, you are right that it’s almost a silent killer. Personally, I might not have been aware of this if I had not had three close friends in the last two years who needed dialysis, two of whom have had transplants. Reducing the burden of chronic kidney disease has become very evident. We are working on it, and I just want to tell you that there is a separate call for projects, which is open under the 2022 EU4Health work programme on non—communicable diseases, and this includes this. Mr González Casares, we need to prioritise prevention. I totally agree and yes, as you mentioned, Spain has set an example for the work that you do with transplant and increasing donors. Good practices need to be exchanged between Member States.  Ms Paulus spoke of innovation, and I just want to say that, in our European Innovation Council, we included a call for medical technologies and devices that include portable dialysis. This is in part also to make the dialysis greener, in line with the latest science and technology, which is something that you mentioned. And we do need to do a great deal more on organ donation awareness.  Mr Pimenta Lopes, we need to do much more to raise awareness on organ donation and on how we can save lives. There are disparities between Member States on donation and transplantation and, following the EU action plan on organs, we saw the need to focus on the implementation of the developed knowledge in Member States. We need of course to bring in national authorities and professionals to take the lead on this in the different Member States by exchanging good practice.  Ms Olekas, on health there has been a paradigm shift. We can all see that. Early diagnosis is key, but prevention is really crucial. I want to say here because we are speaking of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, that the prevention pillar of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan is so significant that it will impact on the prevention of other non-communicable diseases, and we are going to deliver on this plan. On innovative methods of treatment, we are coming forward with a new legislative proposal for the pharmaceutical legislation at the end of this year, which I will very much look forward to presenting to you.  Thank you for this very important exchange on the issues around chronic kidney disease. It’s essential that we address these challenges, that we work together among the Member States, that we never forget that those who have been hardest hit by COVID-19 are those with chronic illnesses, and that our healthier together programme will be able to bolster Member States’ actions on non-communicable diseases and risk factors which are common to many diseases, including chronic kidney disease. Let me repeat to you that we will be working on it continuously and with the Member States to share good practices, and we will make best use of the call under EU4Health.  Once again, thank you for putting it on the agenda today because, by using your voices, you also in a sense support the work that the Commission is doing and the commitment we have to change the world around non-communicable diseases.