Preventing chronic disease

Swedish Minister for Health and Social Affairs Göran Hägglund is advocating better lifestyle choices as a means for tackling chronic diseases, as Public Service Review highlights

Chronic disease is the leading cause of death in high income European countries
Chronic diseases are the leading cause of mortality in high income European countries, as they indiscriminately strike both the rich and the poor, the young and the old. The World Health Organization states that chronic diseases account for 60% of deaths worldwide; whilst cardiovascular diseases alone account for 40% of deaths in the EU per annum. Consequently, substantial proportions of current healthcare budgets across Europe are spent on treating chronic conditions. However, recent research suggests that some such conditions will present larger problems in the future.

Whilst many chronic conditions and diseases are linked to ageing populations and genetics, increasingly lifestyle choices – such as unhealthy diet, smoking, and drug and alcohol abuse – are being defined as the cause. Across Europe, policymakers and health researchers are searching for ways to prevent increases in chronic disease. A case in point is Sweden, where the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs' public health policy aims to improve people's ability to make healthy lifestyle choices.

Areas under review are nutrition, physical activity and ways in which society can develop healthy eating habits, and the Swedish government has set up a forum for dialogue with members of organisations that specialise in the fields of nutrition and physical activities.

Preventing the social causes of chronic disease was a central aim for the Swedish presidency of the EU in 2009, with the need to address alcohol related harm featuring prominently on the agenda at the first high level meeting of the presidency. Swedish Minister for Health and Social Affairs Göran Hägglund and Minister for Elderly Care and Public Health Maria Larsson met in Jönköping to reaffirm their commitment to the EU Alcohol Strategy, which was initially presented by the EU in 2006. Speaking about adopting the scheme at a national level, Larsson confirmed that: "Long term, patient efforts are required to reduce the harmful effects of alcohol. The EU's alcohol strategy is a good tool. We must ensure that the measures to counteract the harmful effects of alcohol remain high on the EU's agenda." 1In particular, the presidency gave priority to reducing the impact of alcohol advertising and marketing amongst young people, the influence of pricing policies on alcohol related harm, and how alcohol consumption affects healthy and dignified ageing.

The reviewed public health policy currently includes a board (ANDT-rådet) that provides advice on tobacco, drugs and alcohol policy. A secretariat coordinates the work of ANDT-rådet and a series of initiatives to reduce alcohol related harm are planned through measures to decrease consumption and combat excessive use. The policy also aims to achieve a drug-free society via three objectives: reducing the supply of drugs; persuading people to give up drugs; and reducing recruitment to drug abuse. The tobacco policy, meanwhile, is also designed to reduce consumption, encourage people to give up smoking, and to strengthen legislation enforcement.

Given that the success of the Swedish government's public health policy will be dependent on improving people's ability to make healthy lifestyle choices, a key objective is to create the favourable social conditions needed to achieve good health for Sweden's population. It will be interesting to monitor its achievements in the coming years.