The MP Nicole Westig, Member of the of the German Parliament (Bundestag) for the Liberal Party (FDP) sent a letter on the European Joint Action to support the fight against Structural Heart Diseases (SHD) in Germany and the EU to the attention of German Health Minister Jens Spahn. Westig was supported by her party colleague Christine Aschenberg-Dugnus, Speaker for Health Policy of the FDP in the Bundestag.
With a particular focus on the demographic change and the ageing society in Germany, the letter emphasized the challenges for the elderly who are particularly at risk of suffering from SHD. Against the background of the current COVID-19 pandemic, it once again became clear that people with cardiovascular diseases are a highly vulnerable patient group in need of better protection and care.
The letter saw a swift positive reply from the Parliamentary State Secretary Sabine Weiss, who agreed that cardiovascular diseases should be prioritized to reduce health risks and mortality rates of non-communicable diseases.
This is an important step towards the need to tackle the burden of heart disease in Germany.