EU conference on diabetes

Further to yesterday’s news on EU concern over diabetes in member states, health ministers from across the continent have gathered for an informal meeting. The focus of the meeting was prevention of diabetes and women’s health. The meeting, which has now finished, saw input from health ministers from 25 EU members. Their conclusion is that a common project on diabetes prevention is necessary.
A formal statement issued on Wednesday contained the following statement: “prevention holds the key to containment of diabetes: we need to emphasize and promote a healthy lifestyle throughout the EU and create a living environment that enables people to make healthy choices.”
When it came to women’s health issues, the ministers identified four key killers. These were osteoporosis, endometriosis, cardiovascular diseases and gender-specific consequences of smoking and lung cancer. An Austrian initiative was praised for its contribution to gender-based medicine.
The committee were also faced with the proposal by some members that the EU should build a reserve of medicine on standby for epidemics. The EU decided to consider the advice.