- Non-communicable chronic diseases represent a major challenge for the healthcare system, and their impact on society is striking: over 90% of deaths in Europe are caused by these conditions[1], while in Romania, deaths from treatable causes reached 235 per 100,000 inhabitants—2.5 times higher than the EU average.
- Many of these diseases are preventable, and the National Health Strategy sets the direction for addressing these chronic conditions in order to improve quality of life and life expectancy in Romania, which is currently 5.4 years below the EU average[2].
- In this context, the Health Innovation Hub—a strategic platform founded in 2023 by the Ministry of Health, the G6-UMF University Alliance, and the Local American Working Group (LAWG)—is launching a project on prevention and education in non-communicable chronic diseases. The aim is to develop an innovative and effective framework for impactful campaigns that can be scaled nationwide and strengthen prevention efforts.
This new project of the Health Innovation Hub was launched during a workshop organized in Bucharest, attended by Prof. Dr. Alexandru Rafila – Minister of Health, Prof. Dr. Viorel Jinga – Rector of the “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest and President of the G6-UMF Alliance, Elena Brodeală, PharmD – Vice President of the National Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices of Romania (ANMDMR), as well as numerous representatives from Romania’s medical and pharmacy universities, patient associations, the innovative pharmaceutical industry, the National Society of Family Medicine, the National Institute of Public Health, and the University Society of Family Medicine.
Among the priorities of the Ministry of Health are the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, which have a major socio-economic impact in Romania. Attending the Health Innovation Hub meeting, Prof. Dr. Alexandru Rafila, Minister of Health, stated:
“The Health Innovation Hub can deliver measurable results and effective prevention projects—something we all want and are working on, whether through the National Health Strategy or sectoral strategies. Together, we must determine how quality information can reach the population. This initiative is a necessary step toward promoting health education and generating information and awareness campaigns on major societal challenges, such as chronic diseases and population aging.”
The major non-communicable chronic diseases impacting public health, as included in the National Health Strategy 2023–2030, are: cardiovascular diseases (arterial hypertension, acute myocardial infarction, heart failure); liver diseases (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, liver cirrhosis); metabolic diseases (diabetes mellitus, obesity, osteoporosis); neurological diseases (stroke); oncological and onco-hematological diseases (the most common); mental health disorders (depression, dementia); kidney diseases (chronic kidney disease); and respiratory diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchial asthma, chronic respiratory failure).
“We are witnessing a marked deterioration in overall health, while the constantly rising number of premature illnesses poses major challenges for society and the healthcare system. Across the entire G6-UMF Alliance, we can outline a medium- and long-term strategy with the primary objective of bringing about a true paradigm shift in the collective mindset toward health. From the perspective of UMFCD and all our colleagues in the G6, developing a sustainable national prevention and education campaign—with medium- and long-term impact—would substantially improve overall health and, over time, reduce the number of avoidable deaths caused by non-communicable chronic diseases.”
— Prof. Dr. Viorel Jinga, Rector of UMFCD and President of the G6-UMF University Alliance
The applied working meeting represented a first concrete step and aimed to identify the main challenges in prevention and education for priority chronic diseases in Romania, as well as to create a framework for developing targeted campaigns together with key stakeholders in healthcare—authorities, academia, the medical community, patient associations, industry, and other entities wishing to join these efforts.
“The National Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices of Romania (ANMDMR) will continue to be involved in this pillar dedicated to prevention and education in priority chronic diseases, encouraging campaigns that fall within the category of medical education—both for patients or the general population and for healthcare professionals. The Agency approves educational materials to ensure that high-quality information is delivered to the target audience, and regulating the promotion of these campaigns online and through mobile applications is a priority for us.”
— Elena Brodeală, PharmD, Vice President of ANMDM
Educational Campaigns with Nationwide Applicability
There are already numerous prevention and health education efforts in Romania at the local or regional level, and all of these should be appreciated and complemented by a framework that ensures a structured national approach — one that, over time, will change these unfavorable indicators of the population’s health status.
“It is necessary to initiate health education campaigns to foster a mindset that places prevention first. Any campaign must be carefully designed for the specific audience it targets. We need materials containing scientific information, validated by the medical and academic community, and tailored to different age groups, about what it means to live a healthy life. From our experience, the involvement of the academic environment — and even of medical and pharmacy students, as well as residents — in health campaigns has a significant impact.”
— Rozalina Lăpădatu, President of the Autoimmune Diseases Patients Association (APAA)
To reach the widest possible audience and have a real impact, communication and education in this field require an innovative way of delivering high-quality information to patients, gathered and validated by the medical and academic community. Furthermore, collaboration among healthcare stakeholders in such projects can enhance prevention efforts.
“We must pool all our resources into this education and prevention pillar of the Hub, because the need for health information is very high. We need to reach as many people as possible. COPAC is involved in many prevention campaigns where we try to communicate with people, and we have found that the online environment is the most effective communication channel. In Iași, we will open a health information center, where we will carry out numerous activities for patients. We already have healthy lifestyle awareness campaigns prepared for schools. At the same time, we want to be an active voice for patients and contribute to this Health Innovation Hub initiative.”
— Luminița Vâlcea, Executive Director of the Coalition of Organizations of Patients with Chronic Diseases in Romania (COPAC)
Both patient advocacy organizations have recently become partners of the Health Innovation Hub.
The impact of chronic diseases and the need for prevention and education in the field
€700 billion are spent each year on treating chronic diseases in the European Union. The financial burden of the four most common non-communicable chronic diseases in the EU accounts for 25% of healthcare expenditure and corresponds to a 2% loss of GDP. Premature mortality caused by these conditions results in an economic loss of €115 billion per year, or 0.8% of the EU’s GDP. These figures highlight the urgent need for health education and increased efforts in prevention.
“I would like to thank Professor Dr. Alexandru Rafila, Minister of Health, for joining the discussions on developing information campaigns for the prevention of non-communicable chronic diseases. This workshop demonstrated the need to develop and implement a prevention communication strategy with concrete objectives and measures. There are numerous communication initiatives addressing health education, and the Health Innovation Hub is a platform that can strengthen these efforts through a structured and innovative framework. With the support of the Hub’s founding members – the Ministry of Health and the G6-UMF University Alliance – we can develop information campaigns and expand such programs at regional and national levels to achieve a lasting, long-term impact. We are all responsible for prevention and remain committed to working together with all stakeholders to promote education on priority chronic diseases in Romania.”
Frank Loeffler, President of the Local American Working Group
“This second project of the Health Innovation Hub is fully aligned with the National Health Strategy. Moreover, the involvement of the six Medical and Pharmacy Universities in the country gives the Health Innovation Hub a unique character and scientific value to this initiative. Health systems in Europe, in general, face numerous challenges caused by population aging, the ever-increasing burden of chronic diseases, and the gap between primary care and secondary or tertiary care. The way health systems are structured is a challenge in itself — they do not sufficiently target prevention or education, but rather focus on healthcare delivery. Romania ranks first in the EU for avoidable mortality, and most of these deaths are caused by chronic diseases. However, with the help of a well-designed strategy, developed through collaboration between the relevant stakeholders in the system, these aspects can be significantly improved.”
Radu Rășinar, Vice President, Local American Working Group
“Chronic diseases are the leading cause of disability and mortality, and the figures from both the EU and Romania clearly reflect this reality. Moreover, they have a major socio-economic impact by reducing the number of years of healthy and active life. This is why the Health Innovation Hub is launching this initiative, involving all stakeholders willing to contribute. The working meeting represents a first concrete step and aims to identify the main challenges in prevention and education for priority chronic diseases in Romania, as well as to create a framework for developing impactful campaigns, together with the key actors in the healthcare sector. To reach the widest possible audience and have a significant impact, communication and education in this field require an innovative approach to delivering high-quality information to patients.”
Adriana Stara, Secretary General, Local American Working Group
The Health Innovation Hub is a national platform for a modern healthcare system in Romania, which aims, through its strategic projects, to make a direct contribution to developing the country’s research and innovation capacity in the healthcare sector.
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