On World Heart Day, the Dutch Cardiovascular Alliance (DCVA) and its partners gathered at Nieuwspoort, The Hague, to highlight the urgent need for a national cardiovascular strategy. Despite major advances in care, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death worldwide and continues to affect millions of people in the Netherlands.
The event brought together policymakers, patients, and experts for a constructive dialogue on how to better prevent, recognize, and treat CVD.
Jolien Roos-Hesselink (managing-director DCVA) opened the session, stressing the importance of a coordinated national approach. Joanne van Bavel (policy advisor, Dutch Heart Foundation) then underlined why a national strategy is essential to tackle cardiovascular disease.
The panel discussion, featuring patient Patricia Vlasman, politician Chantal van den Berg (CDA candidate), and cardiologist and researcher Chahinda Ghossein, explored three key themes:
CVD as a chronic disease – challenging the perception that cardiovascular disease is “solvable,” while in reality many patients live with it for life.
Research, prevention, and innovation – balancing survival with quality of life, embedding prevention and diversity in care, and ensuring the patient perspective is fully included in research and policy, especially in light of recent European developments.
Burden and communication in healthcare – reducing administrative workload for healthcare providers and seizing opportunities in digitalization and automation. The challenge remains how to make agreements from the National Healthcare Agreement, such as 20% less information pressure, a reality in practice.
The program concluded with Jeanine Roeters van Lennep (vascular internist and researcher), who presented on women’s cardiovascular health and findings from the Marie Curie project, showing why sex-specific research and care are urgently needed.
From blood pressure checks to personal patient stories, the event made one thing clear: A national strategy is possible, but only if we act together!
The DCVA extends heartfelt thanks to all speakers and participants who contributed to this important dialogue. Together, we can change the course of cardiovascular disease in the Netherlands.
Learn more about DCVA’s input for the upcoming elections: DCVA election input
