Brussels, 07/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - On 7 December, the Health Council adopted conclusions entitled “Healthy Ageing across the Lifecyle”, inviting member states to step up their efforts to promote public health, prevent illness and ensure early diagnosis. Health Commissioner Tonio Borg said population ageing was a burden on health systems. He underlined that the Commission planned to evaluate the European partnership for active and healthy ageing in order to ascertain what progress has been made since its creation.
In its conclusions, the Council calls on member states to make healthy ageing across the lifecycle one of their priorities over coming years, and to adopt an approach that places greater emphasis on the promotion of health, the prevention of illness, and early diagnosis. Member states are encouraged to develop strategies for combating high-risk factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, drug use, unsuitable diets, and the lack of physical activity. In their contributions, many member states (Finland, Sweden, Poland, Greece, Denmark, the United Kingdom and Ireland) placed special emphasis on the growing problem of excessive alcohol consumption which is becoming a true affliction among young people. (IL/transl.jl)