European Association of Urology marks World Continence Week with a series of infographics and highlights two important publications

17/06/2024

World Continence Week is being observed this year from 17 to 23 June. The European Association of Urology is marking this awareness-raising week with a series of specially-created infographics and is also using this week as a platform to highlight two important publications: The first is a manifesto for policy reform on Continence Health in Europe, called "An Urge to Act". The manifesto was launched at the first Continence Health Summit in Brussels, in November 2023, and was endorsed by Alzheimer Europe alongside 22 other scientific, professional, patient and non-profit organisations. 

The manifesto aims to raise awareness among EU and national policymakers of continence health problems and to instil the need for action. It calls for concrete policy changes to face the challenges posed by the report and makes ten high-level recommendations to European and national policymakers to recognise the importance of patient-centred continence care. It also promotes a holistic understanding of the intricate links between continence health and healthy ageing, women’s health, as well as disease areas like cancer, mental health, neurological problems and several other comorbidities such as obesity. This will require increased funding for continence health research. 

Read the manifesto, here: https://d56bochluxqnz.cloudfront.net/media/109857_EAU_Urge-To-Act_Manifesto_A5-folder.pdf 

A report commissioned by the European Association of Urology, and conducted by Triangulate Health Ltd, on the socio-economic and environmental costs of continence health problems. This research on the economic burden of urinary incontinence reveals that the cost of continence care will reach an estimated EUR 69.1 billion in 2023. These costs include the impact of incontinence on individuals’ health, the costs of medical consultations and products such as continence pads, incontinence-related absenteeism at work, nursing home admissions, and the environmental impact of incontinence care. If no action is taken to support continence health, the economic burden could rise by 25% in 2030, to EUR 86.7 billion. This economic burden becomes considerably higher when including caregiver costs. 

Read the report, here: https://d56bochluxqnz.cloudfront.net/media/Socio-economic_report_UrgetoAct.pdf#asset:4080543@1 

Find out more about "An Urge to Act": https://uroweb.org/an-urge-to-act