FH Europe Foundation convened leading scientific and advocacy organisations working in inherited lipid disorders and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) to welcome the first-ever EU Screening Week, taking place from 28 September to 4 October 2026, and offer their collective support for its implementation across EU Member States.
At FHEF’s initiative, a joint letter was sent to the Cabinet of European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi on July 17th, 2026. The letter brings together FHEF, the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS), the Lp(a) International Task Force and the EAS FH Studies Collaboration, reaffirming their shared commitment to supporting EU Screening Week and the wider implementation of the EU Safe Hearts Plan.
Connecting European policy with practical action
The letter reflects the importance of bringing patient, scientific, clinical and policy communities together around a common European framework for cardiovascular prevention, screening and early detection.
The document highlights the strong alignment between EU Screening Week and our organisations’ longstanding work. This includes the first EU Public Health Best Practice on paediatric screening for familial hypercholesterolaemia, accepted by the European Commission in 2020, as well as the EU-funded PERFECTO and FH-EARLY projects. It also builds on the recognition of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), elevated lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), and inherited lipid disorders in general, within the EU Safe Hearts Plan.
EU Screening Week provides an important opportunity to connect several major moments for cardiovascular health: FH Awareness Day on 24 September, World Heart Day on 29 September, and wider European efforts to promote awareness and detection of cholesterol, elevated Lp(a), high triglycerides and other cardiovascular risk factors.
Mobilising a broad European community
By convening this collaboration, FHEF has helped bring together complementary patient, scientific, clinical, policy and implementation expertise:
Together, the partners have offered to mobilise national societies, clinicians, researchers, lipid clinics, patient organisations and patient ambassadors. Their proposed contribution includes supporting local screening activities, evidence-based communications, registry expertise, and policy and implementation efforts across EU Member States.
The letter also requests a meeting with Commissioner Várhelyi to discuss how this combined expertise and reach can contribute most effectively to EU Screening Week and help translate the Safe Hearts Plan into concrete benefits for individuals, families, communities and governments across Europe.
Read the joint letter in full here
All Partners look forward to working with the European Commission to make EU Screening Week a meaningful catalyst for earlier detection, more effective prevention and better cardiovascular health for all. At the time of publication, the partners are awaiting a response from the Commissioner’s Cabinet.