ALLIAX – EU ALLIANCE FOR MANAGING SEVERE CHRONIC URINARY INCONTINENCE IN OLDER WOMEN IN NURSING HOMES

Programme: Becton Dickinson
Project Status: ONGOING (January 2025 – October 2025)

What aims and scope

The goal of the ALLIAX project is to establish an EU-wide Alliance of stakeholders to address the challenges of managing severe chronic urinary incontinence (UI) in older women residing in nursing homes. The project aims to raise awareness, improve the quality of care, and promote the use of innovative alternatives to traditional UI management products, ultimately enhancing patient dignity, reducing healthcare inefficiencies, and minimising environmental impact.

How it will become possible 

The project will be initiated through the establishment of a European Alliance comprising key stakeholders such as urologists, urogynecologists, nurses, geriatricians, patient associations, and nursing home managers. The Alliance will foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing on best practices for managing UI in older women residing in nursing homes.

A policy paper will be developed through an iterative process, led by EHMA, to define optimal management strategies for chronic UI. This paper will be shaped by insights from the Alliance’s diverse members, incorporating their experiences and evidence-based practices.

Following the document’s finalisation, EHMA will organise an event in the European Parliament, hosted by a MEP and supported by relevant stakeholders, to raise awareness and advocate for policy changes.

Where EHMA delivers

EHMA serves as the Alliance’s secretariat and leads the management of the Alliance and the development of the policy paper, as well as the dissemination campaign including the launch event in the European Parliament.

 

 

WHY YOU WILL BENEFIT

Severe UI in older women is a critical, however often overlooked and stigmatised healthcare challenge. According to the Urge to Act’s flagship report on the burden of UI in the EU, it is estimated that between 55 and 60 million of Europeans suffer from UI. The report further outlines that in 2023, the total economic burden of UI in Europe is estimated at nearly €70 billion and if no action is taken, it will increase by 25% in upcoming years due to an aging society. Apart from the economic burden, UI can significantly reduce patients’ quality of life. Various aspects of a person’s life are impacted, such as work productivity, sexuality, and emotional wellbeing. Additionally, the use of absorbent hygiene products, such as adult diapers, to manage UI constitutes a huge ecological burden, significantly contributing to overall emissions associated to healthcare system’s carbon footprint.

By establishing a European Alliance on the management of severe UI, the initiative will enhance patient care, reduce UI’s associated economic burden, and improve ecological sustainability, thereby benefiting the health management community and the planet. Through collaboration among health professionals, policymakers, and other stakeholders, the project will foster the exchange of best practices and innovative solutions for UI management.

 

 

 

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