New Lancet Commission urges urgent action on Europe’s rising liver disease burden
A major new Lancet Commission report has warned that liver disease is an escalating public health crisis across Europe, calling for urgent policy action to tackle preventable causes including alcohol consumption, unhealthy diets and viral hepatitis.
The Lancet Commission’s second report on Liver Health in Europe, brings together leading international experts in hepatology, public health, mental health, health economics, health policy and patient advocacy. The report examines the scale and impact of liver disease across Europe, identifying it as an escalating public health crisis across the WHO European region.
Professor Panos Kanavos from the Department of Health Policy and LSE Health's Medical Technology Research Group served as a commissioner on the report, covering the pricing and coverage of pharmaceutical treatments for liver disease.
The report estimates that cirrhosis and liver cancer together cause around 284,000 deaths each year in Europe and impose a significant economic cost, reducing regional GDP by approximately €55 billion annually through lost productivity, premature death and workforce absence.
According to the Commission, most liver disease is preventable, with alcohol, obesity and viral hepatitis remaining the leading drivers. The authors argue that these risks are shaped by wider commercial determinants of health, such as the marketing and pricing of alcohol and ultra‑processed foods, and that these require stronger regulation.
Professor Panos Kanavos commented: “The Commission’s findings come at a critical moment, as European health systems face increasing financial pressure while demand for effective liver disease treatments continues to grow.”
The Commission calls on governments, the European Union and the World Health Organization to integrate liver health into broader non‑communicable disease strategies. Key recommendations include alcohol warning labels and marketing restrictions, expanded hepatitis testing, earlier diagnosis, more integrated care pathways and improved access to affordable medicines.
Key recommendations relating to pharmaceutical access and pricing include:
- Developing publicly accessible guidance frameworks to support market entry agreements that balance equitable access with sustainable pricing.
- Using joint procurement as a tool to reduce costs and improve equity by strengthening collective bargaining power.
- Encouraging voluntary joint procurement initiatives and pricing cooperation among EU Member States, particularly for high cost or high uncertainty medicines.