“Unseen, Uncounted, Unaddressed”: Europa Uomo joins the EU push to put continence health on the policy agenda.
For men living with prostate cancer, the consequences of treatment do not end when the cancer is treated. Europa Uomo carried that message, joining patient organisations, clinicians and EU policymakers at the “Unseen, Uncounted, Unaddressed: The Case for Continence Health in EU Policy” event, hosted by MEP Tomislav Sokol under the European Association of Urology’s Urge to Act campaign.
Why it matters
Continence problems are among the most common, and least discussed, consequences of prostate cancer treatment. With around 330,000 men diagnosed in Europe each year, many live for years afterwards with urinary incontinence, particularly after surgery. Europa Uomo’s own survey of more than 5,400 patients found around a third still using at least one pad a day. The impact reaches far beyond the physical: it affects intimacy, confidence and the freedom to take part in social life, often in silence.
Our message
Europa Uomo, representing prostate cancer patient organisations and a network of more than 100,000 patients across Europe, spoke from lived experience. We called for continence to be part of shared decision-making before treatment, for patients to have the information and support to protect their dignity, and for the partners and families who become informal carers to be recognised.
“A prostate cancer diagnosis does not end when treatment does. The consequences men live with every day deserve the same seriousness as the cancer itself.”
Dr Erik Briers MS PhD, Chair of Europa Uomo
What comes next
Being in the room matters because it puts the patient voice directly in front of the people who shape EU health policy. Europa Uomo supports the campaign’s four calls to action: recognising incontinence as a non-communicable disease, treating continence as a quality-of-life indicator, dedicated research funding, and continence care across all policies. The roadmap is clear, and the work is not finished.
Read the Urge to Act manifesto and join us in keeping continence health on the EU agenda.
About Europa Uomo
Europa Uomo is the European Prostate Cancer Coalition, an independent voice representing prostate cancer patient organisations across Europe, raising awareness, improving care, and ensuring patients’ quality of life is heard at every level of decision-making.