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gangtræning på hospitalgang

The Danish approach to chronic conditions

The focus for our aims is broad and ranges from the population directed health promotion and disease prevention to the care for the individual person who already suffers from one or more chronic conditions. The society, the health care system and the local municipalities do all play an important role.

Prevention and treatment

Many chronic conditions are preventable and can be treated effectively. Thus the Danish approach to chronic diseases has two equally important arms:

  • One arm is prevention which addresses the underlying determinants and risk factors which are well known all over the world: They include tobacco, inappropriate use of alcohol, physical inactivity and malnutrition - in this country more frequently over-nutrition and obesity. Focus is also on inequity in health, where impaired social conditions and poor educational background are important determinants. 
  • The other arm is care for the one third of the Danish population who suffers from one or more chronic conditions. Most frequent are cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, allergic conditions, arthritis, malignant diseases and mental disorders.