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Bladder and Bowel Q2 2024

Rising incontinence costs and the environmental crisis lurking in Europe’s waste

Surgeon Visiting And Talking With Senior Male Patient In Hospital Bed In Geriatric Unit
Surgeon Visiting And Talking With Senior Male Patient In Hospital Bed In Geriatric Unit
iStock / Getty Images Plus / monkeybusinessimages

Professor Eamonn Rogers

Chair, EAU Patient Office Chair

Incontinence is often described as a hidden disability, but it takes a real toll on patients’ quality of life and society as a whole.


The burden of incontinence affects every aspect of patients’ lives. Incontinence ties patients to accessible facilities and leads to higher rates of anxiety and depression, often defining their quality of life. Urinary incontinence has been linked to cardiac failure, chronic renal failure, diabetes, cognitive impairment, sleep apnoea and more. Furthermore, patients often bear a financial burden from managing their symptoms.

Socioeconomic and environmental impact

Beyond the burden incontinence has on patients, we are beginning to understand more about the impact of incontinence on society as a whole. A recent study by the European Association of Urology focused on the economic and environmental impact of incontinence in Europe.

With healthcare costs, productivity losses and waste disposal costs, they estimate incontinence costs Europe €69 billion annually, putting it roughly on par with the cost of cancer at €100 billion. The cost of incontinence is not exclusive to the economy; it additionally wreaks havoc on the environment. Billions of incontinence pads are disposed of and incinerated each year, making up 4.8% of all municipal waste.

Incontinence costs Europe €69 billion
annually, putting it roughly on par with
the cost of cancer at €100 billion.

The future of incontinence in Europe

In the next 10 years, incontinence is set to grow rapidly in Europe. While the population is ageing, patients are living longer after treatments that result in incontinence and are also more empowered to demand tangible changes from their governments around continence care and accessibility. The cost of incontinence is set to rise by up to 20% by 2030, so Europe must move quickly to combat it.

However, there is room for optimism. Last year, the Urge to Act campaign brought together scientists, professionals, patients and industry, alongside Members of the European Parliament, to sign a manifesto demanding action on incontinence.

The manifesto calls for decisive policy changes to tangibly improve continence care in Europe and advocates for a systemic response to incontinence care, calling for equitable access to facilities and care, better patient education outreach and funding for the research of healthy and sustainable solutions.

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