Europe faces a growing chronic wound crisis - time to act is now

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Mölnlycke^®, a global leader in MedTech, today welcomes the publication of Shaping the future of wound care in Europe, the first joint industry white paper from the MedTech Europe Wound Care Sector Working Group. The wound paper highlights the growing burden of chronic wounds and urges EU policymakers to elevate wound care as a strategic health priority across the EU. 

Across Europe, up to 14.9 million people suffer from chronic wounds, placing a significant and often overlooked burden on patients, caregivers and health systems.^{1 2 3} Chronic wound care consumes up to 4% of European healthcare budgets, driven by delayed diagnosis, prolonged treatment, preventable complications and workforce strain.² 

Despite this scale, chronic wounds remain under-recognised in policy and are often treated as secondary concerns, even though conditions such as diabetic foot ulcers carry a five-year mortality rate comparable to certain cancers.⁴ The white paper underscores that no wound begins as chronic, but becomes chronic when prevention, early intervention and coordinated care fall short. 

To address these challenges, the white paper identifies three priority areas for reform: 

• Prevention and patient-centered care, prioritising holistic, evidence-based approaches that enhance patient wellbeing and promote shared decision-making. 
• Workforce capacity, investing in multi-disciplinary teams, standardised training, and digital tools to make treatment more efficient and improve patient outcomes. 
• Policy and system-level coordination, aligning reimbursement and procurement with patient outcomes, supported by stronger real-world evidence. 

Building on these priorities, the white paper outlines four recommendations for coordinated action among policymakers, clinicians, payers, patient organisations, and industry: 

1. Making wound care a strategic priority
2. Strengthening education and optimising workforce capacity
3. Aligning reimbursement and procurement with value and outcomes
4. Accelerating innovation and scaling real world evidence 

Mölnlycke strongly supports these recommendations, emphasising the need to overcome fragmentation of care, strengthen clinician education and invest in prevention to reduce chronicity. 

"Chronic wounds are preventable, yet patients continue to suffer because care is fragmented and intervention comes too late. By prioritising prevention, strengthening clinician training and building integrated pathways, Europe can dramatically improve outcomes and reduce avoidable burden on patients and healthcare systems," says Isabella Notarangelo, Governmental Affairs and Policy Manager at Mölnlycke as well as Co-Vice Chair of the MedTech Europe Wound Care Sector Working Group. Isabella added "This white paper provides a clear roadmap, now it's time for policymakers to act." 

As Europe moves toward outcome-focused care models, Mölnlycke believes value-based healthcare is the most sustainable path to prevention, earlier diagnosis, fewer complications, more efficient care and better patient outcomes. 

Read the full white paper: Shaping the future of wound care in Europe
https://www.medtecheurope.org/resource-library/shaping-the-future-of-wound-care-in-europe/ 

For more information, please contact: 

Jamie Smith 
Media Relations Manager 
Email [email protected] 
Phone +46 (0)722-553573

About Mölnlycke 
Mölnlycke Health Care is a world-leading MedTech company that specialises in innovative solutions for wound care and surgical procedures. Mölnlycke products and solutions are used daily by hospitals, health care providers and patients in over 100 countries around the world. Founded in 1849, Mölnlycke is owned by Investor AB and headquartered in Sweden. www.molnlycke.com

About MedTech Europe
MedTech Europe is the European trade association for the medical technology industry including diagnostics, medical devices and digital health. Our members are national, European and multinational companies as well as a network of national medical technology associations who research, develop, manufacture, distribute and supply health-related technologies, services and solutions. www.medtecheurope.org

References

¹ Probst, S., Atkin, L., Dissemond, J., Foghetti, D., Kapp, S., Kirsner, R., Loney, A., Milne, C., & Sánchez, J. P. (2025). Clinical inertia in chronic wound care. Wounds International. https://woundsinternational.com/journal-articles/clinical-inertia-in-chronic-wound-care

² Health First Europe. 'The Current State of Wound Care,' Infographic.

³ López-Jiménez, M.M. et al. (2025b) 'Prevalence of chronic wounds in hospitalised patients in Catalonia, Spain: a multicentre cross-sectional descriptive observational study,' BMJ Open, 15(5), p. e095542. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-095542.

⁴ Armstrong, D.G. et al. (2020) 'Five year mortality and direct costs of care for people with diabetic foot complications are comparable to cancer,' Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13047-020-00383-2.

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