FILTERED

FILTERED – From sILos To synErgies to pRevEnt ncDs

In the EU, chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for over 80% of all deaths and disability, as well as most premature deaths. Not only do they diminish people’s quality of life, affect life expectancy, and create numerous challenges – both for those affected, as well as their families – they also account for a significant amount of spending in national health budgets. It is estimated that improved health promotion and disease prevention could reduce the burden of NCDs by as much as 70%.

The main goal of the action grant is:

To stimulate collaborative advocacy, health promotion, action, and accountability for the prevention of NCDs with a special focus on alcohol, tobacco and unhealthy foods and drinks by uniting and strengthening civil society.

All the activities of this project are based on transversal actions suggested in Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and its implementation road map and the EU “Healthier Together” NCD initiative, as well as the WHO Best Buys and other WHO recommended policy interventions to address non-communicable diseases. This project pays particular attention to the EU’s main policy interventions to address some of the main risk factors for NCDs (specifically tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy foods and drinks) and their impact on key NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. By tackling NCDs risk factors in a joined-up way, the unique and innovative character of this project includes new evidence for working together, peer-to-peer connections, capacity building capacity programmes, national debates, and high-impact events.

The action grant will complement and work in synergy with the Joint Action on ‘Cancer and other NCDs prevention – action on health determinants’.

Specific objectives of the project include:

• SO1: Identify and agree with civil society project partners an integrated approach to tackling the main risk factors NCDs based on a systematic review and a qualitative study
• SO2: Break down siloed approaches to NCDs prevention for over 600 representatives of the public health community from the 27 EU countries as well as Norway, Iceland, and Ukraine
• SO3: Train over 100 representatives of the public health community, policy makers and journalists from the 27 EU countries as well as Norway, Iceland and Ukraine on pro-health taxes, the commercial determinants of health, storytelling, and public speaking by organising capacity building workshops in 2024 and 2025 so that they can effectively support ongoing national, European, and international NCDs prevention policy initiatives.
• SO4: Foster partnerships between and with civil society organisations and NGOs addressing health promotion and prevention of NCDs in Ukraine with a special focus on the prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases leading to sustained cooperation beyond the lifetime of the project.
• SO5: Organise, promote, and run at least two annuals highly visible awareness raising campaigns at European and national level (including campaigns targeted at vulnerable groups) about the key risk factors of NCDs and how to prevent them.

The project will be implemented by a Consortium led by the European Alcohol Policy Alliance, in partnership with the Smoke Free Partnership, the European Heart Network, the Youth Health Organisation, the Ukrainian Coalition for Reproductive Health and Family Planning and the Advocacy Center Life from Ukraine.