For the 2020 edition of the EU Health Award, the European Commission rewarded outstanding initiatives by NGOs seeking to promote vaccination and by cities and schools seeking to promote healthy lifestyles among children. Out of the more than 110 proposals received, three were shortlisted per category and call, for a total of nine initiatives. The Jury decided not to award the category schools/kindergartens under the call for vaccination as the number of submission was judged insufficient. The selected cities, schools and NGOs were announced as winners at the EU Health Award Ceremony, which took place online during the EU Health Policy Platform annual meeting hosted by the EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides on 2 March 2021.
Read the Flash report of the ceremony
Watch the recording of the ceremony
Call on Vaccination
NGO category
1st Winner
Cyprus Association of Cancer Patients and Friends, PASYKAFThe HPV Elimination Programme in Cyprus PASYKAF HPV Elimination Programme has been rolled out across Cyprus each year since 2010 as part of the Association’s commitment and contribution towards cancer eradication. The programme focuses on 3 areas: creating awareness about the prevention of HPV related cancers, achieving the establishment of a national school based HPV vaccination program for 12 year old girls in 2016 and extending the coverage to boys in 2020, and leading the implementation of a national elimination plan for HPV related cancers by 2030 in accordance with ECCO guidelines. |
2nd Winner
Polish Pharmaceutical Students’ AssociationVaccines - it does not hurt ‘Vaccines - it does not hurt’ is an initiative centred around increasing the knowledge and raising awareness of Polish high school students on vaccines and their safety. We focus on providing adolescents with the information and tools necessary to make free, knowledge-based and evidence-based decisions. To fulfil project objectives, we utilize interactive workshops with high school students and social media platforms. In 2020, our initiative reached almost 1800 pupils. Our mission is to educate the youth so that they can assume the role of educators in their communities, making science more accessible. |
3rd Winner
Dutch Cancer SocietyHPV vaccination Online Media campaign The Dutch Cancer Society decided to become more involved in HPV vaccination, with the aim of increasing vaccination coverage and achieving a decrease in HPV-related cancers. With an online campaign, we are proactively encouraging parents to have their daughters vaccinated. The main goal is to give parents confidence in HPV vaccination and to convince them of the necessity of this vaccine for their daughters’ health. Through Google Search and social media we are getting the right information to the right people in the right region at the right moment. |
Call on Healthy Lifestyles
CITY category
1st Winner
Iasi (Romania)Granny's Health Bag. Healthy Traditions for Healthy Children Our national initiative “Granny's Health Bag. Healthy Traditions for Healthy Children” aims to educate children about the principles of a healthy lifestyle based on cultural traditions. The initiative started at Iasi city with the support of the whole community by the involvement of political representatives, schools, doctors, dietitians, and other stakeholders. We identified the following actions as being relevant: 1. to assess the nutritional status of the children involved in the program; 2. to develop scientific materials for nutrition education campaigns and optional discipline about healthy eating and active lifestyle; 3. to train the school teachers with experts in nutrition and education. |
2nd Winner
Mollet del Vallès (Spain)Municipal Children’s Council for the promotion of healthy dietary habits The initiative targets all students from the 5th and 6th grades from our city and aims to improve their capacity to make healthy dietary choices, as well as to stimulate their active democratic participation through which they contribute to make our city food system more sustainable. Children work closely with city food stakeholders and combine field visits with school work focusing on food education. The community-based approach helps make it easier for individuals to make healthier choices, but we also seek to create a strong individual sense of co-responsibility for the quality of life in Mollet. |
3rd Winner
Local Governments' Association of the Buda Region (Hungary)Partnership-based complex health programme for children in Buda Region This partnership-based complex health programme for children is a cooperation of the local and national actors of the education and health sectors, utilizing existing local and national resources and health-related networks. The programme includes creating a healthy environment, enhancing joyful physical activity, helping obese children achieve a healthy weight, implementing health promotion activities at schools via broadening teachers’ pedagogical skills, improving mental health by social skill development of the students with the engagement of teachers, and increasing health literacy with the involvement of families. |
Call on Healthy Lifestyles
SCHOOL category
1st Winner
Primary School "Vuk Stefanović Karadžić" Doboj (Bosnia-Herzegovina)Promotion of the importance of physical activity among students with disabilities The main aim of our initiative is to promote the importance of movement and physical activity among students with disabilities. We want to provide equal opportunities for disabled students, encouraging them to participate in PE classes and extracurricular activities with their peers. The purpose of the initiative is to raise awarenes of the benefits of regular exercise in reducing the risks of obesity and other health problems. When provided with a safe and healthy environment, students with disabilities are more likely to engage in physical activity and recreation. |
2nd Winner
School Drakenhof (Belgium)Going and Banana ‘Gaantje en Banaantje’ is a school project to stimulate healthy food and more movement in kindergarten and primary school. Two mascots promote it via several actions (clips, songs and challenges). To increase the visibility of the project they visit class rooms. Every class can earn points by each action they take and they get something extra on ‘reward day’. We include and want to support several levels: SCHOOL (community feeling), TEACHERS (suggestions, materials and curriculum goals), PARENTS (tips and communication), CHILDREN (motivation for healthier lifestyle), LOCAL (sponsoring). |
3rd Winner
CEIP Juan Pablo I (Spain)Neuroactive City 2020 The aim is to design a community neuroactivity plan that tackles every stage of the coordinated life cycle, as an initiative of our youth, who are a major force in fostering healthy habits. It creates a contextualised and reliable plan (scientifically and educationally), reinforcing social leadership and effective government where mental health is concerned. It informs youth about the inner workings of the brain and their link to neurodevelopment and mental health. It includes an emotional dimension among the pillars of health and welfare promoting a mentally healthy lifestyle. |