JA PreventNCD

Project Description:

Cancer and other NCDs (C&NCD) make up more than 2/3 of the burden of disease in Europe. At the population level, substantial variations exist according to socio-economic status, geographical area, age, disability, gender, and ethnic groups. A large part of this disease burden is preventable. The aim of the JA on Cancer and other NCDs prevention – Action on Health Determinants is to support strategies and policies designed to reduce the burden of C&NCDs, their common risk factors both at a personal and societal level, and to define methods to assess their effectiveness across Europe. Specific objectives are: improve joint capacities of MSs to plan and implement C&NCD prevention policies and activities at national, regional, and local levels; improve the monitoring system for C&NCDs and their common risk factors; contribute to reduced inequalities in C&NCDs; engage with key actors in the field of C&NCD prevention, including decision makers, civil society organizations, professionals, the general population, and patients’ groups to facilitate cooperation and joint efforts. We will analyse the opportunities for implementing evidence based intersectoral policies for preventing C&NCDs; pilot-test innovative practices and scale-up best practices, including both population-based and targeted prevention efforts to promote healthy living; monitor C&NCD mortality and morbidity, exposure to the common risk factors, cost of NCD and cancer care, and the impact of health promotion and disease prevention efforts both at a personal and societal level.

Phases of the project and their implementation:

The Project includes 10 Work packages, 98 pilots, 60 tasks and 113 subtasks.

Participation in the Kick-off meeting held in Oslo on February 13, 14 and 15 2024

Added Value:

Regulation and taxation, integrated for the areas of alcohol, tobacco and nutrition and, where relevant, physical activity.

Improving compliance and enforcement of existing regulations – Design/review and pilot a plan to strengthen compliance with existing alcohol and alcohol-related regulations and review their effectiveness and implement action proposals.

Improving coherence in fiscal policies – Study of the compliance of fiscal policies in the area of alcohol, tobacco, nutrition and physical activity in the MSs, preparation of recommendations and pilot implementation of proposed solutions in the MSs based on the defined methodology, with final recommendations for implementation at the EU level. Provision of evidence for raising the taxation of tobacco and related products in the participating Member States.

Implementation of coordinated monitoring of food reformulation in the MSs, based on the Best-ReMaP methodology, and preparation of measures and enforcement of measures to reduce portions.

Implementation of measures on public food procurement, in accordance with the new framework for sustainable food systems to be adopted by the Commission in 2023 – In agreement with the EC, implementation of the new framework in the following points: increasing awareness and knowledge about the use of public funds for public food procurement and the potential for improving nutrition in public institutions; implementation of mandatory food criteria from the point of view of health, nutrition, sustainability, involvement of local producers and social aspect; building a two-level network of national contact points for public procurement and intersectoral work; preparation of an implementation guide for public procurement of food.

Coordinated implementation of the revised nutritional profile in the MSs – Implementation of the revised nutritional profile to define foods that are suitable for marketing in different population groups (focus on toddlers) and ensure the restriction of the marketing of nutritional brands that avoid the current profiling of specific HFSS foods by defining the relevant claims for this newly identified JZ nutritional problem.

Increasing control and implementing measures to reduce the marketing of alcohol, tobacco and HFSS foods – Connecting the areas of nutrition, alcohol and tobacco and preparing the foundations and implementing measures for complex restrictions on the marketing of alcohol, tobacco and HFSS/ultra-processed foods in traditional and digital media. Preparation of content for the renewal of the AVMSD for alcohol, tobacco and food and the definition of the necessary JZ parameters for all three areas.

Healthy living environment- Implementation of good practices in work organizations (proposals from the MSs: NCD Healthier together initiative 2022). Encouraging employers to promote the health of their employees in a coordinated way, with a special emphasis on the digitization of work and sedentary lifestyles, and the promotion of the European Code against Cancer. Measures to limit cancer risk factors in the workplace.

Expected Results and Material:

• To improve joint capacities of MSs to plan and implement cancer and other NCD prevention policies and activities both at a national, regional, and local level.
• To improve data and the monitoring system for cancer and other NCDs and their common risk factors.
• To contribute to reduced social inequalities in cancer and other NCDs.
• Engage with and support key stakeholders in the field of cancer and NCD prevention, including decision makers at all levels of government, civil society organizations, professionals, the general population, and patients’ groups to facilitate cooperation and joint efforts.

Project Duration: 1. 1. 2024 – 31. 12. 2027.

Supporting Organisation: Norwegian Directorate of Health (HELSEDIREKTORATET), Norway.

Project partners: More than 100 partners from 25 European countries (22 EU member states, Iceland, Norway and Ukraine).

Funding: The total value of the project is €95,523,718.92, the value of the project for NIJZ is €3,766,721.00. European Commission, EU4Health Program (EU4H) Grant Agreement No. 101128023. Co-funded by the European Union and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Slovenia.