Prevent NCD

05/06/2026

On World Environment Day, JA PreventNCD reflects on how the wellbeing of people and planet are deeply connected.

A new blog highlights insights from the Wellbeing Economy Forum 2026 session “Protecting the Wellbeing of People and Planet at a Global Scale – Leaving No One Behind,” where speakers explored climate action, health, equity, Indigenous perspectives, youth participation and future generations.

As Kumi Naidoo said during the session: “We need to make sure that we don’t continue to treat climate change as a standalone issue.”

For JA PreventNCD, this message is central: preventing cancer and other non-communicable diseases means addressing the wider conditions that shape health, including the social, environmental and commercial determinants.

Read the full blog:
https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/blog/world-environment-day-climate-action-for-the-wellbeing-of-people-and-the-planet/

Reducing Europe's cancer and NCD burden through coordinated strategies on health determinants. Focusing on effective policies, societal and personal risk factors.

04/06/2026

How can healthier living environments help prevent cancer and other non-communicable diseases?

From 26–28 May, JA PreventNCD partners working on Healthy Living Environments met in P**a, Croatia, hosted by the Croatian Institute of Public Health.

Multidisciplinary and cross-sector teams from across Europe shared experiences on how to create healthier places to live, learn, work and play. Discussions focused on stronger policy action, healthier urban environments, Baby-Friendly Communities and Health Services, environments free of unhealthy products, evaluation, sustainability and communication for impact.

The meeting highlighted that prevention cannot rely on individual responsibility alone. Healthier environments require coordinated action across sectors, from local communities to national and European policy.

🔗Read more:
https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/news-updates/coordinating-efforts-for-healthier-living-environments-in-pula-croatia/

JA PreventNCD partners met in P**a, Croatia, to strengthen cooperation, share insights and advance action on healthier living environments for cancer and NCD prevention.

03/06/2026

🚶‍♀️🏃‍♂️ Physical activity is shaped by much more than individual choices

The schools we attend, the communities we live in, the places we work, and the environments around us all play a role in enabling healthier and more active lives.
Across Europe, partners in JA PreventNCD are working to make movement more accessible, inclusive, and sustainable throughout the life course.

From school-based initiatives and digital tools for young people to community programmes and workplace interventions, these pilot actions demonstrate how supportive environments can help make physical activity part of everyday life.

The experiences from Croatia, Germany, Greece, Slovenia, and France showcase a shared ambition: creating healthier living environments where active lifestyles are easier choices for everyone.

🔗 Read more: https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/news-updates/putting-europe-in-motion/

Across Europe, JA PreventNCD pilot actions are helping schools, communities and workplaces make physical activity more accessible, inclusive and sustainable.

02/06/2026

📱🚶 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀?

As part of JA PreventNCD, France's pilot 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 is an innovative workplace intervention designed to promote physical activity through teamwork, motivation and shared goals.

At the heart of the initiative is a mobile application that encourages employees to collect "energy cubes" through physical activity, with extra points awarded for activities completed with colleagues. By combining behavioural science, gamification, and social support, the project aims to make movement a natural part of workplace culture.

🔗 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 about the development of the digital tool:

https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/news-updates/the-great-challenge-developing-a-digital-tool-for-active-workplaces/

The Great Challenge is a French workplace health intervention in development, using a mobile application, collective goals and behavioural science to promote physical activity among workers.

31/05/2026

“We must close the gap between the speed of the market and the speed of public health action.”

Today marks ***coDay 2026.

This year’s theme, “Unmasking the appeal: countering ni****ne and to***co addiction”, highlights an urgent challenge for public health: to***co and ni****ne products are continuously being reinvented, repackaged and marketed in ways that appeal to new generations, particularly children and adolescents.

To mark the day, JA PreventNCD and JA-SAFE brought together three experts to reflect on the changing to***co and ni****ne landscape in Europe:
🔵 Hanna Ollila, Cross-cutting Theme Coordinator for To***co in JA PreventNCD
🔵 Taija Voutilainen, leading JA PreventNCD work on alcohol- and to***co-related perspectives in all policies
🔵 Constantine Vardavas, Professor at Ethnikon kai Kapodistriakon Panepistimion Athinon, Coordinator of JA-SAFE and Head of the Technical Group of Chemical and Sensory Assessors for To***co Product Flavours of the European Commission.

Together, they discuss the growing appeal of new ni****ne products, industry tactics, cross-border challenges, regulatory gaps, cessation support, and the need for stronger coordinated action across Europe.

Their message is clear: a to***co-free generation will require more than ambition. Europe needs faster, stronger and more coordinated action to reduce product appeal, close loopholes, support cessation and protect public health policy from commercial influence.

Read the full interview here: https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/interviews/unmasking-the-appeal-of-to***co-and-ni****ne-products-ja-preventncd-and-ja-safe-in-conversation-on-world-no-to***co-day/

***coDay ***coExposed ***coControl ****ne

29/05/2026

How can prevention messages stand out in today’s crowded information landscape?

JA PreventNCD is preparing to launch a new campaign to make prevention clearer, more visible and easier to act on across Europe.

Thea Nørgaard Breili from the Norwegian Directorate of Health project leader of the campaign, explains how it was developed and how it aims to reach policymakers, professionals, communities and the wider public.

The campaign focuses on four major shared risk factors for cancer and other non-communicable diseases: alcohol, to***co and ni****ne, nutrition and physical activity.

Read the interview: https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/interviews/new-campaign-to-make-prevention-clearer-and-more-accessible/

JA PreventNCD is preparing to launch a new campaign aimed at policymakers, professionals, communities and the wider public, helping more people understand what prevention is about and why healthier choices must be made easier, fairer and more accessible for everyone.

27/05/2026

🤱 𝗝𝗔 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗡𝗖𝗗 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗛𝗔𝗡 2026 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

At the 𝗜𝗛𝗔𝗡 2026 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮, JA PreventNCD was presented as a key European initiative working to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through prevention and health equity. With more than 700 participants from Spain and Latin America, the congress highlighted how protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding can contribute to healthier societies from the very beginning of life.

Angela Giusti, 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗺é 𝗟𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗼 𝗢𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘇, and 𝗠𝗮𝗿í𝗮 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗮 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗻á𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘇 𝗔𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 presented the work of JA PreventNCD and shared insights from the implementation of the 𝗕𝗮𝗯𝘆-𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 & 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 initiative at national and community level.

The congress provided an important opportunity to exchange experiences, strengthen collaboration, and reinforce breastfeeding as both a public health priority and an early-life prevention strategy.

🔗 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/news-updates/joint-action-preventncd-had-a-major-presence-at-ihan-2026-congress-on-breastfeeding/

Reducing Europe's cancer and NCD burden through coordinated strategies on health determinants. Focusing on effective policies, societal and personal risk factors.

26/05/2026

As Europe marks the this May, the need to tackle inequalities in cancer and NCD prevention is more urgent than ever.

Our new policy brief, “Stronger together: European collaboration to center health equity in cancer and other NCD prevention”, explores how European collaboration can strengthen prevention efforts and reduce health inequalities across Europe.

Developed jointly by and the EU4Health Action Grant projects Elisah EU, , , and , the brief highlights the importance of addressing the social, environmental, and commercial determinants that shape health outcomes and of ensuring equitable access to prevention, early detection, treatment, and care for all.

The brief provides evidence-informed recommendations for policymakers at EU, national, regional, and local levels, while also identifying priorities for future research.

At a time when this year’s European Week Against Cancer campaign is placing a spotlight on ending inequalities in cancer care, this work reinforces the importance of collective European action for more equitable and effective NCD prevention.

The policy brief and a factsheet are available here: https://www.preventncd.eu/resources/policy-briefs/stronger-together-european-collaboration-to-center-health-equity-in-cancer-and-other-ncd-prevention/

22/05/2026

🌍 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮’𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗔𝗡𝗔 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀

In Paiporta, the reconstruction process following the DANA floods has entered a new phase focused on citizen participation, health promotion, and non-communicable disease prevention. A key step was the creation of the 𝘗𝘢𝘪𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱, bringing together political representatives, technical experts, associations, local organisations, the 𝗧𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲, the 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲, and the 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵.

Through community sessions with residents and local stakeholders, valuable insights into local needs and priorities are helping shape the recovery process.

By working closely with the community, JA PreventNCD is supporting a grassroots approach that places participation, trust, and local knowledge at the centre of rebuilding efforts.

🔗 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲:

https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/news-updates/listening-to-paiporta-s-community-after-the-dana-floods/

Paiporta’s participatory recovery process highlights residents’ priorities for healthier local environments after the DANA floods, with a focus on mobility, social connection, green spaces and community wellbeing.

21/05/2026

How can community action for health be adapted to different local realities?

Across JA PreventNCD, 51 Healthy Living Environment pilots are being developed in 15 countries using a shared Community Action for Health methodology. While the guide provides a common framework, each pilot operates in a different context, shaped by local governance, institutional histories, political developments, available data, community needs and team experience.

The experiences so far highlight three important insights:
🔹 Existing structures and relationships can help pilots move faster, but changing circumstances still require flexibility and adaptation.
🔹 Building Core Groups and Health Networks is not only a starting point, but an ongoing process of creating and sustaining collaboration across sectors.
🔹 Equity must be embedded from the beginning, including in how evidence is collected, interpreted and used for action.

These lessons will continue to be documented as the pilots move forward, supporting shared learning across countries and contributing to healthier living environments across Europe.

Camilla De Ambroggi and Lucia Dansero from the University of Turin share early lessons from the first steps of this work in the article.

🔗 Read more:https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/news-updates/community-action-in-context/

Early lessons from JA PreventNCD’s Healthy Living Environment pilots show how local context, governance, adaptation and equity shape community action for health across Europe.