The partners of the JA PreventNCD project have published a joint position paper in which they call for adequate funding for health promotion, non-communicable disease prevention, and health equity within the next European Union Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028–2034. The Medical University of Silesia in Katowice is also among the project partners.
JA PreventNCD is a unique initiative for cooperation among European countries in the field of health prevention, initiated by the European Commission. The project is being carried out with the participation of 25 countries and over 100 partner institutions. Its objective is to develop strategic directions for actions and joint solutions aimed at preventing non-communicable diseases by reducing the occurrence of their main risk factors.
The Multiannual Financial Framework is the EU's long-term budget plan, setting spending limits and funding priorities for different EU policies. The published position paper came out during intense work on the new EU budget for 2028–2034.
As emphasized by Prof. Knut-Inge Klepp, Scientific Coordinator of JA PreventNCD:
„Decisions made in the next Multiannual Financial Framework will shape Europe’s capacity to prevent non-communicable diseases for years to come. As a collaboration involving 25 countries and more than 100 partners across Europe, JA PreventNCD brings a strong collective public health voice to this discussion. This is an important moment to ensure that health promotion, prevention and equity are recognised not as optional additions, but as essential investments in Europe’s future resilience and prosperity.”
Non-communicable diseases are one of the biggest health challenges in modern Europe. The statistics on cardiovascular diseases are especially alarming, as they cause around 1.7 million premature deaths every year in the European Union and affect 62 million people. It's estimated that more than three-quarters of these deaths could be prevented with effective preventive measures.
At the same time, more than a quarter of Europeans don't get enough physical activity, nearly 9% of EU residents can't afford a healthy diet, and the use of new nicotine products is steadily increasing. Mental health is also becoming a bigger challenge. Depression, anxiety disorders, and chronic stress are both risk factors and consequences of many non-communicable diseases.
In their position paper, JA PreventNCD partners emphasize that health promotion and prevention should have a more visible place in EU policies and receive stable and properly targeted funding.
The consortium, which has the Medical University of Silesia on its Board, is calling on European Union institutions and member states to take action to secure long-term funding for preventive and health promotion activities, as well as to strengthen institutional capacity at the national, regional, and local levels.
In particular, it recommends:
- ensuring clearly defined funding for health promotion and non-communicable disease prevention within the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework;
- allocating dedicated funds for health promotion in the European Competitiveness Fund;
- giving stronger consideration to prevention in National and Regional Partnership Plans;
- including health promotion, non-communicable disease prevention, and health equity in the Union Civil Protection Mechanism;
- creating a separate Health Cluster in the Horizon Europe program with dedicated funding for preventive actions, health promotion, and reducing health inequalities;
- developing indicators that allow for more effective measurement of the impact of prevention activities, health equity, and long-term population health outcomes.
The authors of the position also point out the need for better monitoring of the effectiveness of preventive measures. The technical annex includes proposals for changes regarding certain areas of intervention, as well as indicator systems, covering, among other things, health care, health promotion and prevention, the EU School Scheme, occupational safety and hygiene, and the impact of climate change on health.
The proposed solutions are meant to allow a move away from assessment based solely on spending levels towards measuring the actual impact of investments on public health, reducing health inequalities, and the effectiveness of preventive actions.
Health is one of the foundations of social and economic development. Without a healthy population and efficiently functioning healthcare systems, it's hard to talk about a competitive, resilient, and cohesive Europe. For this reason, decisions regarding the Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028-2034 will have an important impact on the future of non-communicable disease prevention in the European Union.
We encourage you to check out the full position paper of the JA PreventNCD project partners on funding health promotion and non-communicable disease prevention in the upcoming EU Multiannual Financial Framework.
