Call for proposals on cancer and other NCDs prevention – action on health determinants

EXPECTED RESULTS AND IMPACT

The action will implement projects on disease prevention and health promotion, which isexpected to reduce the burden of cancer and other NCDs in the Member States.

The expected results will include initiatives to complement the Member States’ efforts in the design, planning and implementation of best practices, such as support for the development of public health guidelines and, support for the preparation and roll out of new policy approaches; participation in the pilot testing of innovative practices; development of support actions such as training and twinning, health communication or health literacy; and implementation of best practices in health promotion and disease prevention.

The short-term impact will be an increased number of public health interventions being scaled up in all Member States and improvements in disease prevention and health promotion, and management policies related to cancer and other NCDs.

POLICY CONTEXT

In 2020, 2.7 million people in the Union were diagnosed with cancer, and another 1.3 million people lost their lives to it. Unless decisive action is taken, lives lost to cancer in the Union are set to increase by more than 24% by 2035, making it the leading cause of death. In aholistic approach, the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the EU Mission on Cancer addressthe entire cancer control continuum.

NCDs such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes,represent the major share of the burden of disease in Europe accounting for 80% of deaths. NCDs are the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioural factors. Beyond environmental issues, a number of modifiable risk factors mayhave important impacts on people’s health and mortality; about 60% of deaths are attributedto modifiable risk factors such as tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, overweightand obesity, and alcohol-related harm. Although these deaths are largely preventable, expenditure on preventive care is only around 3% of national health budgets in the Union.

The Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan outlines targets related to the reduction of the burden ofcancer and specific actions to contribute to their achievement. Among others, these actions will offer tools, such as the European Code against Cancer and the EU Mobile App for Cancer Prevention to strengthen risk communication, and will support the implementation of activities on cancer primary and secondary prevention, such as vaccination against human papillomaviruses, detection and treatment of human hepatitis viruses, early cancer detectionand measures to reduce tobacco use and alcohol-related harm, measures to promote healthy eating and physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour.

The Commission supports the Member States’ efforts to reduce the burden of NCDs to reach the UN SDGs. In this context, the Commission is working on a new initiative, ‘HealthierTogether – EU NCD Initiative’, which includes five action strands on cardiovascular diseases,diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, mental health and neurological disorders, and ahorizontal strand on health determinants. In each of these strands, the reduction of healthinequalities will be tackled.

To promote impact, national authorities will be supported to embed improvements in national policies. NGOs, health professional and patient groups will have the opportunity to engage inthe implementation of the actions via various activities reflecting their areas of expertise, that may include public health guidelines, patients’ and caregivers’ consultations, or other actions that can benefit citizens directly. This also applies to the implementation of the Europe’sBeating Cancer Plan in support of national and Union priorities. Stakeholders will alsoprovide input via the Health Policy Platform, namely as regards their role in implementation.

This action supports the policy objective of reducing the burden of cancer and other NCDs and implements the EU4Health Programme’s general objective of improving and fostering health in the Union (Article 3, point (a)) through the specific objectives defined in Article 4,points (a) and (i), of Regulation (EU) 2021/522.

OBJECTIVES, SCOPE AND ACTIVITIES

The aim of this action is to complement the implementation of the joint action on ‘Cancer andother NCDs prevention – action on health determinants’ led by the Member States, thus helping to reduce the burden of cancer and other NCDs, and related risk factors, both at a personal and societal level, namely by supporting the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan andpolicy initiatives on NCDs. It may also support other Union initiatives that aim to improve public health such as the Farm to Fork Strategy and the HealthyLifestyle4All initiative in so far as it shares the objectives of promoting sustainable food consumption and facilitating the shift to healthy, sustainable diets and promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Activities will run in parallel to the joint action, include implementing targeted projects involving civil society organisations complementing the Member States’ efforts in the design, planning and implementation of best practices, the production of public health guidelines, patients’ and caregivers’ consultations, or other actions that can benefit citizens directly, the preparation and roll out of innovative practices (pilot test), and support actions such as training and twinning, health communication or health literacy. The activities include provision of input via the Health Policy Platform, namely as regards their role inimplementation.

Activities should also include an equity dimension and aim at reducing health inequalities.