The Joint Action Prevent Non-Communicable Diseases (JA PreventNCD) held its second annual European consortium meeting in Katowice, Poland , on 16 and 17 June. The event brought together over 100 participants, including several professionals from the Tobacco Control Unit (UCT) , national health authorities from participating countries, youth representatives and public health experts from across Europe.
During the meeting, the progress of the JA PreventNCD project in areas such as marketing regulation, health systems sustainability and well-being indicators was presented. Participants worked together to establish the Terms of Reference of the new consortium, emphasizing youth inclusion, digital health and intersectoral cooperation.
The UCT was present at the parallel session; “Tobacco prevention – FCTC 20 years: past achievements, future ambitions and addressing corporate political activities”, where experiences and ongoing work within the Joint Action were shared. Specifically, Marcela Fu explained the evolution of legislation in Spain on smoke-free spaces, and two ongoing pilots on smoke-free homes and smoke-free beaches were presented that the UCT team is developing within the JA.
The Catalan Institute of Oncology is one of more than 100 partners participating in the Joint Action. This European-wide project has as its overall objective to reduce the burden of cancer and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs), as well as common risk factors, both at a personal and societal level, and to support Member States in adopting a holistic approach to the prevention of cancer and other NCDs, through coordinated action.
The PreventNCD JA has a total budget (combined EU and Member States contributions) of over €95.5 million. The project started on 1 January 2024 and will run until 31 December 2027.