How can European collaboration help translate the EU Safe Hearts Plan into practical action? This was the central question explored during a full-day pre-conference at the European Public Health Conference in Bilbao on 10 November 2026, bringing together policymakers, researchers, public health professionals and civil society representatives.
Co-organised by JA PreventNCD, JACARDI and two sections of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA), Operationalising the Safe Hearts Plan through European Joint Actions examined how evidence, practical experiences and collaboration across countries can support the implementation of the EU Safe Hearts Plan.
The pre-conference was structured around the three pillars of the Safe Hearts Plan: prevention, early detection and screening, and treatment and care. Following introductory presentations on the Plan and the role of European Joint Actions, discussions explored how evidence and practical experiences from JA PreventNCD and JACARDI can contribute to each pillar.
The programme also addressed the Plan's cross-cutting priorities on data, research, technologies and reducing inequalities, exploring how equity, diversity and inclusion, alongside stronger monitoring and digital innovation, can be embedded across prevention, screening and care.
The day concluded with a high-level panel discussion on key takeaways and closing reflections.
Moving prevention upstream
A recurring message throughout the day was the importance of moving beyond approaches that place responsibility for prevention primarily on individuals.
While health literacy, early detection and individual risk management remain important, effective prevention also requires addressing the wider conditions that shape people's health. Food environments, air pollution, commercial determinants of health and socioeconomic inequalities were repeatedly highlighted as areas requiring policy action.
Presenting JA PreventNCD's work, Scientific Coordinator Knut-Inge Klepp emphasised the importance of combining approaches that empower individuals with structural interventions that create healthier environments. The project addresses prevention at both population and individual levels, including policy measures, community-based interventions and approaches to identifying people at risk.
During the session dedicated to prevention, Peder Ringnes Berrefjord discussed health literacy, awareness and the importance of addressing social determinants and structural inequalities, while Johan Øvrevik highlighted the role of environmental risk factors, including air pollution and climate change, in cardiovascular health and opportunities for preventive policy action.
Connecting early detection with effective care
The sessions on early detection, screening, and treatment and care highlighted the importance of connecting individual risk identification with timely follow-up and appropriate support.
In the session on early detection and screening, Giovanni Capelli presented JA PreventNCD's work on monitoring, highlighting the importance of comparable data and indicators to support prevention and inform decision-making across countries.
Under the treatment and care pillar, Federica Rossetti presented the project's work on identifying individuals at risk, including the use of risk prediction approaches and pilot activities exploring how risk information can support more personalised prevention and timely interventions.
Together, these contributions highlighted the importance of connecting monitoring, risk identification and healthcare pathways to support effective prevention and care.
Integrating equity, inclusion and better data
Health equity, diversity and inclusion emerged as central considerations across all three pillars of the Safe Hearts Plan.
During the cross-cutting roundtable, Natalia Skogberg (JACARDI) presented a practical approach to integrating equity, diversity and inclusion into implementation, while Morten Sønderskov Frydensberg (JA PreventNCD) highlighted three priorities for strengthening monitoring: building on existing data, investing in capacity and integration rather than technology alone, and designing monitoring systems with equity in mind from the outset.
These contributions reinforced the importance of ensuring that data and evidence are used effectively and inclusively, helping to identify who is being reached by interventions and who may be left behind.
From evidence to sustainable implementation
The final high-level panel brought together representatives from the OECD, the European Society of Cardiology, WHO Europe and the European Public Health Alliance to reflect on the challenges of translating evidence into lasting change.
A central message throughout the day was that evidence does not implement itself. Moving from knowledge to action requires political commitment, accountability and collaboration across sectors.
Speakers repeatedly highlighted the importance of learning to communicate beyond the public health sector. This means understanding the priorities of policymakers and other sectors, and presenting evidence through clear, concise and relevant messages that resonate with their perspectives. JACARDI shared its experience of providing science-to-policy communication training to help colleagues communicate research findings more effectively to policymakers. Framing prevention as an investment rather than a cost was another example highlighted during the discussions. The extensive research and knowledge already available can then provide the evidence needed to support these messages and inform policy decisions.
In the closing reflections, Hanna Tolonen (JA PreventNCD and JACARDI) reinforced several messages from the day: the need to address the underlying determinants of health, strengthen the use of data and monitoring, and ensure that prevention, screening and care are considered as interconnected elements.
She also highlighted the discussions throughout the day on the value of European Joint Actions as opportunities to test approaches in real-world settings, learn from implementation and generate practical knowledge that can be shared across countries.
Strengthening European collaboration for lasting impact
For JA PreventNCD, the pre-conference reinforced the importance of connecting research, policy and practice, while strengthening collaboration across countries and policy sectors.
The experiences emerging from JA PreventNCD and JACARDI demonstrate how European Joint Actions can contribute to implementation by generating evidence, testing approaches and identifying opportunities for adapting successful practices across different settings.
The Safe Hearts Plan provides a common European direction, while collaboration and shared learning will be essential to turning its ambitions into practice.