JA PreventNCD has published a position paper calling for stronger EU investment in health promotion, non-communicable disease prevention and health equity in the next Multiannual Financial Framework.
The Multiannual Financial Framework, often referred to as the MFF, is the European Union’s long-term budget. It shapes what the EU can invest in over several years and sets important signals for future priorities. For public health, this matters because long-term investment decisions can influence whether prevention, health promotion and equity are supported in practice.
To explain the context behind the publication, we spoke with Prof. Knut-Inge Klepp, Scientific Coordinator of JA PreventNCD; Caroline Costongs, Director of EuroHealthNet; and Dr. Mojca Gabrijelčič, Senior Adviser at the National Institute of Public Health in Slovenia and leader of the sustainability work in JA PreventNCD.
Together, they explain why this is an important moment to speak up for prevention, why EU funding matters for health equity, and what is needed to make prevention more sustainable across Europe.
Why the MFF matters for public health
What is the Multiannual Financial Framework, and why should people working in public health care about it?
For Caroline Costongs, the answer is simple: budgets are not only financial tools. They also show political priorities.
“The MFF sets the direction for EU investments over several years,” she explains. “If health promotion, disease prevention and health equity are clearly reflected in the next EU budget, it becomes easier for countries, regions and communities to access support for action that prevents illness before it happens.”
She stresses that prevention should not be seen only as a health-sector issue. People’s health is shaped by the conditions in which they are born, grow, live, work and age. This means that EU funding decisions across different policy areas can either support healthier environments or make prevention more difficult.
“Health equity must be built into funding priorities from the start,” she says. “Otherwise, we risk missing the people and communities who could benefit most from prevention.”
A timely window of opportunity
Why is JA PreventNCD publishing this position paper now?
For Prof. Knut-Inge Klepp, the timing is important because discussions on the next EU budget are already taking shape.
“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, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases and mental health conditions, place a major burden on people, health systems and societies. For Knut-Inge, the position paper is about ensuring that prevention is not left behind when future EU priorities are defined.
“Prevention is often discussed as something everyone supports, but support must be reflected in budgets, structures and indicators,” he says. “If we want prevention to be implemented, it has to be visible and adequately funded.”
Prevention as an investment
Why is it important to describe prevention as an investment rather than a cost?
Knut-Inge argues that prevention brings long-term value for individuals, health systems and societies.
“When we invest in prevention, we invest in healthier lives, more sustainable health systems and stronger communities,” he says. “The benefits are not always immediate, but they are substantial. Preventing disease is better for people, and it is also a more sustainable approach for societies.”
Caroline agrees, adding that prevention is also central to reducing inequalities.
“The social and health care costs of not taking action are considerable, and we need to make this very clear. Many people face higher health risks because of the environments and conditions around them,” she says. “If EU funding supports healthier food environments, active living, tobacco and nicotine prevention, alcohol harm reduction and stronger health promotion systems, it can help reduce avoidable inequalities.”
For EuroHealthNet, which contributed to the position paper, this equity perspective was central.
“Our role was to help ensure that the paper reflects the broader determinants of health and the need to make prevention fair, practical and measurable,” Caroline explains.
Making prevention sustainable
How does sustainability connect to the next EU budget?
For Dr. Mojca Gabrijelčič, sustainability is one of the most important parts of the discussion. Health promotion and disease prevention cannot depend only on short-term projects or temporary initiatives.
“Many public health actions show promising results, but they need stable systems, capacity and political support to continue,” she says. “Sustainable health promotion and prevention require investment in people, knowledge, implementation capacity, governance and cooperation across sectors.”
She explains that the MFF can help create the conditions for long-term public health action, especially if EU, national and regional efforts are aligned to turn evidence into policy and practice. It is essential to invest in the health and well-being of people; there will be no competitive and cohesive Europe without a healthy population and inclusive health systems.
“It is not enough to fund individual activities,” she says. “We also need to strengthen the structures and mechanisms that allow health promotion and prevention to continue, adapt and reach everyone, and, in particular, the people who need it most.”
Visible, funded and measurable
What does it mean to make prevention visible, funded and measurable in the EU budget?
Mojca breaks this down into three practical points.
“Visibility means that health promotion and NCD prevention are clearly named in funding instruments and policy priorities. Funding means that there are real opportunities to support prevention work. Measurability means that we track whether investments contribute to better health, reduced inequalities and long-term population health outcomes.”
For her, all three are needed.
“If prevention is not visible, it can be overlooked. If it is not funded, it cannot be implemented. If it is not measured, it is difficult to show its value. The same, and even more importantly, goes for health promotion actions, where public health meets other sectors with competences in creating healthy living conditions, such as healthy schools or healthy working environments for all.”
The JA PreventNCD position paper calls for stronger EU investment in health promotion, NCD prevention and health equity across the next MFF. It also calls for better indicators to show whether EU investments contribute to prevention, equity and long-term population health.
For Knut-Inge, the message to decision-makers is clear.
“Europe cannot afford to treat prevention as secondary. The next EU budget is a chance to make a long-term commitment to healthier populations, more resilient societies and a stronger future.”
Read the full JA PreventNCD position paper: