On Friday 13 February 2026, Federica Rossetti, Milana Trucl and Wannes Van Hoof from Sciensano (WP10) presented JA PreventNCD at the Plenary Meeting of the Belgian EBCP Mirror Group, which supports the implementation of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the EU Mission Cancer in Belgium. The presentation introduced the project and its relevance for Belgium, and then focused on the ethical, legal and societal implications (ELSI) of personalised risk-stratified prevention (Task 10.2). The citizen engagement initiatives conducted in France, Iceland, Norway and Sweden within this task explored public perspectives on personalised and risk-stratified prevention across different national and disease contexts.
The presentation stimulated a rich discussion on the feasibility, ethics, and societal readiness of personalised prevention in Belgium.
Key reflections included concerns about potential impacts on health inequalities, the importance of education and trust, and the challenges of effective risk communication. Participants highlighted that readiness for personalised prevention is not only technological or clinical, but also societal, and that education should be developed bottom-up, starting from citizens’ needs.
These insights will inform ongoing work on identifying individuals at risk and developing ethical, patient-centred personalised prevention approaches within JA PreventNCD.