JA PreventNCD welcomes the adoption of the new global political declaration on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the promotion of mental health and well-being, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) following the 80th United Nations General Assembly.
The declaration reinforces the need to accelerate action to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by 2030 and to strengthen integrated approaches that address both physical and mental health across the life course. It underlines that progress depends on coordinated, whole-of-government and whole-of-society action that tackles the major modifiable risk factors of NCDs, including tobacco use, alcohol, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity and air pollution, alongside the broader social, economic and environmental determinants of health.
This direction aligns strongly with the mission of Joint Action PreventNCD, an EU4Health project designed to reduce the burden of cancer and other NCDs by supporting effective prevention strategies and policies that address both personal and societal risk factors. A core objective is to minimise fragmentation and duplication of efforts, engage national authorities at multiple levels, and strengthen the evaluation of prevention actions so that decision-makers can prioritise what works best.
“The declaration reinforces a clear message: prevention is essential if we want to reduce the burden of cancer and other NCDs and improve mental health. JA PreventNCD is midway through its work, and this is when sustained support from countries matters most, to scale what works and reduce inequalities. Prevention strengthens health, and strong health makes societies more resilient.”
Linda Granlund, Project Coordinator, JA PreventNCD
A key focus of JA PreventNCD is reducing social inequalities by addressing the root causes of unequal exposure to risk factors and by strengthening Europe’s infrastructure for monitoring risk factors, disease burden, and the impact of policies and interventions. This is closely connected to the declaration’s emphasis on data, surveillance, accountability, and health equity.
JA PreventNCD also supports European priorities under Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the EU NCD Initiative: Healthier Together, while building synergies with related EU4Health projects (ELISAH, FILTERED, PEACHD and ShowUp4Health) to strengthen collective impact.
JA PreventNCD encourages partners and stakeholders across Europe to use this declaration as a practical roadmap, and to translate global commitments into measurable, evidence-based prevention action that improves health outcomes and reduces inequalities.