Prevention works
For policymakers and government officials
Non-communicable diseases, or NCDs, are long-term conditions that are not passed from person to person. They include cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases. Many cases can be prevented, and the risk and impact of others reduced, through effective prevention.1
Four closely connected areas are central to prevention: alcohol, tobacco and nicotine, nutrition and physical activity. Alcohol use, tobacco use and nicotine dependence, unhealthy diets and insufficient physical activity can increase health risks, while healthy diets and regular physical activity can help protect health.1
These patterns are shaped not only by individual decisions, but also by availability, affordability, marketing and the conditions in which people live, learn, work and spend time. For policymakers, prevention means creating environments, services and policies that make healthier options easier, fairer and more accessible.2
Prevention happens in the conditions around people
Prevention is not only about asking individuals to change their behaviour. It also means shaping the social, commercial, physical and policy environments that influence health and the opportunities people have in everyday life.2
For policymakers and government officials, this means looking across the systems they influence, including schools, workplaces, public spaces, transport, food systems, marketing, health and social services, planning and regulation.
Strong prevention policy can reduce exposure to harmful products, create more supportive environments, improve access to services and help prevent cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other non-communicable diseases.1,2
Why policy matters in prevention
People make decisions within environments shaped by public policy, commercial practices and the availability of services and opportunities. Price, access, marketing, product design, transport, planning and public institutions all influence exposure to health risks and whether healthier options are realistic in everyday life.2,3
When healthier options are accessible, affordable and treated as normal, prevention becomes easier. When harmful products are cheap, widely available and heavily promoted, or when supportive environments and services are missing, prevention becomes harder.
This is why coordinated policy action across sectors is central to preventing cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other non-communicable diseases.1,2,3
Those conditions are shaped by decisions on:
Availability, pricing & access
Marketing & advertising
Schools & workplaces
Public institutions
Health & Social Services
Food systems & procurement
Transport & urban planning
Local services & communities
Regulation & enforcement
Key Risk Factors
A large share of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other non-communicable diseases is linked to modifiable risk factors. Four closely connected areas are central to prevention: alcohol, tobacco and nicotine, nutrition and physical activity. Alcohol use, tobacco use and nicotine dependence, unhealthy diets and insufficient physical activity can increase health risks, while healthy diets and regular physical activity can help protect health.
Alcohol
Alcohol is a toxic, psychoactive and dependence-producing substance. It increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other non-communicable diseases, as well as injuries and other harms.4
Effective policy acts on affordability, availability, marketing and clear health information, while ensuring that advice, treatment and support are accessible.
Tobacco & Nicotine
Tobacco use is a major cause of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other non-communicable diseases. Nicotine is highly addictive and can create and maintain dependence.5
Prevention requires taxation, smoke-free and aerosol-free environments, restrictions on marketing, strong product regulation, reduced availability and accessible support for people who want to quit.
Nutrition
Nutrition is a key determinant of health. Healthy diets can support wellbeing and help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other non-communicable diseases, while unhealthy diets are a major risk factor.6
Policy can create healthier food environments by acting on affordability, availability, marketing, public procurement, food standards, labelling and access to nutritious food.
Physical Activity
Regular physical activity supports physical and mental health and helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other non-communicable diseases. Insufficient physical activity is a major preventable risk factor.7
Policy can make movement part of everyday life through transport and urban planning, active schools and workplaces, accessible public spaces and supportive health and community services.
Addressing health inequalities
Not everyone has the same opportunity to live a healthy life. Income, education, housing, employment, transport, local services, disability, age, gender, migration status and social exclusion can all influence exposure to health risks and access to the conditions needed for good health.²
Universal prevention policies are important because they can benefit the whole population. However, groups facing greater barriers or higher levels of harm may need additional or more intensive support. Policies should therefore be designed, implemented and monitored with equity in mind.²
A strong prevention approach asks:
- Who is most exposed to risk or harm?
- Who benefits from this policy?
- Who may face barriers or be left behind?
- What additional support may be needed?
- Are the effects monitored across different population groups?
The aim is not only to improve average health outcomes, but also to reduce unfair and avoidable differences in health.2
How products and marketing shape health
Commercial influences extend beyond advertising. Product design, pricing, availability, placement, promotion, sponsorship and efforts to influence public policy can all shape what people are exposed to, what appears normal and which options are easiest in everyday life. These practices are particularly relevant to alcohol, tobacco and nicotine, and unhealthy food and drink.3
Policymakers and public institutions have an important role in protecting health in decision-making. This includes establishing clear rules, ensuring transparency, identifying and managing conflicts of interest, protecting children and young people from harmful marketing, and ensuring that public health evidence and the public interest guide policy.3
How policymakers and public institutions can prevent cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other NCDs
Effective prevention combines population-wide policies with accessible services and targeted support. WHO’s “best buys” identify evidence-based and cost-effective interventions that governments can use to address major NCD risk factors and improve prevention and care.8
Policy & Systems
- Set clear, measurable prevention priorities and invest in their implementation.
- Coordinate action across health, finance, education, transport, agriculture, planning and other relevant sectors.
Healthier environments & protection
- Use regulation, taxation, standards, procurement and planning to reduce harmful exposure and make healthier options more accessible.
- Protect children and young people from harmful marketing and commercial influence.
Evidence & Equity
- Prioritise evidence-based measures, including recognised WHO best buys, adapted to the national or local context.
- Assess effects across population groups and provide additional support where barriers and harms are greatest.
Services & Support
- Strengthen prevention, early detection, treatment and support through health and social services.
- Work with local authorities, schools, workplaces and communities to translate policy into practice.
Where can policymakers start?
Not every improvement requires a completely new strategy. Policymakers and public institutions can begin by reviewing the policies, services, procurement practices and environments they already influence, and identifying evidence-based changes that can reduce harmful exposure and make healthier options more accessible and equitable.2,8
Practical starting points include:
- Reviewing existing policies and decisions through a health and equity lens.
- Improving food and drink standards in schools, workplaces and public buildings.
- Strengthening smoke-free and aerosol-free policies in public settings.
- Supporting walking, cycling, wheeling and active transport through planning and investment.
- Reviewing marketing, sponsorship, procurement and conflict-of-interest policies.
- Strengthening access to prevention advice, services and support.
- Setting measurable objectives and monitoring effects across different population groups.
- Communicating clearly about the purpose, evidence and expected benefits of prevention measures.
Changes within public institutions can demonstrate leadership, build practical experience and create a foundation for wider action. However, they should complement, rather than replace, strong population-wide policies where these are needed.3,8
We know many of the actions that work
We already know many of the policies and interventions that can prevent cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other non-communicable diseases. Evidence-based action across alcohol, tobacco and nicotine, nutrition and physical activity can reduce harmful exposure, create more supportive environments and improve population health.8
Investing in prevention can save lives and healthy life-years, reduce avoidable pressure on health and social services, and help create healthier and more equitable communities. The greatest impact comes from combining population-wide policies with accessible services and additional support for groups facing greater barriers.2,8
The priority now is to turn evidence into sustained action.
Explore the prevention areas
Evidence and further reading
The information, statistics and recommendations on this page are based on evidence and guidance from trusted public health organisations.
- Noncommunicable diseases
World Health Organization - Social determinants of health
World Health Organization - Commercial Determinants of Noncommunicable Diseases in the WHO European Region
WHO Regional Office for Europe - Alcohol
World Health Organization - Tobacco and nicotine
World Health Organization - Nutrition for a healthy life: WHO recommendations
WHO Regional Office for Europe - Physical activity
World Health Organization - Tackling NCDs: best buys and other recommended interventions for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases, 2nd ed.
World Health Organization
