This newsletter was published in January 2026. If you want to receive the latest news from the project straight to your email inbox, you can register here. The monthly newsletter is also available on LinkedIn and you can sign up here to receive it.
November was an active month for JA PreventNCD, with strong visibility at the European Public Health Conference in Helsinki and continued progress in turning evidence into practical tools and policy action. Alongside event highlights, we shared timely updates on tobacco industry interference, food system policy, and the growing work on wellbeing economy approaches, as well as several new scientific publications.
European Public Health Conference 2025: JA PreventNCD in action
The European Public Health Conference 2025 offered inspiring days filled with successful presentations and workshops from JA PreventNCD.
Throughout the week, our teams in JA PreventNCD showcased results from across Europe - from sustainability and health literacy to monitoring inequalities and stakeholder engagement in alcohol, tobacco, and nicotine policy. Each session sparked valuable discussions and reflected our shared commitment to building healthier, fairer, and more sustainable societies.
Big thanks to all our speakers, partners, and participants for contributing your expertise and enthusiasm. It’s encouraging to see so much innovation and collaboration taking place across Europe to strengthen public health and prevent non-communicable diseases.
We’re already looking forward to continuing the conversation and sharing even more results from our Joint Action at next year’s European Public Health Conference in Bilbao.
JA PreventNCD Pre-Conference Highlights: Advancing effective and equitable NCD prevention
Ahead of the main conference, JA PreventNCD also convened a pre-conference session bringing together policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and youth representatives to explore how prevention policies can be more effective, aligned, and equitable across governance levels.
Tobacco control: 20 years of the WHO FCTC in the EU
Twenty years after the EU ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), a new WHO/Europe report, informed by input from JA PreventNCD experts, highlights both progress and remaining gaps. Tobacco remains a leading cause of preventable death in Europe, while new nicotine products are gaining popularity, especially among young people.
With upcoming revisions of key EU tobacco directives, the report underlines a persistent challenge: tobacco industry interference. Despite WHO FCTC Article 5.3, implementation to protect policymaking from commercial interests remains uneven across countries. JA PreventNCD’s policy brief complements the report with practical steps to strengthen safeguards, including better monitoring, stronger transparency measures, and support for civil society.
Ultra-processed foods: strengthening the case for food system policy action
A recent Lancet Series on ultra-processed foods reinforces the need for policy action to reshape food systems. In our commentary, we highlight why this evidence matters for prevention and what it means for healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable diets.
Wellbeing Economy Toolbox: watch the webinar recording
Our Wellbeing Economy Toolbox supports policymakers and practitioners in putting wellbeing at the centre of policy design, with a strong focus on equity and sustainability. In this webinar, you can hear directly from Eloi Laurent and Aurore Fransolet as they introduce the toolbox, explain how it is structured, and walk through how it can be used in practice to help shape policies that improve health and wellbeing.
If you missed it live, the recording is now available.
European synergies: a unified effort to tackle health inequalities
On 5 November, the Final Synergy Conference: European Synergies on Cancer and NCD Prevention - Tackling Health Inequalities Across the Prevention Spectrum took place in Brussels. This event marked the conclusion of the synergy collaboration between the five EU4Health initiatives: JA PreventNCD, ELISAH, FILTERED, PEACHD, and ShowUp4Health.
Key themes explored during the conference included:
- Addressing health inequalities in NCD and cancer prevention
- Strengthening primary and secondary prevention through joint European action
- Integrating mental health into NCD prevention strategies
- Building data-driven policies and effective health promotion systems
- Fostering cross-sectoral synergies for sustainable health equity
Online workshop: Infant feeding in emergencies
The team working on “Baby Friendly Community & Health Services” (BFC&HS), within the work stream on Healthy Living Environments (WP6) of the JA PreventNCD, invites you to an International Online Workshop “Infant Feeding in Emergencies: Strengthening Baby-Friendly Communities for Resilience and Preparedness” on 19 December 2025, from 12:00 to 14:30 CET.
The session will explore how countries and communities can strengthen preparedness and response for IYCF-E. After an introduction by the task coordinators, greetings from WHO-EURO and PAHO will follow, highlighting the global relevance of IYCF-E and the commitment of international partners.
Speakers from the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) and the IFE Core Group will then share recent case studies and global experiences. Updates will also be provided on the WHO Policy Brief on IYCF-E, developed in collaboration with the Italian WHO Collaborating Centre on Breastfeeding Promotion and Childhood Obesity Prevention.
Participation is free and open to all.
Highlights from Health in Europe Conference
On the 28th of October, partners from across Europe gathered in Odense, Denmark for a day of collaboration, ideas and shared commitment to advancing public health. In this engaging video, created by Region Syddanmark | Syddansk Sundhedsinnovation, you can see key moments and hear reflections from Knut-Inge Klepp, Hanna Tolonen and Gauden Galea on the value of working together across countries and Joint Actions.
Watch the highlights here | Read more about the conference here
From our Partners
JA-SAFE Kick-Off
Earlier in November, JA-SAFE marked the official launch of a new European collaboration. Their mission is to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer, and their risk factors at both the individual and population level. By addressing tobacco use, exposure to smoke and aerosols, and alcohol-related harm, JA-SAFE strengthens health promotion and disease prevention across Europe - contributing to the EU’s vision of a tobacco-free generation and healthier, more equitable societies.
With 62 institutions from 23 European countries, JA-SAFE brings together experts, policymakers, and public health professionals under a shared vision: advancing smoke- and aerosol-free environments, strengthening health promotion, and supporting the EU’s goal of achieving a tobacco-free generation.
→ Follow JA-SAFE on LinkedIn for updates here.
JACARDI: Turning a regional best practice into a shared European Achievement
The Marche Region (Italy) is highlighted as a model of excellence in diabetes management, built on more than a decade of coordinated innovation, legislation, and stakeholder engagement. At the core is a regional network of Diabetes Centres connected through shared electronic records and coordinated by a Regional Diabetes Committee that brings together specialists, primary care, paediatricians, and patient associations.
Through JACARDI, this mature system is now helping shape European-level work on prevention, early diagnosis, integrated care, and patient self-management. The collaboration also strengthens digital innovation, health literacy, and training, showing how regional leadership can translate into shared learning and more equitable care across Europe.
Read the full article on JACARDI’s website | Follow JACARDI on LinkedIn
More November Highlights from JA PreventNCD
In-person Executive Committee meeting in Brussels
On 6–7 November 2025, the JA PreventNCD Executive Committee (ExCo) met in Brussels for its fourth in-person meeting, joined by the project officer from HaDEA and representatives from EuroHealthNet. As the Joint Action reaches the halfway point and enters its next phase, the meeting provided an important moment to take stock of progress and discuss strategic directions for the period ahead.
Supporting health promotion in the first 1000 days
On 7–8 November 2025, the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) and COIRAG launched a pilot training in Rome on supporting health promotion in the first 1000 days, led by the team working on Baby Friendly Community & Health Services. The two-day programme brought together professionals, parents, and community members to explore how peer-to-peer groups can strengthen breastfeeding and parenting support, and how participatory learning methods can help build local capacity for healthier, nurturing environments for families.
The Social Inequalities team (WP7) annual in-person meeting in Montpellier
On 20–21 October 2025, the team working on Social Inequalities (WP7) met at the University Hospital of Montpellier (CHUM) for its second annual in-person meeting, focused on advancing work to reduce social and health inequalities across Europe. Task leaders reviewed progress and next steps, with particular attention to the team's Theory of Change and the status of pilot actions on health inequalities monitoring, health literacy, and vulnerable groups, reinforcing the importance of connecting efforts across tasks and strengthening synergies across the Joint Action.
Health in All Policies (HiAP) in-person meeting (Helsinki)
The JA PreventNCD Health in All Policies team (WP9) met in Helsinki on 10–11 November 2025, hosted by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). Discussions focused on strengthening intersectoral action and increasing impact through clearer communication, audience targeting, and internal alignment, alongside sessions on HiAP and Mental Health in All Policies, a co-creation workshop on food systems, and a joint exchange exploring synergies between HiAP and Wellbeing Economy approaches.
Resources and Publications
This month, JA PreventNCD had new articles published on monitoring, communication, and evaluation.
Scientific publication: Strengthening NCD monitoring across Europe
A new article in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health outlines how JA PreventNCD is working to address gaps in NCD monitoring, including fragmented data systems and inconsistent indicators. It highlights efforts to improve harmonisation, interoperability, and knowledge exchange, and explores innovative tools, such as digital technologies and modelling, to support more effective prevention strategies.
Scientific publication: Strategic communication for NCD prevention
This article, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, presents JA PreventNCD’s strategic communication and dissemination framework and shows how structured, inclusive, evidence-based communication can strengthen collaboration, visibility, and policy influence in NCD prevention. It highlights how tailored outreach and stakeholder engagement across 25 countries can support shared goals and help reduce health inequalities.
Scientific publication: Evaluation framework for JA PreventNCD
A new publication in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health describes the mixed-methods evaluation framework developed for JA PreventNCD, designed to assess outputs, outcomes, and impact across participating countries. The article explains how a logic model, process indicators, case studies, and stakeholder feedback will be used to support learning, accountability, and the scale-up of effective practices in NCD prevention.
Reminder: Updated Resources Section
Our Resources section has been expanded to include all project materials in one place, from policy briefs and reports to videos, publications, and visual assets. Visitors can now easily explore and download materials that support prevention work across Europe.
Thank you!
Thank you for reading the third edition of our LinkedIn newsletter. By sharing and engaging, you help us grow awareness of JA PreventNCD and the importance of prevention across Europe.
We look forward to keeping you updated each month with key highlights from the project and opportunities to get involved.
Stay connected with us: LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube | Website