As Europe marks the European Week Against Cancer this May, a renewed focus on prevention and equity is more important than ever. This year’s campaign places particular emphasis on ending inequalities in access to prevention, early detection, treatment, and care for all. In this context, the policy brief “Stronger together: European collaboration to center health equity in cancer and other NCD prevention” highlights how European-level collaboration can strengthen efforts to prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and reduce health inequalities, aligning closely with this year’s focus on equity in all aspects of cancer prevention and care.
The brief has been developed jointly by JA PreventNCD and the EU4Health Action Grant projects ELISAH, FILTERED, PEACHD, and ShowUp4Health. It examines how collaboration between Member States through Joint Actions, and civil society and independent research organisations, through the Action Grants projects, can reinforce Europe’s capacity to address equity in Cancer and NCD prevention.
NCDs, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and mental disorders, remain the leading causes of illness and premature death in Europe, accounting for more than 75% of the disease burden. While most of these conditions are preventable, effective prevention requires going beyond individual behaviour change and addressing the broader social, environmental, and commercial determinants that shape health outcomes.
A central focus of the brief is health inequalities. It highlights how socially and economically disadvantaged groups face higher exposure to risk factors, reduced access to care, and poorer health outcomes. The policy brief therefore provides evidence-informed recommendations to support decision-making at EU, national, regional, and local levels, and identifies priorities for further research.
By bringing together knowledge and perspectives from across Europe, this policy brief underlines the importance of collective action to advance more equitable and effective NCD prevention - an ambition that resonates strongly with the goals of the European Week Against Cancer.