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18.03.2026
The First Stakeholder Meeting of JA PreventNCD in Poland
“Health is not just a genetic code, but also a postal code.” This sentence accurately reflects the approach to public health in Europe. Our health is greatly influenced by the environment we live in every day – what products are available in stores, what meals look like in schools or hospitals, and whether the spaces around us support physical activity and healthy choices. The JA PreventNCD project is a joint European initiative aimed at strengthening the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. It brings together partners from across Europe to develop, test, and implement effective, evidence-based solutions at both national and local levels. A key focus of the project is creating environments that support healthier choices and contribute to reducing health inequalities, ultimately improving the quality of life of populations across Europe. This is what was discussed during the First Stakeholders Meeting of JA PreventNCD in Poland, which took place online on March 11, 2026, and was organised by the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice. It was a milestone event introducing the project to those who have the power to make real changes in the country and influence public health policies. The meeting brought together representatives of public institutions, local governments, the scientific community, and organisations working in the field of public health. The meeting was opened by Vice-Rector for Science at the Medical University of Silesia Professor Oskar Kowalski, MD, PhD and Katarzyna Brukało, PhD, Assoc. Prof. at the Medical University of Silesia and Project Coordinator in Poland. Participants were also welcomed by the Project Partners in Poland – Mayor of the City of Zabrze, Kamil Żbikowski, representatives of the City of Rybnik and Anna Bulzacka-Bogucka, Project Advisor at HaDEA. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Health, the National Health Fund, the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate, local authorities, as well as schools, kindergartens, foundations, associations, scientific societies, and other institutions involved in public health initiatives. The discussion focused on local and regional actions that, within the framework of the JA PreventNCD project, can have a real impact on residents’ health – such as monitoring the food environment, developing sustainable public food procurement, and creating health-promoting spaces, including through the development of green areas, bike paths, and smoke-free zones. Public health is not achieved in isolation. To effectively prevent chronic diseases, it is necessary to build collaboration between science, public administration, local governments, and social organisations. Engaging stakeholders is an essential part of this process. By bringing together representatives from various sectors, the meeting provided a valuable platform for exchanging knowledge, identifying shared challenges, and exploring opportunities for collaboration. It also marked an important step towards building a national network of partners who can actively contribute to shaping policies and actions that promote healthier lifestyles and environments in Poland. The attendance and engagement of the participants was very encouraging and gives great hope for the future of this collaboration. This was the first stakeholder meeting in the country, but certainly not the last.
https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/news-updates/the-first-stakeholder-meeting-of-ja-preventncd-in-poland/
18.03.2026
From Strategies to Action: A Future Without Non-Communicable Diseases - Slovenian National Stakeholder Forum
“It is important to understand all the parameters that influence the competitiveness of a society, which is not economic growth alone, but also the health and wellbeing of individuals.” This was a key message that emerged in the Slovenian national stakeholder forum. On 11 March 2026, the National Institute of Public Health organised the National Stakeholder Meeting of the JA PreventNCD, aimed at presenting the activities of the Joint Action from the Slovenian side and exchanging knowledge among key national stakeholders in the field of preventing non-communicable diseases. The event programme followed several thematic segments. In the introductory part, it included a keynote lecture on the use of quantitative models and artificial intelligence in evaluating public health policies, as well as presentations of the objectives and activities of the JA PreventNCD. The discussion highlighted the importance of high-quality, connected data systems, which are essential for informed decision-making. This was followed by presentations of individual thematic work packages of the Joint Action, with emerging key messages: Tobacco, nicotine, and alcohol: legislation works only if it is properly enforced. Public food procurement: a powerful tool for population change. Breastfeeding-friendly communities: there is still a spread of misinformation. Cancer monitoring: improved data integration enables better understanding of costs, disease pathways, and recurrence. Sleep as a public health issues highlights sleep as a key pillar of health. Healthy communities: local pilot initiatives such as healthy food in kindergarten, shows that change can start at the community level. Youth engagement: the Youth Advisory Group demonstrates that youth can be active contributors in the effort of reducing the burden of non-communicable disease. The event concluded with a presentation of work on the sustainability of the project, which places particular emphasis on the concept of the wellbeing economy – with the aim of creating measures that promote quality of life while not exceeding planetary capacities. During the event, participants acknowledged and encouraged the importance of work on the prevention of non-communicable diseases and the promotion of healthy lifestyles through measures to reduce tobacco use, alcohol consumption, unhealthy food consumption, and by encouraging physical activity. Only with shared societal effort, there can be a real lever for change. The event successfully brought together key stakeholders of the Joint Action and highlighted the importance of coordinated measures for the prevention of non-communicable diseases at the European, national, and regional levels of Member States.
https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/news-updates/from-strategies-to-action-a-future-without-non-communicable-diseases-slovenian-national-stakeholder-forum/
13.03.2026
Sleep as a Key Public Health Priority in the Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases
Sleep is increasingly recognised as a fundamental pillar of health, on the same level with nutrition and physical activity. At the same time, sleep is closely intertwined with stress regulation and broader physiological recovery processes. Adequate and regular sleep supports metabolic, cardiovascular, cognitive, and mental health, while insufficient or disrupted sleep is associated with an increased risk of several non-communicable diseases (NCDs). For this reason, sleep should not be treated as a secondary lifestyle factor but rather as a core component of prevention strategies aimed at reducing the burden of NCDs. Integrating sleep into public health agendas can therefore strengthen prevention policies and contribute to a more comprehensive approach to population health.
https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/blog/sleep-as-a-key-public-health-priority-in-the-prevention-of-non-communicable-diseases/
23.01.2026
Healthier eating in schools and kindergartens
Early childhood is a critical window for establishing healthy eating habits that shape health and well-being across the life course. Dietary patterns formed during childhood and adolescence are strongly associated with the risk of non-communicable diseases later in life, making schools and kindergartens key settings for health promotion. Within JA PreventNCD, pilot interventions in Croatia and Slovenia are addressing food environments through integrated, participatory and community-based approaches. The main objective of croatian implementing sites is to put into practice and evaluate an integrated approach to address physical activity and food environments as main determinants of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in learning environments. Intervention into the school and preschool setting are based on activities from the national health promotion program Healthy Living. Two locations were specifically selected: Elementary School Milka Trnina in Zagreb County and Kindergarten Siget in the City of Zagreb. Kindergarten Siget was selected as implementation site for its size, diverse socioeconomic profile, and strong institutional and community capacity. Work is being developed by a multidisciplinary core group, including kindergarten staff, public health professionals, local authorities, as well as a teacher and a parent representative, ensuring effective coordination and community engagement.
https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/news-updates/healthier-eating-in-schools-and-kindergartens/
22.01.2026
Piloting a new Digital Audit Tool on Playgrounds
Last year, within the work on Healthy Urban Environments, an audit tool for assessing the quality of playgrounds and schoolyards was developed. The audit tool aims to support municipalities and local stakeholders in systematically assessing and improving the quality of playgrounds and schoolyards to promote physical activity, and inclusive play. The results are expected to inform local planning processes and evidence-based decision-making. The preliminary version of the questionnaire was developed based on an extensive literature review and was subsequently presented and co-created through focus groups with key stakeholders in Greece and Germany. This process highlighted cultural differences as well as important directions for the further improvement and contextual adaptation of the tool. The categories of the quality assessment are: access and surrounding neighborhood design and equipment condition and cleanliness safety inclusion and accessibility. The German version of the tool was digitalized and is available on an existing website promoting physical activity in municipalities, run by the Federal Institute of Public Health (BIÖG). In Greece, the team from the Harokopio University is currently in the process of digitalization of the tool. The National Center for Public Health and Pharmacy of Hungary is also participating in the pilot as an observer. In this role, the institution ensures its support for the implementation process and follows the project activities closely. All partners from the three countries are sharing local experiences and insights to support mutual learning and future improvements.
https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/news-updates/piloting-a-new-digital-audit-tool-on-playgrounds/
26.01.2026
Psychiatric hospital in Finland goes smoke-free
The Vanha Vaasa Hospital, situated in the Ostrobothnia region in Finland, made a significant change in 2025 by becoming the country’s first psychiatric hospital to switch to a smoke-free indoor environment. The forensic psychiatric hospital participates in the JA PreventNCD project pilot coordinated by Filha, which promote smoke-free workplaces and environments and develop tobacco and nicotine cessation practices in cooperation with social and health care. In the words of Jussi Niemi, a respiratory nurse at the Vanha Vaasa Hospital: “The reform proceeded relatively quickly. In April, the first ward began the trial, and by September, the last ward was declared a smoke-free zone”. The reform was partly accelerated by the preparation of a new hospital building, as no indoor smoking facilities were planned for it. In addition, the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s ruling, according to which hospitals do not have to separately organize indoor smoking facilities for patients in involuntary care, played a role. Psychiatric hospitals have traditionally allowed smoking indoors. While smoking is now prohibited indoors in Finland, including in prisons, psychiatric hospitals are one of the few places where indoor smoking is still permitted. “As part of the JA PreventNCD’s interventions, the hospital developed a tobacco and nicotine cessation model in addition to the smokefree indoors policy, and with this, patients will receive more effective support than before in quitting the use of nicotine products” explained Patrick Sandström, Filha's project manager. Successful change needs thorough preparation Jussi Niemi emphasised that it is worth starting the preparation for the change early and having an open discussion. From his perspective, it is important to empathise with patients’ concerns and feelings, as many patients may feel overwhelmed by the change and uncertain about the future. His recommendations include offering support, helping patients consider how they will cope in future and paying attention to staff concerns. Preparations for the change began by organizing training on tobacco and nicotine cessation in each ward while discussing the upcoming change. The topic was brought up with patients at an early stage. This way, the change did not come as a surprise, and patients and staff were given enough time to adapt and prepare. In addition, patients are offered support to quit smoking and the use of nicotine products through individual and group counseling. As part of the treatment, the hospital offers free-of-charge nicotine replacement therapy to patients who are committed to quitting. As a result of the change, many patients have cut down their smoking, and chain smoking, in particular, is now less common. When indoor smoking was allowed, some patients used to smoke every fifteen minutes, but with outdoor smoking, many patients have voluntarily reduced their smoking. In addition, outdoor smoking has significantly increased the physical activity of patients as they have the opportunity to go outside at least three times a day. This, in turn, has had a positive impact on patients’ lung health and their treatment. “The quality of indoor air has clearly improved in sensory-wise, meaning that the inside no longer smells of tobacco in the same way, and the indoor air is also fresher to breathe in” Jussi Niemi pointed out. However, while smoking has decreased, a significant increase in the use of nicotine pouches has been observed. Patients’ use of nicotine products is diverse: some smoke, some use nicotine pouches and some use e-cigarettes. Therefore, efforts to communicate the harmful effects of nicotine itself to patients have been increased and, furthermore, nicotine cessation practices have been updated at the hospital. Filhas experts in the JA PreventNCD project have provided guidance and support for implementing and carrying out the change. They have also trained staff on site, which significantly supported the promotion of smoke-free indoor environment and the development of tobacco and nicotine cessation programmes. The experience of Vanha Vaasa Hospital shows that transitioning to a smoke-free psychiatric setting is not only feasible, but also beneficial for patients, staff and the overall care environment. This experience offers an encouraging and practical reference for other psychiatric hospitals and care institutions across Europe, demonstrating that health-focused and smoke-free environments can be achieved while respecting patients’ needs and supporting their recovery.
https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/news-updates/psychiatric-hospital-in-finland-goes-smoke-free/
26.01.2026
JA PreventNCD kicks off its Stakeholder Group to strengthen collaboration and boost impact
JA PreventNCD held the first meeting of its Stakeholder Group on 22 January 2026, marking an important milestone in the project’s journey toward delivering stronger, more actionable prevention results across Europe. The Stakeholder Group brings together a diverse set of actors from the health sector and beyond to support the project’s work. Members will provide guidance, share expertise, and help ensure that JA PreventNCD outputs are relevant, practical, and widely communicated through professional networks and channels. As the project moves further into implementation and begins producing an increasing number of results and deliverables, the Stakeholder Group is expected to play a key role in helping those outputs reach the right audiences and have real-world impact. A first meeting focused on collaboration The session opened with a welcome and introduction from Sólveig Karlsdóttir, leader of the Communication and Dissemination work in JA PreventNCD, who also guided participants through an icebreaker and the purpose of the meeting. Sólveig highlighted the value of creating an organised and constructive forum where external stakeholders can contribute to the project’s direction and outcomes. The Stakeholder Group is designed to support JA PreventNCD not only by providing feedback, but also by strengthening the project’s ability to connect with decision-makers, practitioners, and wider networks across Europe. Introducing JA PreventNCD: aims, structure, and focus Participants were then introduced to JA PreventNCD’s overall mission and structure by Professor Knut-Inge Klepp, Scientific Coordinator of the project. JA PreventNCD is a large European collaboration working to strengthen prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The project has a strong focus on major risk factors including tobacco, alcohol, nutrition, and physical activity, reflecting areas where coordinated preventive action can have long-term benefits for population health. Knut-Inge described how the project is organised across multiple work packages and countries, and emphasised that meaningful prevention impact requires cross-sector collaboration and engagement at national and European levels. JA PreventNCD’s work is designed to support implementation and policy development through practical tools, outputs, and shared learning across participating countries. What is the Stakeholder Group and why does it matter? The purpose and structure of the Stakeholder Group were presented by Hugrún Snorradóttir, task leader for Stakeholder Analysis in JA PreventNCD. She explained that the Stakeholder Group has been created as a way to integrate stakeholder perspectives into the project’s work throughout its lifetime. This includes helping the consortium identify relevant challenges and opportunities, strengthening outputs with expert insight, and supporting communication and dissemination of results. A key feature of the Stakeholder Group is that it is designed to be flexible and topic-driven. Rather than following a one-size-fits-all model, the group allows JA PreventNCD to connect the right expertise to the right outputs at the right time. “The Stakeholder Group is an important bridge between JA PreventNCD and the wider community working on prevention across Europe. By inviting stakeholders to give targeted feedback on key outputs, we can strengthen the relevance and quality of what we produce. At the same time, stakeholders help us connect results to networks that can use them, share them, and build on them.” Hugrún Snorradóttir, leader of the Stakeholder Group in the JA PreventNCD. A stakeholder group with diverse expertise The Stakeholder Group brings together stakeholders from both health and other sectors to support the project’s objectives. This diversity is central to the group’s role, recognising that prevention requires collaboration that goes beyond public health institutions alone. Members of the group contribute by: Providing advice and feedback on project outputs and deliverables Sharing expertise linked to prevention priorities and cross-cutting themes Identifying challenges and opportunities relevant to the project’s objectives Supporting dissemination by sharing outputs through their networks and channels Strengthening connections with relevant European platforms and communities This approach is designed to create mutual value. Stakeholders have the opportunity to influence the development of outputs and ensure they reflect real needs in policy and practice. Meanwhile, the project benefits from external insight, guidance, and stronger reach beyond the consortium. Discussion: expectations and opportunities for engagement The agenda included a dedicated section on expectations for participation in the Stakeholder Group, followed by open discussion. Participants reflected on how stakeholder engagement can be most useful to the project in practice, including reviewing targeted outputs, identifying dissemination opportunities, and sharing perspectives from their own sectors and areas of expertise. The discussion also highlighted the importance of exploring both challenges and opportunities connected to the project’s objectives. These conversations will be developed further in future meetings, helping shape how JA PreventNCD outputs can support prevention efforts and policy development across Europe. Next steps: regular meetings and continued collaboration The meeting closed with next steps presented by Maruša Širk, the project’s Stakeholder Analysis task co-leader. The Stakeholder Group will meet again in the spring to further develop and discuss how to use the structure is efficiently and effectively as possible. Strengthening impact as outputs increase The first meeting of the Stakeholder Group marked the start of what will be an ongoing collaboration supporting JA PreventNCD’s work. As the project enters its later years and delivers more outputs, stakeholder engagement will become increasingly important. By connecting JA PreventNCD’s work with expert feedback and dissemination opportunities, the Stakeholder Group strengthens both the quality of results and the chances that they will be used in policy and practice. In doing so, the group supports a shared goal: advancing stronger, more coordinated prevention of NCDs across Europe.
https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/news-updates/ja-preventncd-kicks-off-its-stakeholder-group-to-strengthen-collaboration-and-boost-impact/