PreventNCD
Information for professionals about the research project "Joint Action PreventNCD" at the Office of Health and Collaboration at Lillebaelt Hospital.
The overall objective of the project
Cancer and other non-communicable diseases (C&NCDs) account for more than two-thirds of the total burden of disease in Europe, representing as much as 87% of the overall disease burden in EU countries. Significant inequalities exist across socio-economic status, geographical areas, age groups, disability, gender, and ethnic backgrounds. Yet a substantial proportion of this burden is preventable. According to the State of Health in the EU Companion Report 2017, up to 70% of the disease burden linked to NCDs can be reduced through effective prevention, and approximately 40% of cancer cases alone are preventable.
In response to this challenge, the EU4Health Program has launched the Joint Action on Cancer and other NCDs Prevention – Action on Health Determinants (JAPreventNCD). This major EU initiative brings together 32 participating countries, with all Member States invited to contribute. The project officially started on January 1, 2024, and will run for four years. In Denmark, the Region of Southern Denmark, through Lillebaelt Hospital, has been appointed by the Danish Ministry of Health to participate in this Joint Action.
The fundamental purpose of the Joint Action is to prevent cancer and other lifestyle-related non-communicable diseases by strengthening and coordinating preventive efforts across Europe. The project adopts a holistic and action-oriented approach, focusing on both population-level and targeted, individual or clinical prevention initiatives. It aims to develop, pilot, scale up, and disseminate sustainable, evidence-based solutions that can be implemented locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.
The overall aim is to support strategies and policies that reduce the burden of C&NCDs and their shared risk factors at both personal and societal levels, while also defining robust methods to assess effectiveness across Europe. The specific objectives are to:
- Improve the joint capacities of Member States to plan and implement C&NCD prevention policies and activities at national, regional, and local levels.
- Strengthen monitoring systems for C&NCDs and their common risk factors.
- Contribute to reducing inequalities in C&NCDs across population groups.
- Engage key stakeholders in prevention efforts, including decision-makers, civil society organizations, professionals, the general population, and patient groups, to foster cooperation and coordinated action.
To achieve these goals, This JA will analyze opportunities for implementing evidence-based intersectoral policies, pilot innovative practices, and scale up best practices in health promotion and disease prevention. It will monitor mortality and morbidity related to C&NCDs, exposure to shared risk factors, the costs of NCD and cancer care, and the impact of preventive efforts at both individual and societal levels.
This Joint Action represents an ambitious and coordinated European effort to provide strategic guidance and consolidate prevention initiatives in the field of cancer and other NCDs. Key outputs will include the establishment of an EU Consortium on Cancer Prevention, annual high-level events, and the development of intervention tools and policy recommendations aimed at reducing the overall burden of C&NCDs and addressing health inequalities across Europe.
Full title: Joint Action prevent non-communicable diseases
The role of Lillebaelt Hospital
The Region of Southern Denmark, through Lillebaelt hospital and supported by the Health Innovation Center of Southern Denmark, has been assigned a significant role in the project.
Region of Southern Denmark is leading the work package concerning “Monitoring” (WP8). In this WP, Region of Southern Denmark leads Pilot 8.2.5a focusing on data harmonization and the integration of new methods to monitor risk factors critical for early cancer detection.
Read more about "Joint Action PreventNCD – WP8.2 Monitoring pilot (Data Harmonization)".
In addition, Lillebaelt Hospital serves as co-lead of Work Package 10, which focuses on identifying individuals in risk groups and acting accordingly. As part of this work, the Region of Southern Denmark leads task 10.4 about Implementation of Personalized risk stratification for cancer and other NCDs and subtask 10.4.4 Patients with cancer - a holistic approach to prevention. Within 10.4.4, Region of Southern Denmark hosts five pilots aiming at improving cancer care across the care pathway.
The municipalities of Vejle and Kolding are represented in the project through a joint initiative with Lillebaelt Hospital. The focus is on optimizing patient/citizen pathways in connection with cancer detection, treatment, and follow-up care, as well as optimizing potential additional interfaces between the primary and secondary healthcare sectors for preventive purposes.
Furthermore, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the municipality of Copenhagen are Danish representatives in the project. Their focus will be on continuing a project related to nutrition and food labeling.
The JA PreventNCD is co-funded by the European Union.
2024 – 2028
WP8
Lillebaelt Hospital is leading four pilots within WP10. Cancer Clock -crossing sectors focuses on improving tertiary prevention among cancer patients across sectors and across the care pathway. Cancer Clock -screening aims at improving participation in colorectal cancer screening focusing on different communication strategies. Cancer Clock - Tailored Nicotine Interventions and Digital Access is led by Vejle and Kolding municipalities. Lillebaelt Hospital provides access points for QR codes guiding patients at the hospital to nicotine cessation in the municipalities. Further, there is an intervention in the lung team in the oncological department aiming at improving clinicians’ skills in talking about nicotine cessation with patients in treatment for lung cancer. Center for Shared Decision Making leads a pilot upscaling Danish best practices for Shared Decision Making to other European countries in order to expand the benefits of patient centered decision making to patients with cancer or other NCD’s across Europe.
At a strategic level, the key activity in WP10 is a major focus on how to connect with the political level in order to secure optimal opportunities for sustainable implementation of prevention of C&NCD.