Making investments in prevention and health promotion happen
Making investments in prevention and health promotion happen
Prevention enjoys broad political support across Europe, from WHO commitments to EU policy frameworks like the Safe Hearts Plan and Europe's Beating Cancer Plan. Yet that support rarely translates into sustained funding. Despite strong evidence that prevention and health promotion pay off1 and are fundamental to a strong workforce and economic prosperity,2 it receives only around 3% of healthcare spending in Europe.3
The gap between what policymakers say and what finance ministers fund has persisted for decades, even as health systems face increasing pressure from chronic diseases, ageing populations, climate change, and health inequalities.
Launched today, EuroHealthNet’s new online Guide on Financing Prevention and Health Promotion addresses this persistent underinvestment, offering practical guidance for developing and implementing smarter, more sustainable financing approaches.
About the online Guide for Financing Prevention and Health Promotion
The practical resource is designed to help health and social care planners, public authorities, practitioners, and policymakers at all levels of government to:
- Make the case for why investing in disease prevention and health promotion is smart.
- Get familiar with concepts for systemic change, illustrated with practical examples.
- Develop and implement alternative financing mechanisms adapted to the user’s context and mandate, through seven practical phases.
- Gain inspiration from case studies and related publications
“This important and timely guide provides a practical bridge between commitments to build wellbeing economies and the challenges posed by public financing. It lets decision-makers and budget holders rethink and redesign health services for the benefit of current and future generations.”
- Dr Mariana Dyakova
Technical Director and Well-being Economy Lead, WHO Collaborating Centre on Investment for Health and Well-being at Public Health Wales
Building on existing knowledge
The Guide for Financing Prevention and Health Promotion was officially launched at the Invest4Health mobilisation event in Brussels on 28 May.
It brings together evidence, frameworks, and practical tools from a wide range of sources, including WHO frameworks such as the Well-being Economy and Economics of Health for All, OECD evidence, EuroHealthNet member expertise, and external case studies, enriched by three years of hands-on learning from the Invest4Health Horizon Europe project.
“Health promotion and disease prevention remain chronically underfunded, even as the evidence for their value has never been stronger. With this guide, we aim to inspire action and show that even amid current challenges, there is always something meaningful we can do.”
- Lina Papartyte
Coordinator of the Practice Platform, EuroHealthNet
The case for prevention is already clear. What this guide offers is something harder to find: a practical path from political commitment to funded action.
- OECD, The Health and Economic Benefits of Tackling Non-Communicable Diseases (2026)
- European Commission, 2025 Synthesis report
- 3. Eurostat, Statistics explained, Preventive health care statistics (2026)
Related resources
Invest4Health – Mobilising novel finance models for health promotion and disease prevention
An Economy of Wellbeing for health equity - Policy Précis
European Pillar of Social Rights - Flashcard Tool
