EuroHealthNet provides input for the EU NCD initiative “Healthier Together”

The new EU Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) initiative, called “Healthier Together”, will address five strands of NCDs:

• cardiovascular diseases
• diabetes
• chronic respiratory diseases
• mental health and neurological disorders, and
• health determinants.

The European Commission has asked for feedback from health stakeholders on the action priorities for each of those strands, as well as examples of effective policies, best practices, and promising approaches.

EuroHealthNet has submitted a contribution, commenting on two strands of the initiative: health determinants, and mental health and neurological disorders. EuroHealthNet put forth 5 priorities for EU-supported action, namely:

• Build capacities to diagnose, communicate and act on underlying determinants of health.
• Capitalise on the ‘green transition’ to design and implement policies and initiatives that also generate greater health and equity.
• Invest in good (early) childhood conditions amongst the more and most vulnerable as a critical entry point for health across the life course.
• Invest in making local communities ‘umbrella settings for health’ and in integrated community care initiatives, which address primary care, social services, social prescribing, physical activity, and age-friendly environments.
• Invest in capacity to address the commercial determinants of health.

Read our full contribution here.