A call for best practices is open until 15 May 2022
on the EU Best Practice Portal

The European Commission has launched the ‘Healthier together’ – EU Non-Communicable Diseases Initiative to support EU countries in identifying and implementing effective policies and actions to reduce the burden of major non-communicable diseases and improve citizens’ health.

The initiative will include five strands: cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, mental health and neurological disorders, and a horizontal strand on health determinants. In each strand, actions should aim at reducing health inequalities.

They may also complementary help to address challenges faced in all strands, such as social determinants of health and health literacy; age/gender/culture-sensitive prevention and management; effective and efficient screening; participation of (recovered) patients in the labour market; multimorbidity; and improvements towards person-centred, integrated care.

The European Commission is now calling for the identification of best practices¹ that can be implemented in EU countries on prevention and management of non-communicable diseases on the five strands of the ‘Healthier together’ – EU Non-Communicable Diseases Initiative: cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, mental health and neurological disorders, and health determinants.

The deadline for submission of proposals is 15 May 2022 (midnight CET). An evaluation process will immediately follow the deadline of submissions.

After the 15 May 2022 deadline, you can still continue to submit best practices. Nevertheless, applications received after that date will only be evaluated at a later stage (date to be communicated).

Governmental and non-governmental actors are invited to submit proposals for best practices at the EU Best Practice Portal: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/dyna/bp-portal/.

Submitted practices will be evaluated against the best practice criteria (pdf) adopted by EU countries in the Steering Group on Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Management of Non-Communicable Diseases².

After the evaluation, the European Commission will invite the owners of the top-ranked best practices to present them to EU countries’ representatives in a ‘marketplace event’. During this event, countries may identify best practices for joint/wider implementation across the EU. The implementation of those best practices may subsequently be supported by EU funding programmes. Please note that the owners’ active involvement and collaboration is fundamental and expected for the implementation phase.

If you have questions about submitting a practice, you can consult the helpdesk:
sante-health-best-practices@ec.europa.eu.

1 A ‘best practice’ is a policy or intervention relevant to the theme of the call implemented in a real life setting and which has been favourable assessed in terms of adequacy (ethics and evidence) and equity, as well as effectiveness and efficiency related to process and outcomes. Other criteria are important for a successful transferability of the practice such as a clear definition of the context, sustainability, intersectorality and participation of stakeholders.

2 https://ec.europa.eu/health/non_communicable_diseases/steeringgroup_promotionprevention_en

Non-communicable diseases

Non-communicable diseases represent 80% of the disease burden in Member States (before pandemic circumstances).

The European Commission is currently working on a new EU initiative on non-communicable diseases ‘Healthier together’. This initiative will address the leading causes of avoidable premature death, complementing the action on cancer (addressed under the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan).

Its strands include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, mental health and neurological disorders (the leading causes of avoidable premature death, accounting for 86% of deaths and 77% of the disease burden in the EU, excluding cancer). In addition, a horizontal strand will cover health determinants – such as lifestyle (tobacco, nutrition, physical activity and alcohol) - in coordination with the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. Addressing these common determinants will thus benefit other non-communicable diseases.

The initiative will develop around four components, each of them resulting in concrete actions on the ground with a special focus on health promotion and prevention. The components are:

•  Improve knowledge and data;
•  Promotion and prevention, including screening and early detection;
•  Optimise diagnosis and treatment; and
•  Improve quality of life of patients.