Strengthening cardiovascular care resilience across Europe: the RESIL-Card initiative

The RESIL-Card project was launched in December 2023 due to the critical vulnerabilities in cardiovascular care delivery that were highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESIL-Card is a 3-year EU4Health-funded initiative. It is led by We CARE, along with partners GISE (Italy), Amsterdam UMC’s Healthcare Services and Systems Research Group (The Netherlands), and CatSalut (Catalonia).

The aim of this initiative is to strengthen the resilience of European (EU) cardiovascular care systems to ensure the continuity of high-quality care during future potential crises. The project’s core focus is the development of a resilience assessment toolkit to help cardiovascular stakeholders evaluate and enhance the preparedness of their care pathways. Given the increasingly complex international context and the recent launch of crisis preparedness initiatives in Europe, RESIL-Card’s mission is deemed more relevant than ever. The project reflects a shared commitment among partners to improving cardiovascular care resilience through innovation, collaboration, and excellence.

The project is supported by major EU cardiovascular organisations and a multistakeholder Advisory Board. The work is divided into specific work packages, including an initial phase (WP1) focused on designing the toolkit, pilot testing (WP2) and dissemination (WP3).

The initial phase (WP1) involved designing the resilience assessment toolkit. Insights were gathered to characterize pandemic-related disruptions, adaptations, and innovations. The Amsterdam UMC group, leading the design work, explained that they used a “stepwise and inclusive approach” to developing an evidence-based tool, relying on lessons learned from the pandemic. This methodology included a scoping review, a survey of EU cardiologists, and focus groups with clinical, organisational, and policy experts. The first version of the RESIL-Card toolkit was released in January 2025, marking a key milestone in the project. 

A Head of a Cardiology Department (Italy) who participated in a focus group reflected on the difficulty of revisiting past events but recognized their necessity: “It hasn’t been easy to relive some moments that now seem so far away, but they are what allowed us to emerge from a pandemic and will hopefully help us through any crises we may still encounter”.

Pilot testing of the RESIL-Card toolkit (WP2) is currently underway. This phase is assessing the toolkit’s functionality, usability, and real-world applicability. The workstream lead for pilot testing (CatSalut) noted that it is “notable how enthusiastic healthcare professionals are about strengthening the system, not just for individual patients, but for the benefit of the entire population”.

Dissemination efforts (WP3) throughout 2026 will promote the broad adoption and integration of the RESIL-Card toolkit into EU healthcare systems. The project anticipates amplifying its impact through collaboration with JACARDI and supporting bodies like EUPHA.

To learn more about RESIL-CARD, check the project’s news on the following platforms, Website, X, LinkedIn

Predictive medicine in action: the PROVIDE project for CVD prevention in diabetes

PROVIDE (Prediction and Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases in Type 2 Diabetes) addresses the urgent global challenge of Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs), which remain the leading cause of death worldwide. Specifically, people living with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes face a significantly higher risk of developing CVDs.

PROVIDE’s mission is to develop predictive tools and preventive strategies that assist both patients and clinicians in detecting risks early and acting before serious complications arise. By combining data science with clinical research, the project aims to change how CVD is managed in diabetes, ultimately working to reduce hospitalizations, improve quality of life, and lower healthcare costs.

The project began in November 2024 and is scheduled to run until December 2026.

PROVIDE brings together leading European experts in medicine, biomedical engineering, and digital health.

According to the project’s coordinator, Prof. Marco Giorgio Baroni (UNIVAQ), “the strength of PROVIDE lies in its interdisciplinarity, uniting clinicians, researchers, and engineers to translate complex data into practical solutions for patient care”. 

The consortium has already achieved significant progress since its launch. In 2024, the project began with a series of kick-off meetings that set the foundation for the work ahead. Research protocols were defined, and efforts to harmonize clinical and digital data collection were initiated. Later that year, the PROVIDE digital platform went live, enabling the integration of multi-centre patient cohorts across Europe and supporting the release of the first cardiovascular risk-prediction algorithms.

In 2025, the project moves into its next phase, with trial expansion, cross-validation of predictive models, and the development of prevention strategies in collaboration with clinical partners. Finally, in 2026, the project will focus on validating the results at scale. This will include proposing large-scale deployment scenarios and formulating recommendations for integrating PROVIDE’s outcomes into European healthcare systems.

The project was discussed in front of a wide audience at the e-SPACE Cardio-Renal-Metabolic (CRM) live multidisciplinary conference on 5 April 2025.

Expected outcomes include a set of validated digital tools capable of identifying patients at high risk of CVD, along with personalised preventive care pathways.

The PROVIDE project collaborates with the JACARDI team in Work Package 8: Screening high-risk populations and individuals. This involves the collaborative development of standard protocols for CVD and DM risk screenings and Health Examination Surveys (HES), and sharing expertise and tools for screening.

Participants from clinical sites highlight the human dimension of the project: “For many of our patients, the fear of a heart attack or stroke is real. With PROVIDE, we can finally offer proactive monitoring rather than reactive treatment.” Experiences like this underline the importance of predictive tools and their practical impact.

PROVIDE is more than a research project, it’s a step toward smarter, preventive healthcare.

Healthcare professionals, policymakers, and citizens are invited to follow the project’s journey and engage with the results. For more information, visit the project’s website or explore tools and publications.

Preventing the preventable: How PERFECTO Is changing the future of heart health

PERFECTO (Preventing thE PReventable-Familial HypErCholeserolaemia PaediaTric Screening for CardiOvascular Health) is an EU-funded project addressing a critical but often overlooked area in cardiovascular health: familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH). 

FH is one of the most common monogenic (single-gene) disorders, yet it remains underdiagnosed and undertreated, affecting an estimated 2.5 million people across Europe. If left untreated, FH leads to an increased risk of premature and preventable atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and even death. It is also important to note the existence of Homozygous FH (HoFH), which is a rare and very severe form.

PERFECTO’s mission is to empower people with FH and strengthen policy and practice by embedding meaningful patient engagement and citizen-driven innovation. The overarching goal is to transform how FH is recognized, diagnosed, and managed across EU Member States.

The project launched in December 2023 and is scheduled to run until May 2026.

PERFECTO is coordinated by the FH Europe Foundation (Netherlands). It is supported by partners from Germany, Romania, Cyprus, and Belgium, along with stakeholders from Bulgaria and Ukraine.

The project operates through five interdisciplinary Work Packages (WPs), which are further supported by advisory groups focused on science, reflection, and health economics.

The challenges faced by the project are substantial:

  • Low awareness of FH (both Heterozygous and Homozygous forms) among health professionals and the public;
  • Fragmented care pathways;
  • Limited patient involvement in health policy;
  • Lack of standardized screening and treatment protocols.

The consortium held its kick-off meeting in Warsaw, Poland in January 2024. Five core Work Packages were successfully established, focusing on project management, societal impact, communication, equity, and policy advocacy.

The project developed and is currently piloting a Person-Communication Model specifically for FH paediatric screening in Romania and Cyprus.

PERFECTO created a Societal Return on Investment (SROI) model designed to demonstrate public health impact.

The FH Europe Ambassador Programme was successfully launched, including the first in-person training held in Limassol, Cyprus in April 2025, aimed at empowering patient leaders across Europe.

Initial engagement with EU policymakers and outreach activities have taken place to promote inclusive, evidence-based policy dialogue. The project was referred to as an “exemplary case” of EU-funded projects contributing to CVD prevention by EU Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Olivér Várhelyi.

The expected outcomes of the project include:

  • Broad implementation of FH paediatric screening across the EU;
  • Enhanced health equity, particularly for underserved and high-risk populations;
  • Increased public and professional awareness of inherited high cholesterol and its cardiovascular implications;
  • Evidence-informed tools and models (PCM, SROI) will support sustainable policies and funding for early detection;
  • The project aims for a stronger alignment of national strategies with the EU’s Healthier Together initiative and the upcoming Plan for European Cardiovascular Health.

European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Olivér Várhelyi emphasized the project’s importance, stating: “Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death in the European Union. Investing in prevention is essential, as is research to develop new and innovative approaches. Ongoing projects under the EU’s Healthier Together initiative, such as PERFECTO, help us tackle inherited high cholesterol, a major contributor to cardiovascular risk.” He thanked all involved for their commitment to improving citizens’ health.

Magdalena Daccord, Consortium Coordinator and CEO of FH Europe Foundation, reinforced the collaborative philosophy: “Together with people living with FH, advocates and ambassadors, clinicians, scientists, policymakers and health systems experts, we embark on this journey to bring innovative solutions to the forefront of CVD prevention. Together we can prevent the preventable”.

To follow the project’s journey and support a future free from preventable heart disease, check the project’s news on the following platforms;  Website, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X

From awareness to action: How Preventia is fighting NCDs across Europe

Preventia (NCDs Prevention and Health Promotion through Training, Networking and Awareness-Raising across the EU) addresses the urgent need to tackle non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by promoting healthier lifestyles and addressing health inequalities across the EU. The project aims to empower consumers through education and awareness raising.

The ambitious mission of the project is to improve health literacy, reduce the spread of NCDs, and foster cooperation between Member States to create long-term change. The consortium aims to help communities make better-informed food choices and work toward closing the health gap.

This EU-funded Action Grant launched in January 2024 and is being implemented over a 3-year period. The consortium held its kick-off meeting in Brussels on February 15, 2024. The project is led by Safe Food Advocacy Europe, and brings together committed partner organisations from Croatia, Lithuania, Greece, Italy, and Belgium.

Preventia employs practical, hands-on learning. It utilises key partnerships with schools, migration centres, NGOs and healthcare institutions to host activities. Strong foundations with local actors were established through:
• the rollout of trainings in schools located in disadvantaged areas;
• the launch of a twinning programme for medical centres to support peer learning;
• the development of toolkits for workshops with NGOs and healthcare professionals;
• the implementation of a culinary initiative involving migrants.

School trainings were kicked off in Greece, Croatia, and Italy in 2025, and culinary workshop with migrants were successfully held in Athens and Milan.

In November 2025, the project launched BiteWatch, an innovative mobile app designed to help consumers make healthier and better-informed choices when purchasing food products.

The app is now available in five languages on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, Croatia, and Lithuania. You can download it using the following links:

The consortium also carried out an assessment of NCD policies in partner countries, which is designed to inform an upcoming policy brief and public health guidelines.

Preventia is driving a new culture of prevention, which is grounded in knowledge, participation, and equity. The project’s work so far demonstrates that real lifestyle changes can follow when engagement and hands-on learning are combined with information.

Feedback received from the project has highlighted a pressing gap in nutritional education among students. This insight stresses the urgent need to embed prevention more deeply into the official school curriculum. Feedback revealed that many students reported daily sugar consumption far above EU recommendations. A child participating in the initiative reflected on the learning experience, stating: “I had never thought about how much sugar is in a juice or what a ‘balanced meal’ really means. I liked that we all ate together and talked about it”.

The culinary initiative successfully highlighted the role of food as not only a biological necessity but also as a means of coexistence, expression, and social inclusion.

Looking ahead, the project will run awareness campaigns to boost health literacy. Preventia will also organise workshops for NGOs and health professionals, specifically focusing on health promotion and diabetes prevention.

To stay connected and follow Preventia’s journey, you are invited to subscribe to the project newsletter or visit the project’s website.

CaregIVR: How virtual reality is transforming caregiver health

CaregIVR addresses the critical challenge posed to informal caregivers who support individuals with chronic illnesses, particularly cardiovascular conditions. This role can place a heavy emotional and physical burden on caregivers, often negatively impacting their own well-being.

The project explores how Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) can be utilized as an innovative digital tool to support cardiovascular health promotion among these informal caregivers. CaregIVR’s mission is to develop immersive VR content that provides educational and relaxing experiences aimed at helping to reduce stress, promote healthy habits, and raise awareness about self-care.

This EU-funded Action Grant launched on 1 November 2023, and is scheduled to conclude on 31 October 2026.

CaregIVR employs a human-centred approach to digital health. By focusing specifically on the mental and physical health of caregivers, the project contributes not only to individual well-being but also to the development of more sustainable and inclusive healthcare systems.

Substantial challenges the project must navigate include adapting content to different caregiver profiles, ensuring accessibility and usability of the technology, and measuring the real impact of VR on emotional and physical health indicators.

Since its launch, CaregIVR has completed several foundational milestones:

  • Comparative Analysis and State of Art Report: A report was produced in April 2024 detailing cardiovascular diseases, relevant country regulations, and systematic analyses of the condition of informal caregivers.
  • Focus Group and Design Work: A Focus Group discussing the app and IVR design was held in June 2024.

Training: Training sessions for caregivers using IVR equipment and software are taking place between September 2025 and April 2026.

The core strategic impact of CaregIVR is achieved through experiential learning facilitated by IVR technology. The IVR is developed to simulate the sensory and emotional realities of living with limitations after a stroke. Through this technology, caregivers can gain experiential insight, moving beyond clinical descriptions to achieve a more embodied understanding of symptoms and behaviours. The content is expected to reduce stress, promote healthy habits, and raise awareness about self-care among caregivers.

Professor Helena José, Coordinator of the Action Grant CaregIVR and President of ESSATLA, notes that caregivers often express deep commitment to their loved ones but “struggle to truly grasp what the person is experiencing”. The project was developed to address this gap by using immersive virtual reality.

A Polish participant in an Informal Caregivers’ Focus Group shared the difficulty of providing support when unable to fully understand the patient’s reality: “The hardest thing for me was understanding what my husband felt… some of the symptoms are difficult for me as a healthy person to imagine”. This participant reflected, “Today I realized that I am constantly trying to pull him back into my reality. Or maybe it should be the other way around – should I try to enter his world?”. The IVR simulation aims to assist in stepping into the patient’s world, helping caregivers better understand their perspective.

Whether you are a healthcare professional, caregiver, researcher, or simply interested in new approaches to informal care, you are invited to join the growing community. The final goal is to share, connect, and help co-create technological solutions with real human impact.

JACARDI’s synergies with Action Grants: reducing the cardiovascular burden together

The five Action Grants – CaregIVR, PERFECTO, Preventia, PROVIDE, RESIL-Card – and JACARDI are all anchored in the urgent mission of tackling the burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), Europe’s leading cause of death, which is especially timely as the European Commission develops the European Cardiovascular Health Plan (CVH Plan). This partnership is built upon the understanding that up to 80% of premature CVD deaths are preventable, and aims to strengthen cohesive EU-level action. 

The overarching goal uniting JACARDI and these projects is the comprehensive reduction of the immense public health burden caused by Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), particularly Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) and diabetes. This is pursued through a shared commitment to developing and promoting the implementation of validated best practices throughout the entire patient journey.

Within the implementation domain, projects focused on early detection, such as PERFECTO and PROVIDE, are collaborating with JACARDI WP8 to develop standardized screening protocols. Addressing health system continuity, RESIL-Card partners with JACARDI WP9 to specifically build resilience in cardiovascular care pathways, ensuring high-quality care continuity during crises.

Key expected outcomes include strengthening patient-centered approaches, utilizing novel digital tools like predictive algorithms by PROVIDE and immersive technology by CaregIVR, and developing tools such as the resilience assessment toolkit by RESIL-Card. 

Synergies around equity are strengthened by sharing JACARDI’s “4Cs” Framework, which helps projects like CaregIVR and Preventia ensure targeted outreach to vulnerable populations. Both Preventia and PROVIDE showcase the central role of innovative digital tools in prevention efforts. 

By coordinating our approach across technical work packages among these projects, we maximize collective impact and ensure that project outcomes translate effectively into actionable policy, creating roadmaps that support the scaling up of experiences at the national and regional levels.Ultimately, this unified collaboration contributes to promoting prevention, early detection, education, and sustained behavioral change for a healthier future.

Embedding equity and diversity principles in a complex multi-national setting: methods, tools, capacity development and experiences from the first year of the Joint Action on Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes (JACARDI)

Scientific publications by JACARDI  

In this post series we share the scientific publications directly linked to the JACARDI project. All publications featured in this series are authored or co-authored by JACARDI partners and reflect research and findings developed within the project framework.  

We aim to showcase how evidence supports our joint mission to tackle cardiovascular diseases and diabetes across Europe. 

Stay informed on how JACARDI turns evidence into action. 

Authors:  Natalia Skogberg, Teresa Spadea, Benedetta Armocida, Jelka Zaletel, Beatrice Formenti, Ane Fullaondo, Yhasmine Hamu, Maria Nousiainen, Sinikka Kytö, Laura Musta, Chiara Di Girolamo, Janne Sorensen, Idil Hussein, Graziano Onder, and Richard Osborne

Keywords: equity, diversity, inclusion, public health, capacity development, implementation, JACARDI

Abstract:

Effective reduction of social inequities in health requires acknowledgement of the deeply embedded intersectional nature of systemic drivers of these inequities. With increasing population cultural and ethnic diversity, it is essential to embed principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion from the outset of programs and policy development. This is likely to reduce the need for more costly corrective measures. While application of these principles does not necessarily require substantial additional resources, a structured and systematic approach is crucial for initiating a paradigm shift. It also requires deliberate efforts, practical tools, and capacity development to ensure embedding and uptake of these principles. The unprecedently large European Union (EU) co-funded Joint Action on Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes (JACARDI) involving 21 countries, 76 partners and 142 pilot projects, cross-cuttingly and systematically embeds equity, diversity, and inclusion principles in all its structures. JACARDI serves as a unique platform for development, introduction, and evaluation of methods and tools for embedding equity, diversity, and inclusivity principles in a complex and multidimensional real-life setting. This practice paper outlines the design and experiences from the first year of the JACARDI project applying the Normalisation Process Theory (NPT) for describing the developed methods, including the 4Cs framework (Critical reflection; Context and data; Co-design; and inclusive and accessible Communications), an equity and diversity maturity matrix, and capacity development. Key success factors and challenges are also discussed. Developed novel methods and tools aim to be transferable and scalable, thus contributing to more effective, sustainable, and inclusive public health policy and practice.

Source: BMJ Global Health, Volume 10, Issue 11

Prevention in Action: Combating Non-Communicable Diseases Through Collective Health Action and Education

The Prevention in Action (PIA) project was launched to address the fact that cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are recognized as among the world’s deadliest, yet most preventable, health threats. The core focus is the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

PIA is a cross-border initiative aimed at preventing NCDs through a strategy involving education, early detection, and equitable access to health information. Its mission is to reduce the impact of NCDs by promoting healthy behaviours and empowering communities. The partners characterize PIA as more than a project, it’s a commitment to a healthier future.

The project runs for two years, from December 2023 to November 2025 and is led by a strong partnership between multiple Red Cross National Societies, including the Portuguese Red Cross, Hungarian Red Cross, Spanish Red Cross, Slovenian Red Cross, and Italian Red Cross. Through this collaboration, the National Societies support national and EU health policies and contribute to the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

The project specifically targets youth and people in vulnerable situations. Key beneficiaries include displaced individuals from Ukraine. 

PIA is projected to reach:

  • close to 15,000 children and youth;
  • 100 Red Cross staff and volunteers;
  • 100 vulnerable individuals receiving health promotion services.

PIA delivers educational activities in various community settings:

  • A Sudden Death Prevention Program is provided in schools and youth settings.
  • This program teaches children and teachers about the risk factors and early signs of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
  • Training is provided to help communities respond effectively in emergencies, such as CPR training for young people.

The project is developing a mobile application and remote monitoring tool intended to support individuals in managing their health proactively.

To ensure inclusivity, PIA develops culturally sensitive materials for vulnerable populations. These materials are made available at Red Cross health centres and are paired with enhanced screening and counselling during medical visits.

The activities undertaken by the PIA project help communities achieve essential outcomes, including:

  • recognizing warning signs early;
  • reducing risky behaviours;
  • responding effectively in emergencies, for example, through CPR training for young people. 

To amplify the project’s impact, the PIA team actively aligns its actions with commemorative health dates, such as World Bicycle Day, World Health Day, or World First Aid Day. These dates provide powerful opportunities to raise awareness, engage the public, and promote prevention messages to broader audiences.

The project’s strategy ensures that prevention does not happen in the shadows, but instead becomes part of a shared public conversation about health and solidarity.

By investing in education, partnering across borders, and making prevention accessible to all, the PIA partners are setting an example of what collective health action can achieve.

Stay tuned for updates, tools, and events by visiting the project’s website, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook page, X and YouTube channel.

Healthy habits through storytelling: PODiaCar’s mission to reach 25,000 children

PODiaCar (Pediatric Health Through Prevention, Education, and Innovation) is an action grant created to address childhood obesity, which is identified as one of the most pressing public health concerns of our time. Childhood obesity carries long-term consequences that can lead to chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

The project combines medical innovation with educational awareness. PODiaCar’s mission is twofold:

  1. Promote early detection of risk factors for obesity-related diseases (T2D and CVD) using predictive tools and digital modeling to predict future health outcomes.
  2. Raise awareness and foster healthy behaviors among children and families through engaging and accessible communication strategies.

The project is grounded not only in scientific rigor but also on the conviction that education and early awareness are essential for long-lasting impact.

PODiaCar was launched in late 2023 and is coordinated by the Buzzi Children’s Hospital – ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco in Milan. It involves a multidisciplinary team with partners from across Europe, specifically including organizations from:

  • Italy (University of Pavia, Pavia)
  • Spain (University of Granada)
  • Malta (Asomi College of Science, Pembroke)
  • Luxembourg (University of Applied Sciences, Differdange)

The project places children’s health at the center of community-led change and specifically targets children and families. By the end of the project, PODiaCar aims to reach over 25,000 children directly through its campaigns and educational activities.

The project’s educational campaign has been launched in kindergartens and primary schools across several European countries. Activities use interactive materials, storytelling, and classroom engagement to promote healthy habits in everyday learning environments.

The team is actively engaged in technical and clinical work, including the development of advanced digital tools:

  • Advanced Screening Tool: This tool integrates clinical, nutritional, and behavioral data to identify children at risk of developing T2D and CVD.
  • Personalized Digital Twin: This virtual model will help simulate and track a child’s health pathway over time, offering tailored recommendations and monitoring tools.

One of the first major successes was the creation of an animated cartoon designed to teach young children about healthy eating, physical activity, and overall wellbeing. The animated cartoon translates scientific concepts into playful, engaging messages that children can easily understand and enjoy.

The project also participated in the Trofei di Milano Cortina, a major sporting event linked to the Olympic games, providing a valuable opportunity to reach children and families in a dynamic, real-world setting.

Since its launch, PODiaCar has made significant steps toward its ambitious goals. The initial achievements include the creation and launch of the animated cartoon and the rollout of the educational campaign in kindergartens and primary schools. The development of the advanced screening tool and the Digital Twin is currently progressing.

The project’s evaluation methodology relies on the use of predictive tools and digital modelling. The personalized Digital Twin will function as a monitoring tool, helping to simulate and track a child’s health pathway over time.

The PODiaCar team warmly invites stakeholders across Europe to join the project’s mission to improve pediatric health through prevention, education, and innovation. The overall goal is to empower the next generation to grow up healthy, informed, and confident in their ability to take care of their own wellbeing.

For more information, visit the official website of the project. The project’s news can also be followed on Instagram.

Small lifestyle changes, big difference: PREACT shows the way

The PREACT (Prophylactic Education & Actions for Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes) project is an initiative that aims to prevent and reduce cardiometabolic risk, focusing primarily on cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and diabetes. These conditions are identified as leading causes of illness and death across Europe.

PREACT responds to this challenge with a strong focus on prevention over treatment. The core mission is achieved through early intervention, education, and behavior change. The project employs a collaborative, evidence-based, and community-driven approach to promote long-term health and well-being.

“PREACT is more than a project, it’s a mission to turn health awareness into daily action.” – said Pr. Evgenia Vlachou, a diabetes researcher. It launched in November 2023 and is scheduled to run through October 2026, spanning a total of 36 months.

A consortium was formed at inception, comprising diverse entities,bringing together academic institutions, healthcare professionals, public authorities, and civil society from across the EU. The project held its Kick-off Meeting in Athens in January 2024, which included 18 representatives from all partner organizations to align the vision, define roles, and finalize the strategic framework. The presence of the European Commission’s project officer during this meeting ensured compliance with EU standards.

Activities take place through pilot projects in schools, health institutions, and community settings across partner countries, reaching a diverse audience of community members, students, and institutional staff.

PREACT’s educational strategy includes several key development and training activities:

  • The project held a joint staff training event in Komotini in June 2024.
  • The event aimed to build a shared pedagogical foundation among trainers and co-develop culturally and linguistically tailored educational content.
  • The educational toolkit and intervention materials were finalized and refined between July and October 2024, resulting in a comprehensive set of learner and facilitator resources.

Key milestones and phases of the project include:

  1. Kick-off Meeting held in Athens in January 2024.
  2. A comprehensive needs analysis undertaken from February to May 2024, focusing on modifiable risk factors like smoking, diet, physical inactivity, and caffeine consumption, particularly in the Greek and broader European context.
  3. The joint staff training event held in Komotini in June 2024.
  4. Launching  ten pilot actions starting in November 2024 and running through June 2025 in schools, health institutions, and community settings to test the materials’ real-world applicability and impact.

The needs analysis findings directly informed the design of PREACT’s educational materials. The project has finalized an educational toolkit and intervention materials.

In its first 18 months, PREACT successfully established a strong collaborative foundation and completed the initial research and preparation phases.

The success is attributed to the strong collaboration and real-world insights shared by diverse partners, including researchers, health professionals, and community educators.

  • Prof. K. Papadimitriou, a trainer, commented that “small lifestyle changes can make a big difference. PREACT equips us to inspire those changes in practical, culturally relevant ways”.
  • Olga R. from NGO OPORA noted that the Komotini training helped the team “build tools shaped by the people they’re meant to serve”.

The pilot actions, running from November 2024 to June 2025, were designed to test the real-world applicability and impact of the PREACT materials.

PREACT encourages engagement from various stakeholders, including health professionals, educators, policymakers, or anyone passionate about building healthier communities, inviting all to contribute to the mission.

For more information, visit the official project website.

JACARDI’s synergies with Action Grants: reducing the diabetes burden together

The four projects – DUSE, PIA, PREACT, PoDiaCar — and JACARDI are fundamentally anchored in the same mission: addressing the immense public health: the burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), particularly Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) and Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD). The shared approach of these actions universally champions prevention over treatment, implemented through strategies focused on early intervention, education, and sustained behavior change. 

A central demographic synergy is the heavy focus on empowering youth, with four projects targeting children, adolescents, and students in school and community settings to establish healthy habits early. This wide-reaching effort is facilitated by robust cross-national collaboration, involving large consortia to ensure methods are scalable and evidence-based across diverse regions. 

Furthermore, the projects demonstrate a strong commitment to addressing health inequalities by focusing interventions on vulnerable populations, including migrants and refugees. Synergistic actions involve JACARDI sharing its “4Cs” framework for integrating equity and diversity principles, providing a structured approach for the Action Grants to design inclusive interventions. 

Leveraging the advancements of technology, all initiatives integrate digital solutions  to modernize health management and engagement: DUSE uses a serious gaming app and empowers students to build their own health-tracking applications using the MIT App Inventor. PoDiaCar exhibits significant medical innovation by developing an Advanced Screening Tool and a Personalized Digital Twin to predict and simulate a child’s health pathway over time. Furthermore, PIA contributes digitally by developing a mobile application and remote monitoring tool for proactive health management. PREACT ensures real-world impact by finalizing and testing a comprehensive, evidence-based educational toolkit in community settings.

Implementation synergies are further supported by JACARDI sharing resources like the Ophelia methodology (Optimising Health Literacy and Access) to enhance Health Literacy tools within Action Grants like DUSE, PIA, and PREACT, ensuring educational content is accessible and culturally appropriate for targeted high-risk groups. This intensive cooperation across technical work packages, including collaborative development of standardized screening protocols (JACARDI Work Package on Screening, PIA, PREACT), ensures methodological consistency and enhances the scalability of effective prevention strategies across Member States.

Collectively, these projects contribute to a unified, technologically informed movement committed to cultivating healthier, more informed generations across Europe.

DUSE: Educating Youth for Lifelong Health and Diabetes Prevention

The DUSE (Counteracting diabetes using interdisciplinary educative programs) project addresses type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time. T2DM is classified as a lifestyle-related Non-Communicable Disease (NCD). It is often connected to modifiable risk factors, including obesity, physical inactivity, and unhealthy eating habits.

DUSE’s approach focuses strongly on prevention rather than cure. The core mission is to educate and empower children and adolescents to adopt and sustain healthy habits from an early age. This goal is achieved by promoting long-term well-being through regular physical activity and good nutrition.

DUSE launched in January 2024 and is scheduled to conclude in December 2026.

The consortium delivering the interventions includes partners from four participating countries: Italy, Greece, Romania, and Ukraine. The project is coordinated by Prof. Milena Raffi, Associate Professor in Human Physiology, University of Bologna.

The primary target audience consists of children and adolescents. During the first year of the project, the consortium successfully provided interventions to 463 kids across 10 schools. This work in Ukraine is particularly noted for giving children facing stress and uncertainty a sense of agency.

Prof. Milena Raffi, project coordinator, stated that DUSE is helping students build the curiosity, confidence, and skills required to take ownership of their well-being, demonstrating that prevention can be empowering and start early.

The project implements a truly interdisciplinary journey. Educational activities have included a variety of teaching methods:

  • Nutritional and cuisine lessons;
  • Interactive lectures;
  • Physical activity training;
  • Group works and physical activity days;
  • Students have specifically delved into subjects like nutrition science, endocrinology, and physiology.

PhD student Michela Bridi shared that it was inspiring to witness the children’s enthusiasm when they learned how to read food labels or design meals that were balanced.

DUSE harnesses mobile technology and innovative tools to engage students:

  • Students are engaged through a serious gaming app, which is a digital game designed to help them learn, train, or build healthy habits for real life.
  • The project uses the MIT App Inventor platform.
  • Students are encouraged to participate in app development labs and build their own health-tracking apps.
  • These innovative tools foster both self-awareness and a mindset geared toward digital innovation and entrepreneurship.

In its first year, the project has  successfully engaged  463 children in 10 schools within the four partner countries.

Project leaders and participants have shared insights on DUSE’s impact:

  • High school student Daniel reflected that designing an app about healthy habits helped him realize how much technology can assist people in living better, emphasizing that the process involved creating something meaningful for themselves and others.
  • Oleksandr Fomichov noted that in Ukraine, DUSE provided children facing “enormous stress and uncertainty” with hope, knowledge, and a sense of agency. This engagement shows that empowerment and prevention can “thrive even in times of disruption”.

As the school year continues, follow-up evaluations will be conducted. These evaluations will measure how the students’ behaviors and attitudes have evolved, specifically utilizing questionnaires and the analysis of food diaries.

DUSE is defined as more than a project, it is a movement toward cultivating a healthier generation. Everyone is invited to follow the progress and remain engaged. By working together, the goal is to help the next generation gain control of their health through smart choices.

For more information, visit the DUSE website.