22 September 2026
Saija Jarvimaki
As the European Union prepares its next long-term budget for 2028–2034, an editorial written by leading experts of JACARDI and JA PreventNCD highlights that the future of disease prevention depends not only on funding, but also on maintaining the structures that enable countries to work together and turn health policies into action.
Published in the European Journal of Public Health, the editorial Protecting Europe’s prevention infrastructure in the next EU budget argues that effective prevention requires strong public health institutions, professional networks, monitoring systems and governance structures that support collaboration and evidence-based policymaking across Europe.
“Europe already has ambitious health strategies. The question is whether it will retain the governance and implementation structures needed to turn those ambitions into coordinated and measurable action across Member States,” write Benedetta Armocida, Knut-Inge Klepp and Hanna Tolonen, public health experts involved in JACARDI and JA PreventNCD.
The editorial also highlights the role of Joint Actions such as JACARDI and JA PreventNCD in translating European health priorities into practical action across Member States. According to the authors, preserving cross-country cooperation, implementation capacity and accountability mechanisms will be essential for achieving Europe’s long-term health goals.