JA PreventNCD - Can we monitor our way to a healthier Europe?
Data is the foundation of prevention, but only if we know how to measure it - and at what cost. We have concluded a successful webinar on Population and Economic Monitoring within the JA PreventNCD on May 19th 2026.
After 18 months of collaboration across 19 European countries, we are moving from theoretical approaches to shared and joint efforts for consolidating and further strengthening non-communicable diseases monitoring practice theory.
Two Tasks – One Shared Goal
Task 8.3: A Common Language for Health
Valentina Possenti and Nicole Rossi emphasized the importance of harmonizing our efforts:
- We are trying to answer the question: which are the key indicators required for an effective and efficient population NCD monitoring?
One main action relates to building a Comprehensive Library of Indicators. By in-dept specifying operational definitions and terminology, health data harmonization can be reached from the North, South, East, and West. This is required to drive effective and homogeneous lifelong prevention policies.
Task 8.4: Measuring the Economic Burden
Sustainability is the biggest challenge for European healthcare today. Using cancer as a key case study - and leveraging world-class data sources like the Population-base Cancer Registries - we are developing methodologies to measure the actual economic impact of NCDs.
Silvia Francisci highlighted why monitoring the financial impact is crucial for our healthcare systems:
- Prevention is the most powerful strategy to curb the economic burden. Our goal is to provide policymakers with the quantitative evidence needed to respond to healthcare demands.
Key Takeaways from the Internal Webinar
- Life-Course Approach: We don't just look at a diagnosis; we monitor the entire journey, considering prevalence by phase of care and progression to recurrence.
- Beyond Research: We are reusing existing healthcare databases to create "real-world" evidence.
Multi-Stakeholder Value: Our findings aren't just for researchers, they are vital tools for policymakers, clinicians, and ultimately, the patients. - Sustainability: Controlling NCDs is a challenge every European government must address to ensure our healthcare systems remain viable for future generations.
A huge thank you to Valentina Possenti , Nicole Rossi, Silvia Francisci and Giovanni Capelli, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, for sharing their expertise and leading the way.
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