Obesity

Health4EUkids – WP4: the Lisbon workshop (November 2024)

To offer a contribution on how previous and current initiatives, policies and tools at European level can support Member States (MS) in health promotion and childhood obesity prevention was the objective of the workshop “Transferability and Sustainability of Best Practices in Health Promotion and Childhood Obesity Prevention Across Europe: Sharing Experiences from Different EU Joint Actions” that took place on 12 November 2024, during the 17th European Public Health Conference in Lisbon.

The workshop – organised by the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) in the framework of the European Joint Action Health4EUkids in which it participates by coordinating Work Package 4 (WP4) centred on the transferability and sustainability of public health interventions – aimed to align the efforts of all WPs with the principles of integration and sustainability, supporting the reinforcement of national initiatives in line with the development of effective policies as part of a coordinated strategy for the EU and its MS.

In particular, during the workshop, the specific objectives of WP4 were:

• Present results from previous European initiatives, highlighting knowledge, tools, and recommendations useful for promoting child health and supporting responsive parenting, with particular attention to transferability and sustainability​
• Describe the current state of policies and programs related to child health promotion and responsive parenting in MS
• Discuss how contextual analysis can inform the transferability and sustainability of best practices
• Share experiences from various European Joint Actions, focusing on engaging national and European policymakers to integrate results and recommendations into policy initiatives

Organisation of the meeting

The meeting was inaugurated by Miguel Telo de Arriaga from the Portuguese Ministry of Health and Apostolos Vantarakis from the University of Patras, Greece, and coordinator of the Health4EUkids project. Subsequently, Angela Giusti and Chiara Cattaneo from the National Centre for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CNaPPS) of the ISS and coordinators of WP4, along with Giovanni Capelli, Director of CNaPPS, and Apostolos Vantarakis, led and moderated presentations and discussions focused on the themes of transferability and sustainability of interventions. ​

Key Recommendations

Some key recommendations emerged from the workshop to improve the transferability and sustainability of public health interventions:

• Local Context Analysis: conduct comprehensive socio-economic, cultural, and political assessments to tailor practices to the specific needs of different areas, ensuring interventions remain relevant and adaptable across various contexts.
• Stakeholder Engagement: actively involve policymakers, professionals, community leaders, and citizens to align objectives, build trust, and strengthen commitment. This approach is essential for long-term success, enhancing program acceptance and sustainability.​
• Financial and Human Resources: develop sustainability action plans and integrate initiatives into national and European frameworks to secure continuous funding.
• Capacity Building: train local professionals in a multisectoral and multiprofessional approach, providing communities with the skills and knowledge necessary to implement and adapt interventions over the long term, beyond the initial funding period.
• Integration into Existing Networks: leverage already established structures, networks, and programs to amplify impact and reduce duplication of efforts.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: implement robust frameworks to assess the effectiveness, scalability, and adaptability of interventions, ensuring continuous improvement and evidence to support their sustainability and transferability.

These recommendations underscore the importance of considering systemic levels and governance, health, and equity in all policies at local, regional, national, and European Union levels to expand the social impact of interventions across multiple layers.

The outcomes provide valuable guidance for the effective development and implementation of sustainable and transferable public health interventions.

International collaboration remains a priority to address common challenges in health promotion and chronic disease prevention, with a particular focus on children's health. The Health4EUkids Joint Action will continue to work towards building bridges between European nations and strengthening public health policies. ​

To find out more, download the programme of the workshop (pdf 182 kb) and consult the presentations given during the day:

• “Data overview from EU survey on policies and programs on childhood obesity and responsive parenthood” (pdf 715 kb). Vincenza Di Stefano, Paola Scardetta, Angela Giusti – National Centre for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion – Italian National Institute of Health
• “Data overview from SWOT Analysis on Transferability and Sustainability of Best Practices” (pdf 528 kb). Vittorio Palermo, Paola Scardetta, Chiara Cattaneo – National Centre for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion – Italian National Institute of Health
• “The implementation of Grunau Moves: challenges and facilitators” (pdf 1,3 Mb). Rosana Peiro Pérez, WP5 Coordinator – The Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of the Valencian Community (Fisabio)
• “The implementation of Smart Family: challenges and facilitators” (pdf 603 kb). Heli Kuusipalo, WP6 Coordinator – Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)
• “Chrodis+” (pdf 465 kb). Paolo Michelutti – Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCS
• “JA PreventNCD” (pdf 480 kb). Léopold Vandervliet – Sciensano
• “Jacardi” (pdf 883 kb). Benedetta Armocida – Malattie cardiovascolari, endocrino-metaboliche e invecchiamento, ISS
• “EuroHealthNet - Inequalities and Social Determinants in Public Health” (pdf 937 kb). Caroline Costongs – EuroHealthNet
• “OECD - Economic Indicators in Public Health” Marion Devaux – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)