Gaining health : analysis of policy development in European ...

Table 1. Range of NCD-relevant policies, programmes and legislation in place in European countries
Chapter 2
10
National health Specific national Specific national
policy programme legislation
NCD prevention and control 28 28 —
Tobacco control 28 25 37
Nutrition/diet 24 20 35
Physical activity 19 17 13
Alcohol control 19 17 28
Hypertension 15 16 —
Diabetes 20 29 —
Heart disease 20 20 —
Stroke 17 14 —
Cancer 23 23 —
Chronic respiratory disease 13 10 —
Other chronic disease 10 10 —
Source: WHO Regional Office for Europe (13).
The European NCD Strategy was endorsed in September
2006 at the fifty-sixth session of the Regional Committee.
The guiding principles of the document are derived from
those of the HFA policy framework for the WHO European
Region, which can be summarized as follows:
• achievement of full health potential;
• addressing of inequalities – closing the health gap between
and within countries;
• active participation of the population;
• multisectoral strategies and intersectoral investment;
and
• the health impact of different sectors.
The European NCD Strategy promotes a comprehensive
and integrated approach to tackling NCD. It simultaneously
promotes population-level health promotion and prevention
programmes, actively targets groups and individuals at
high risk, and maximizes population coverage of effective
treatment and care while systematically integrating policy
and action to reduce inequalities in health. The goal of
the Strategy is to avoid premature death and significantly
reduce the disease burden from NCD, improving quality of
life and making healthy life expectancy more equitable in
Europe within and between Member States. The objectives
of the Strategy are to combine integrated action on risk factors
and their underlying determinants across sectors with
efforts to strengthen health systems to improve prevention
and control (13). The present NCD policy analysis is in fact
an integral part of the Strategy implementation process.
References
1. Puska P et al., eds. The North Karelia project: 20 year
results and experiences. Helsinki, National Public Health
Institute, 1995.
2. US Department of Health and Human Services. Promoting
health/preventing disease: objectives for the nation.
History and context of policies to tackle NCD