World Diabetes Day: EU4Health projects working on diabetes prevention

Over 33 million people in the EU suffer from diabetes, a disease characterised by abnormal blood sugar levels that represents a growing threat to human health. 

Except for type-1 diabetes or genetic conditions, diabetes can often be prevented through a healthy lifestyle, starting in childhood. 

On World Diabetes Day, read more about EU4Health projects working on diabetes prevention within different communities. 

Underprivileged populations 

• The PIA project (Prevention In Action) focuses on primary prevention and reduction of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). By raising awareness, providing screenings and health promotion activities, the project works to improve health in the general population and reduce inequalities in vulnerable groups, including displaced people from Ukraine. 
• The PREACT project aims to tackle diabetes and CVD by raising awareness and promoting healthy lifestyle and early detection approaches. Patients from different groups, including underprivileged populations, will be involved in 8 pilot courses to self-monitor their health status via a web platform developed by the project.  

Children

• The DUSE project is creating an educational programme for children and teenagers in schools, to raise their level of awareness and knowledge about diabetes prevention, promoting good nutrition practices and increasing the level of daily/weekly exercise. DUSE is also working with Ukrainian refugee kids in Europe and Ukraine.  
• PODIACAR aims to improve the fight against paediatric obesity and prevent the risk of Type-2 Diabetes (T2D) and CVD. The project is developing a predictive model and screening tool for these risks in children with obesity and the first ever IT digital twin* for a sound management of pediatric obesity and related complications. 

^{*A Digital Twin is a cutting-edge technology that can replicate everything from the physical world in the digital space and provide engineers with feedback from the virtual world.}  

• The  Joint Action (JA) Health4EUKids will focus on the implementation of best practices to prevent childhood obesity, to increase physical activity and healthy diet in children, families and communities. Based on the acquired knowledge and experience, the JA will work on the transfer of these best practices to other countries 

General population 

• PROVIDE aims to develop a system for the rapid screening of early cardiovascular diseases risk, to improve the quality of clinical monitoring in patients with diabetes, allowing early personalised prevention.  
• The Joint Action CARE4DIABETES aims to reduce the burden of type-2 diabetes and related risk factors by the implementation of effective lifestyle treatment programmes. These will increase patients’ health and quality of life, reduce healthcare associated costs, and promote more innovative and integrated type 2 diabetes interventions based on patients' lifestyle changes. CARE4DIABETES aims at transferring and implementing an identified best practice across 12 Member States. 
• The Joint Action JACARDI supports European countries in reducing the burden of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, at both individual and health system levels. JACARDI is designed to integrate validated best practices and/or (cost-)effective interventions across countries and regions through transnational pilot initiatives, complementing and reinforcing existing policies and programs. JACARDI also addresses transversal and intersectional aspects, e.g. promoting equity in health, social, cultural, and ethnic diversity and the improvement of data availability. 

Background 

EU4Health is the fourth and largest of the EU health programmes. The EU4Health programme goes beyond an ambitious response to the COVID-19 crisis to address the resilience of European healthcare systems. The programme provides funding to national authorities, health organisations and other bodies through grants and tenders, contributing to a healthier Europe. 

HaDEA manages the vast majority of the total EU4Health budget and implements the programme by managing calls for proposals and tenders from 2021 to 2027.