Prevention works
Shaping healthier futures, together
Every year, millions of people across Europe are affected by long-term diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease. These are often called non-communicable diseases, or NCDs, because they are not passed from person to person. NCDs are the leading cause of death and disability in Europe.
91%
of deaths
linked to NCDs
87%
of healthy years lost
to NCDs or disability
62%
of NCD deaths
linked to preventable risk factors
46%
of NCD burden in EU
attributed to risk factors
The Importance of Early Prevention
Across the WHO European Region, around 1.8 million deaths from NCDs every year are avoidable. WHO/Europe estimates that 60% of these avoidable deaths are preventable through reduced exposure to risk factors and public health interventions.
That means we already know many of the actions that can save lives, improve wellbeing and reduce pressure on health systems.
Key Risk Factors
A large share of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other long-term diseases is linked to preventable risk factors. Four of the most important are part of everyday life: alcohol, tobacco and nicotine, nutrition, and physical activity.
Alcohol
Alcohol is linked to more than 200 diseases and health conditions, including several types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, liver disease and injuries. In the WHO European Region, about 800,000 deaths every year are linked to alcohol use, equal to around 1 in every 11 deaths.
Reducing alcohol-related harm is not only about individual decisions. It is also about availability, pricing, marketing and the environments where alcohol is promoted, sold and consumed.
Tobacco & Nicotine
Tobacco and nicotine products are highly addictive and are linked to cancer, cardiovascular disease, lung disease and other serious health harms.
Prevention means helping people avoid tobacco and nicotine, supporting people who want to quit, protecting people from second-hand smoke and aerosols, and reducing the marketing, availability and appeal of harmful products, especially for children and young people.
Nutrition
What we eat has a major impact on health. Unhealthy diets can contribute to high blood pressure, raised blood sugar, unhealthy blood fats and obesity, all of which increase the risk of serious long-term diseases.
Healthy eating should not depend only on individual effort. Food environments matter. Schools, workplaces, public institutions, shops, prices, marketing and local communities all influence what is easy, affordable and normal to eat.
Physical Activity
Physical activity helps protect health and prevent long-term diseases. It includes much more than sport or gym exercise: walking, cycling, wheeling, playing, dancing, gardening, taking the stairs and reducing long periods of sitting all count.
Making movement easier in everyday life depends on both individual opportunities and supportive environments, including safe streets, active transport, green spaces, schools, workplaces and community facilities.
Health is shaped by our surroundings
Prevention is often presented as a matter of personal choice. But choices are shaped by the conditions around us. They are influenced by availability, affordability, marketing, social conditions, transport, urban planning, public policy and the wider environment around us.
This idea is not new. The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion highlighted the importance of healthy public policy, supportive environments, community action, personal skills and health services that support health. It also emphasised the need for equal opportunities and resources that enable people to achieve their fullest health potential.
That remains highly relevant today. Healthier choices should not depend on income, education, postcode, age, gender, disability, migration status or other personal circumstances. Everyone should have the opportunity to live in surroundings that support better health.
Make healthier choices easier, fairer and more accessible for everyone
Stronger action on alcohol, tobacco and nicotine, nutrition and physical activity can reduce the burden of cancer and other long-term diseases.
This includes giving people clear information and practical support, but also creating healthier environments through policy, planning, regulation, services and community action.
