This article, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, presents a novel and evidence-informed approach to sustainability within the Joint Action PreventNCD. It develops an operational definition of sustainability for public health projects and examines how the outcomes of JA PreventNCD can be integrated and maintained in national and European policies over the long term.
Using the policy cycle and the accountability cycle as its main frameworks, the paper analyses which factors support or hinder sustained uptake of project outputs, and how evidence can be translated into lasting policy and practice. It explores how youth engagement and the wellbeing economy can act as key principles of the sustainability strand, helping to close the gap between research, policy and implementation.
The authors argue that long-term impact depends in particular on the later stages of the accountability cycle, especially enforcement and improvement, which are often less developed than assessment and communication. By strengthening these stages, the sustainability work stream in JA PreventNCD aims to improve accountability, protect investments in prevention and support durable public health gains across Europe.
Read the full article in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health