Joint Action JACARDI: a context analysis on CVDs and diabetes policies and practices

Abstract Issue/problem Non-communicable diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in Europe, with 63 million people living with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and 32 million with diabetes (DM) in 2019. The EU-co-funded Joint Action on CVDs and diabetes (JACARDI), with 76 partners from 21 countries, aims to reduce CVDs and DM burden at European level through 142 pilot projects. Description of the problem For an effective and tailored pilots’ implementation, a preliminary step is to assess the current state of strategies and services for CVDs and DM prevention and management in Europe. We adopt the Gap Analysis methodology aiming to evaluate the gap between the current and the ideal state, the latter defined according to scientific evidence, best-practices, guidelines, and expert’s opinions. For this purpose, 12 questionnaires, one for CVDs and one for DM for six different thematic areas, were developed through a participatory approach that fostered the collaboration between the scientific coordination team and the project members. Results Questionnaires were sent to National Focal Points for health covering 29 European countries. We anticipate receiving responses from each country covering aspects related to the legal and strategic framework, the intersectoral and equity-oriented approaches, the funding and the service delivery and capacity for CVDs and DM. This information will be collected across each of the six thematic areas corresponding to six technical Work Packages (WP): health literacy, data, screening, integrated-care pathways, patients self-management, labour participation. The survey will be completed by June 2024, and results by WP and country will be presented. Lessons The context analysis, based on the Gap Analysis methodology, allows to identify gaps between the current and ideal state in CVDs and DM prevention and management. This will guide JACARDI’s pilots to address gaps and serve as a roadmap to inform European policy-makers. Key messages • The context analysis will provide an invaluable overview of the current European state of CVDs and DM prevention and management. • The context analysis will support JACARDI’s pilots in addressing identified gaps and policy-makers in shaping public health responses.