AUTHOR=Cuschieri Sarah 
  
TITLE=From commitment to capacity: strengthening Europe’s public health response to cardiovascular disease and diabetes through life-course prevention
  
JOURNAL=Public Health Reviews
  
VOLUME=Volume 47 - 2026
  
YEAR=2026
  
URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/public-health-reviews/articles/10.3389/phrs.2026.1609639
  
DOI=10.3389/phrs.2026.1609639
  
ISSN=2107-6952
  
ABSTRACT=BackgroundCardiovascular disease and diabetes remain the leading causes of premature mortality in Europe, despite longstanding political commitments and the availability of cost-effective preventive interventions. As the global public health community approaches the 40th anniversary of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, persistent gaps between prevention principles and implementation require renewed policy focus.AnalysisThis policy brief synthesises evidence from international reports and European initiatives to examine why prevention efforts for cardiovascular disease and diabetes have not achieved sufficient scale or impact. It highlights the role of obesity, diabetes, and early-life risk exposure in shaping cardiovascular risk, alongside fragmented surveillance systems and continued reliance on reactive, treatment-centred care. While current policy frameworks demonstrate ambition, implementation and accountability remain inconsistent.Policy OptionsPriority actions include embedding life-course prevention across cardiovascular and diabetes strategies, strengthening primary and community-based prevention, investing in equity-oriented surveillance, and scaling collaborative initiatives such as JACARDI and JA PreventNCD.ConclusionAchieving equitable prevention of cardiovascular disease and diabetes requires a shift from reactive care to sustained life-course prevention.