Young offenders are considered one of the most vulnerable or at risk groups of developing drug problems and they are likely to be affected by a myriad of health and social inequalities. This proposal focuses on young people aged between 15 and 24 who have been in contact with the criminal justice system. The ‘health in all policies’ approach encourages consideration of the needs of this target group across policy domains, including public health.

The objectives of this proposal address the 3rd EU Health Programme: they are to gather knowledge, exchange best practice and identify transferable innovations and principles of good practice on interventions to prevent illicit drug use, the development of polydrug use and the use of new psychoactive drugs (NPS) among vulnerable young people in touch with the criminal justice systems in partner countries (Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK); to assess identified initiatives against minimum quality standards in drug demand reduction; to examine the appropriateness of the existing standards within the criminal justice context and to develop a set of guidelines adapted to initiatives aimed at the target group; and to initiate a European knowledge exchange network for practitioners and stakeholders working with young people in the criminal justice system.

In order to understand the perspectives of the young people and those who work with them, the project employs a range of qualitative approaches including literature reviews, a scoping survey to collect new information on initiatives, interviews and focus groups, data obtained through interaction on the project website, and documented webinar discussions, consultations with stakeholders and young people and output from thematic meetings. Key outcomes include: increased policy and practice knowledge of preventive interventions, innovative practices and quality criteria among relevant stakeholders; increased engagement of professionals in a European knowledge exchange practitioner forum; awareness of new quality standards guidelines and how to access them.

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Thalassaemia, a previously fatal childhood genetic disease, can today be effectively prevented and appropriately treated, as a result of medical and scientific advances in the last three decades. However, thalassaemia’s prioritisation on national health agendas and the development of national plans for its effective control in the EU has been hampered by the many challenges involved, mainly related to its rarity and migration.

THALassaemia In Action 2018 (THALIA2018) focuses on Europe, targeting patients with thalassaemia and other haemoglobinopathies, healthcare professionals and policymakers and aims to attain four general objectives, based on TIF’s main pillars of activities:

1. Continue and strengthen the education of patients/parents and healthcare professionals, as well as the patients’ capacity, competency and networking within and across countries and regions of Europe. This is to be achieved via the development of e-learning tools and the launching of capacity building courses and training seminars.

2. Raise awareness on thalassaemia and the importance of optimal care amongst the public at large, as well as among THALIA target groups at national and European level. This will be attained using an array of online tools, activities and publications.

3. Prioritise haemoglobin disorders and their control (prevention and management) at European level. This will be accomplished by establishing and training national patients’ associations in EU priority countries, creating an EU Electronic Health Record and entering into policy dialogue with policymakers at national and European level.

4. Support research programmes and studies focused on the clinical management of Thalassaemia. This is to be achieved via the publication of guidelines on the clinical management of Thalassaemia, participating in scientific conferences and providing medical specialists in priority countries with fellowships.

Knowledge is our power.
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The proposal continues the programme of work to reduce the burden of obesity in society, through improved medical services, better information on trends and causes, and strengthened policies for obesity prevention. To achieve this we will promote high standards of training for European health professionals treating people with obesity, using online courses and face-to-face training schools. We will strengthen the provision of information on the trends in obesity prevalence and the causes and impacts of obesity, including disparities in health and health determinants, by providing country reports, interactive maps and down-loadable graphics. Lastly, we will develop a European Obesity Observatory to include a pan-European data-base on prevention activities, a series of Policy Briefing papers, and a Policy Repository providing tools and services for policy makers.
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The overarching goal of the SFP Coalition multiannual work programme between 2018 and 2021 is to prevent cancer and chronic diseases through smoking prevention at EU and national level with a special focus on young people and health in all policies.

The first year of our 2018-2021 multiannual plan will set the foundation for SFP’s four main multi-sectoral campaigns in the coming years, while delivering specific activities and achieving concrete deliverables in 2018. The key campaigns for 2018 will focus on the forthcoming revision of the Tobacco Tax Directive. In this context we will also work with society organisations to call on their governments to ratify the Illicit Trade Protocol and to monitor the implementation of the EU system for tracking and tracing of tobacco products.

SFP will also work on promoting the understanding and implementation of FCTC Article 20 and towards the inclusion of SDG Target 3.4 (reducing NCDs) and 3.a (implementation of the FCTC) in national development plans. SFP will support the implementation of the FCTC at national level through the provision and exchange of evidence-based materials in particular with regard to Art 5.3 (tobacco industry interference), Art 8 (smoke-free policies), and Art 11&13 (especially plain packaging and point of sale measures).
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EPHA’s proposal for a Specific Grant Agreement (SGA) 2019 has been designed to be as coherent as possible with EPHA’s 2018-2021 Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA). It provides a problem analysis for the activities proposed, taking into account current developments and evidence that are influencing public health.

The proposal defines the 2019 operational SMART objectives in each priority area and how they relate to the multiannual objectives outlined in the FPA. Each 2019 objective is broken down into concrete activities, milestones and deliverables.

In line with the FPA, EPHA is seeking funding to continue working in eight thematic priority areas: prevention of chronic NCDs, access to affordable medicines, antimicrobial resistance, digital health, healthy trade policy, improving access to healthcare for disadvantaged groups, financing for public health, and capacity building. One of the main differences between the 2019 SGA proposal and previous years is that more emphasis will be placed on establishing synergies between these areas. This will enable EPHA to be more results-oriented by fostering cross-fertilisation of ideas and action, strengthening the evidence base and working effectively as a network through our diverse membership. A strong focus is placed on ensuring transfer of knowledge between the EU and national level to support the priorities of the 3rd Health Programme and the European Commission, and to emphasise the added value of EU health policymaking.

Moreover, the proposal describes the planning and implementation of EPHA’s Work Programme, including the resources required to accomplish it (staff and budget), the target audience(s) for each activity and how deliverables will be disseminated. It also shows how the work will be evaluated, with indicators provided for each objective. The final part explains how EPHA’s operational and financial management structure supports the successful delivery, with a detailed budget accompanying the proposal.

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