[Brussels, Belgium] The consortium of partners from the "Healthy Lifestyles for Europe" (HL4EU) project is thrilled to announce the publication of its Call for Action: "Enabling Cross-Sectoral Approaches for Healthy Lifestyles in Europe." Comprising a diverse range of leading NGOs and sector representative bodies from the physical activity, outdoor, sport, mobility, health, patient and caregiver sectors, HL4EU unites around a shared goal of combating non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and promoting healthier lifestyles.
Driven by collaboration and evidence-informed approaches, HL4EU seeks to further environments conducive to healthy living and to catalyse transformative change, notably by supporting a preventive approach to health. The Call for Action underscores the importance of physical activity in NCD prevention, management and care. NCDs stand as the leading cause of mortality throughout Europe, where they account for 90% of all deaths and 80% of the health burden.
Today’s Call for Action outlines specific steps to be taken by stakeholders and emphasises the need to embrace a holistic approach to address the root causes of NCDs. By integrating efforts in healthcare, education, urban planning, access to physical activity and policy development, we can create environments that promote and sustain healthy lifestyles for all.
A healthier future evidently requires collective action. We, therefore, invite all committed stakeholders to endorse this Call for Action and join us in calling on the European Union to enable and foster greater cross-sectoral approaches to healthy lifestyles across Europe.
"As the coordinating organisation for the HL4EU project and the leading organisation representing the fitness and physical activity sector in Europe, we are committed to making physical activity accessible for all. Only through a holistic approach that embraces collaboration across sectors, can we address the complex determinants of health and curb the rising NCDs’ tide across the EU," says Kai Troll,
CEO of EuropeActive. "Our sector will continue leading efforts to promote physical activity for all and drive meaningful change in combatting NCDs, improving people’s lives and building a stronger, healthier and more resilient Europe."
Co-funded by the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme, HL4EU notably aims to strengthen the sustainability and legacy of the European Commission’s ‘HealthyLifestyles4All’ campaign and provide support to future European policy initiatives in this direction. During the 30 months duration of the project, the project partners will develop a dedicated stakeholder platform, identify and share good practices of cross-sectoral collaboration, and provide input for future policy developments on the topic through a set of policy recommendations. Through collaboration and concerted action, we aspire to create a healthier and more resilient Europe for generations to come. Mark your calendars for the project’s next milestone: the Community Building Conference on 5 November 2024 in Brussels, gathering supporters of the Call for Action and stakeholders committed to making healthy lifestyles a reality for all!
For more information about the HL4EU project and the Call for Action, please visit https://www.healthylifestyles-project.eu/.
Contact:
Ioana Marica
Communications & PR Officer
EuropeActive
ioana.marica@europeactive.eu
About HL4EU:
Co-funded by the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme, the Healthy Lifestyles for Europe project (HL4EU) aims to foster a cross-sectoral approach to healthy lifestyles promotion among a variety of stakeholders, in line with the European Commission and WHO’s vision and existing policy initiatives, and in sight of tackling the increasing burden of NCDs and of reducing health inequalities across Europe. The consortium consists of leading national and European representative organisations from different sectors, including, fitness, physical activity, outdoors, health (doctors, patients, and carers) and mobility.
About the Consortium: The HL4EU consortium is composed of the following partners:
· EPIONI
· Europe Active
· European Initiative for Exercise in Medicine
· European Liver Patient Association
· European Network of Outdoor Sports
· Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry
· It’s Great Out There
· POLIS Network
