Project Details
Description
The DGSANCO Action for Health project was a two-year European Union initiative to improve health and quality of life by addressing health inequalities through health promotion and the strategic use of structural funds. Its goal was to prepare regions and member states to develop action plans and apply for funding, such as through European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), to tackle health inequalities. Led in the UK by the University of Brighton, it involved partners from 10 EU countries and focused on capacity building and project evaluation.
Coordinated by Zavod za zdravstveno varstvo Murska Sobota (Institute of Public Health Murska Sobota) in Slovenia and funded by the Public Health Programme of the European Commission (DGSANCO), the project had six key objectives to:
> Carry out a situation analyses and needs assessments with regard to basic socioeconomic factors, health determinants and structural funds plan at country level and in one chosen region
> Identify examples of good practice for tackling health inequalities in each partner country
> Increase the capacity of public health professionals with regards to reducing health inequalities
> Prepare action plans for tackling health inequalities by means of health promotion at regional level compatible with structural funds' eligibility criteria and to produce a proposal of costed plans to meet the chosen objectives
> Pilot implement one action plan's objective in each country/region
> Increase public health capacity to reduce health inequalities by using structural funds.
Coordinated by Zavod za zdravstveno varstvo Murska Sobota (Institute of Public Health Murska Sobota) in Slovenia and funded by the Public Health Programme of the European Commission (DGSANCO), the project had six key objectives to:
> Carry out a situation analyses and needs assessments with regard to basic socioeconomic factors, health determinants and structural funds plan at country level and in one chosen region
> Identify examples of good practice for tackling health inequalities in each partner country
> Increase the capacity of public health professionals with regards to reducing health inequalities
> Prepare action plans for tackling health inequalities by means of health promotion at regional level compatible with structural funds' eligibility criteria and to produce a proposal of costed plans to meet the chosen objectives
> Pilot implement one action plan's objective in each country/region
> Increase public health capacity to reduce health inequalities by using structural funds.
Key findings
The Action for Health project increased the capacity of public health experts and partner institutions in the fields of health inequalities, health promotion, and knowledge on structural funds. Strengthened existing, and established new, partnerships represent a particular added value of the project potentially contributing towards sustainability of outcomes.
Strategic regional action plans have been developed for seven European countries each of which reflect the local environment, culture, and health needs of the areas within which they are located. These action plans can serve as useful guidance for public health professionals to target and sustain their efforts on addressing health inequalities. Among the most important impacts of the project was the pilot implementation of one strategic objective from each of the action plans focusing on either the most vulnerable group(s) within the region and/or on the most prominent public health problem (e.g. cardio-vascular disease).
Evaluation of the pilot implementation and project as a whole, demonstrated the strategic value of the action plans for public health, the potential for translational action amongst European regions, as well as increased capacity and the development of new partnerships for participating public health institutions.
Publications
Sherriff, N.S., Gugglberger, L., Davies, J.K, and Van den Broucke, S. (under review). Capacity Building to tackle health inequalities through structural funds: the ACTION-FOR-HEALTH Project. Submitted to Health Promotion International.
Gugglberger, L. and Sherriff, N.S. (2014). Action for Health: Continuous and Final Evaluation. Final report on behalf of the ACTION-FOR-HEALTH Consortium, Brighton; University of Brighton.
Albreht, T., Belović, B., Darias-Curvo, S., Davies, J.K., Dorgelo, A.,Eržen, I., Gavrić, ž., Krajnc-Nikolić, T., Sherriff N.S., Van Den Broucke, S., Vervoordeldonk, J., and Wu, J. (Alphabetical order) (2014). Action for Health: Tackling health inequalities in practice (Distance Learning Tool). Murska Sobota: National Institute of Public Health Murska Sobota.
Belović, B., Darias-Curvo, S., Dimitrov, P., Fekécs, É., Gedminiene, A., Gugglberger, L., Járomi, É., Krajnc-Nikolić, T., Kutnjak Kiš, R., Machajova, M., Psota, M., Sherriff N.S., Sisask, M., Suarez Lopez de Vergara, R.G., Uvodić-Đurić, D., and Zolubiene, E. (Alphabetical order) (2014). Action Plans in practice: implementation of strategic objectives. Murska Sobota: National Institute of Public Health Murska Sobota.
Sherriff, N.S. Gugglberger, L., and Davies, J.K., on behalf of the ACTION-FOR-HEALTH Consortium (2014). Reducing Health Inequalities through Health Promotion and Structural Funds. Murska Sobota: Institute of Public Health Murska Sobota. (will send in separate email as too large for here)
Gugglberger, L. and Sherriff, N.S. (2013). Action for Health: Continuous and Final Evaluation. Interim report on behalf of the ACTION-FOR-HEALTH Consortium, Brighton; University of Brighton.
Strategic regional action plans have been developed for seven European countries each of which reflect the local environment, culture, and health needs of the areas within which they are located. These action plans can serve as useful guidance for public health professionals to target and sustain their efforts on addressing health inequalities. Among the most important impacts of the project was the pilot implementation of one strategic objective from each of the action plans focusing on either the most vulnerable group(s) within the region and/or on the most prominent public health problem (e.g. cardio-vascular disease).
Evaluation of the pilot implementation and project as a whole, demonstrated the strategic value of the action plans for public health, the potential for translational action amongst European regions, as well as increased capacity and the development of new partnerships for participating public health institutions.
Publications
Sherriff, N.S., Gugglberger, L., Davies, J.K, and Van den Broucke, S. (under review). Capacity Building to tackle health inequalities through structural funds: the ACTION-FOR-HEALTH Project. Submitted to Health Promotion International.
Gugglberger, L. and Sherriff, N.S. (2014). Action for Health: Continuous and Final Evaluation. Final report on behalf of the ACTION-FOR-HEALTH Consortium, Brighton; University of Brighton.
Albreht, T., Belović, B., Darias-Curvo, S., Davies, J.K., Dorgelo, A.,Eržen, I., Gavrić, ž., Krajnc-Nikolić, T., Sherriff N.S., Van Den Broucke, S., Vervoordeldonk, J., and Wu, J. (Alphabetical order) (2014). Action for Health: Tackling health inequalities in practice (Distance Learning Tool). Murska Sobota: National Institute of Public Health Murska Sobota.
Belović, B., Darias-Curvo, S., Dimitrov, P., Fekécs, É., Gedminiene, A., Gugglberger, L., Járomi, É., Krajnc-Nikolić, T., Kutnjak Kiš, R., Machajova, M., Psota, M., Sherriff N.S., Sisask, M., Suarez Lopez de Vergara, R.G., Uvodić-Đurić, D., and Zolubiene, E. (Alphabetical order) (2014). Action Plans in practice: implementation of strategic objectives. Murska Sobota: National Institute of Public Health Murska Sobota.
Sherriff, N.S. Gugglberger, L., and Davies, J.K., on behalf of the ACTION-FOR-HEALTH Consortium (2014). Reducing Health Inequalities through Health Promotion and Structural Funds. Murska Sobota: Institute of Public Health Murska Sobota. (will send in separate email as too large for here)
Gugglberger, L. and Sherriff, N.S. (2013). Action for Health: Continuous and Final Evaluation. Interim report on behalf of the ACTION-FOR-HEALTH Consortium, Brighton; University of Brighton.
| Status | Finished |
|---|---|
| Effective start/end date | 1/09/13 → 31/08/16 |
Fingerprint
Explore the research topics touched on by this project. These labels are generated based on the underlying awards/grants. Together they form a unique fingerprint.