The Joint Action on CARdiovascular diseases and DIabetes (JACARDI) aims to reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in EU Member States, at both the individual and population levels, while ensuring the sustainability and equity of health systems.

JACARDI addresses the priorities of the EU health program developed in response to the COVID-19 crisis; more specifically, it aims to:

• carry out harmonized and coordinated projects at the European level;

• apply common methodologies that have proven effective in the field;

• cover all areas likely to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, particularly the risk factors common to both conditions, whether behavioral (unhealthy diet, physical activity/sedentary lifestyle) or metabolic (high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, etc.);

• have a greater impact at the European level than isolated national actions, particularly to support the development and implementation of large-scale public health initiatives.

To this end, JACARDI will test and propose solutions throughout the patient’s care journey—whether in terms of prevention, early screening, treatment and care, or self-management—to achieve the following objectives:

• improve health literacy and raise awareness among the population, especially the most socioeconomically disadvantaged, regarding cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and their risk factors;

• implement effective primary prevention measures, screening initiatives, and improved care pathways for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes by targeting groups at high cardiometabolic risk;

• strengthen support for self-management and labor market participation for people diagnosed with cardiovascular disease or diabetes;

• improve the availability, quality, and accessibility of data throughout the patient’s care journey;

• promote equity in health services and information, ensuring equal access for all, regardless of language proficiency, cognitive abilities, age, or life circumstances.

The lessons learned at the end of the four-year project will enable the development of a roadmap for Member States with the aim of rolling out effective interventions at the national and/or regional level.

The 21 participating European countries have come together in 11 working groups (or work packages) and around 142 pilot projects to demonstrate the effectiveness of the practices implemented to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

• Discover all of JACARDI’s pilot projects: JACARDI.eu

Santé publique France is the competent authority for France and coordinates JACARDI-France with five other affiliated French entities^* to ensure that actions are complementary and consistent.

Pilot projects led by Santé publique France

Health literacy

• Pilot 7: Improving health literacy among women following a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy

• Pilot 8: Improving awareness of blood pressure readings and hypertension in the general population

Data and registries

• Pilot 48 – DIAB Lab: Improving the diabetes surveillance system in France by collecting real-world laboratory data

• Pilot 55 – DIAB Type 1: Improving the diabetes surveillance system in France by developing specific surveillance for type 1 diabetes

• Pilot 67: Documenting gender disparities in the field of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes

Improving screening

• Pilot 71 – Unknown DIAB: developing a tool to identify undiagnosed type 2 diabetes in the general population

• Pilot 72: enable screened individuals to know their blood pressure readings and promote opportunistic screening for undiagnosed hypertension (continuation of Pilot 7 campaign, WP6)

Pilot projects in which Santé publique France is a partner

Health literacy

• Pilot 9 – ALISA DIAB (led by Paimpol Hospital): improving health literacy focused on vulnerable populations and health inequalities in type 2 diabetes in France

Patient Journey

• Pilot 90 – ITINERANCE (led by Nantes University Hospital in partnership with Toulouse and Lyon University Hospitals): improving the care pathway and patient journey for individuals with diabetes and chronic kidney disease

*The entities affiliated with JACARDI France are: the Nantes University Hospital, the Tours University Hospital, the Toulouse University Hospital, the Lyon University Hospital, and the Saint-Brieuc-Paimpol-Tréguier Hospital.

JACARDI seeks to reduce social and regional inequalities by addressing complex health challenges in an inclusive manner, focusing on the social and economic determinants of health, cultural diversity, and equity. To this end, 142 pilot projects are being implemented in community and clinical settings, based on practices proven effective in improving the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. With this goal in mind, JACARDI projects are organized around the following steps:

An analysis of available resources and a mapping of needs

This step identifies existing resources (actions already taken, available tools, educational materials, healthcare professionals, etc.) and gaps to be addressed.

Next, the needs of the target population are identified, taking into account their socio-cultural characteristics, their knowledge, and their health practices.

Co-designing the intervention

This involves engaging stakeholders, particularly at the local level: community members, health professionals, and policymakers are involved from the outset of the process to co-design the intervention.

The intervention’s objectives are defined based on the identified needs and available resources.

Implementation of the intervention

The intervention is integrated into the standard practices of health professionals and local stakeholders. Health professionals are trained in the use of new tools and concepts and in communicating with the most vulnerable individuals

Impact evaluation

The impact of the intervention is regularly evaluated to measure its effectiveness and make necessary adjustments.

Sustainability

The most promising actions that have demonstrated their contribution to reducing health inequalities by improving access to information and care are proposed at the European level. Long-term monitoring is established to ensure the sustainability of the intervention and measure its impact on the health of the population.

The implementation of similar, coordinated projects at the European level helps maximize the impact of public health initiatives, particularly in the fight against cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

By applying common methodologies that have already proven effective in the field, these projects can cover all areas likely to reduce the burden of these diseases, with a particular focus on common risk factors.

These include behavioral risk factors, such as an unhealthy diet, a sedentary lifestyle, or a lack of physical activity, as well as metabolic risk factors (high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, etc.). This coordinated, Europe-wide approach achieves a greater impact than isolated national actions, thereby contributing more effectively to the development of ambitious and sustainable public health initiatives.