Public Health: Santé publique France and ANSES Launch the First Phase of the Albane Survey

On September 16, 2024, Santé publique France and ANSES will launch the first phase of the Albane survey, which will provide ongoing assessments of the French population’s health and exposure to chemicals, and shed light on their links to diet and the environment.

Published on 16 September 2024

surveys/studies

10 June 2025

Albane: health surveys, biomonitoring, environment, food, and nutrition

Albane (Food, Biomonitoring, Health, Nutrition, and Environment) is a groundbreaking national survey designed to assess the health status of the population living in France, their exposure to chemicals, and their habits regarding diet, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Led jointly by Santé publique France and ANSES, Albane is funded by the ministries responsible for Ecological Transition, Health, Agriculture, and Labor. The first phase of the survey begins on September 16, 2024, in the Île-de-France and Nouvelle-Aquitaine regions, involving 200 adults and 200 children, before rolling out nationwide starting in May 2025. Once analyzed, the results will help inform public authorities on the measures to be implemented to improve public health.

What is the purpose of the Albane survey?

The Albane survey covers various health topics and will provide a better understanding of:

the prevalence of certain diseases such as diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, overweight and obesity, or high blood pressure, which are sometimes underdiagnosed;
the level of environmental chemicals in our bodies, such as pesticides, bisphenols, plasticizers (phthalates), or perfluorinated compounds (PFAS);
the population’s dietary habits and level of physical activity, which play a decisive role in the onset or prevention of certain chronic diseases.

The knowledge gathered in this way is essential for supporting public policies and regulations aimed at reducing exposure, preventing chronic diseases, and improving their management.

This comprehensive health survey will follow on from ANSES’s INCA (National Individual Food Consumption Survey), Santé publique France’s ENNS (National Nutrition and Health Survey), and ESTEBAN (Study on the Environment, Biomonitoring, Physical Activity, and Nutrition).

How will the first phase of the study proceed?

In practice, starting September 16, 2024, and for a period of three months, 200 adults aged 18 to 79 and 200 children over the age of 2 from the two pilot regions will be included in the survey. Participants will be selected at random from an INSEE database. Children under 2 years of age living with participating adults may also be included in the survey. During the survey, participants will be asked to complete questionnaires, undergo a health examination, and provide biological samples. The results of the first phase will be used to test the survey protocol under real-world conditions and adjust it as needed in preparation for the launch of the nationwide survey in the spring of 2025.

Albane, an ambitious health survey

The Albane survey is designed to be repeated in two-year cycles, conducted on samples of more than 3,000 people aged 0 to 79 who are representative of the population living in France. The inclusion of overseas departments and regions will be considered in the future. Comparisons across cycles will make it possible to track changes in the health status of the French population and help measure progress toward achieving the objectives set within the framework of public health policies related to the topics addressed by the survey. Thus, France will have a continuous system for monitoring the health status of its population—a capability few countries possess.

This ambitious, long-term survey aligns with the objectives of national policies on food and nutrition. This applies both to monitoring nutritional status and dietary habits, physical activity, and sedentary behavior, as well as to studying associated factors and guiding preventive actions. It is also one of the initiatives listed in the National Biomonitoring Strategy launched in early 2024, which aims to monitor the French population’s exposure to chemicals, identify associated diseases, and determine the factors driving these exposures. It also contributes to the implementation of the WHO’s Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2013–2020, extended through 2030.

At the regional level, repeating the survey over multiple cycles will eventually provide actionable results by region, thereby supporting the definition, implementation, and evaluation of public health policies tailored to specific regions.

At the international level, the Albane system will enable comparisons with the health situations in countries conducting similar surveys, such as Germany, Canada, and the United States.

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