Bilbao hosts the second JACARDI meeting on health literacy
The meeting, coordinated by Biosistemak and held at the Euskalduna Conference Centre, provided an opportunity to share the progress made by the 25 European pilot projects.
On 3 and 4 June, Bilbao hosted the second interim meeting of Work Package 6 (WP6) on health literacy for the European JACARDI project – Joint Action on Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes. This initiative, funded by the EU4Health programme, has been running for two years with the aim of reducing the burden of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in the European Union.
The meeting brought together more than 40 professionals from a range of backgrounds, representing public bodies, research institutes and healthcare organisations from 13 European countries. Over the course of the two-day event, participants shared progress from pilot projects on the development of programmes and interventions focused on health literacy, analysed common challenges, and facilitated discussions on the evaluation of interventions, the inclusion of equity and diversity, and the sustainability and impact of the interventions.
JACARDI, which runs over four years (2023–2027), is coordinated by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Italy) and involves 76 partner organisations from 21 European countries. The project addresses the entire patient experience, from prevention and health promotion to the improvement of care pathways and people’s active participation in their own healthcare.
Health literacy is one of the fundamental pillars of health promotion and disease prevention, as a population capable of understanding, evaluating and applying health information makes more informed decisions, adopts healthier lifestyle habits and becomes an active agent in its own well-being and that of its community.
The Basque Country’s participation in JACARDI
Biosistemak, as an affiliated organisation, represents the Basque Country in JACARDI and co-leads Work Package 6 alongside Santé publique France, the package leader, which focuses on health literacy.
It also participates in other strategic work packages within the project. Within this framework, and in collaboration with the Directorate-General of Osakidetza, the Institute is coordinating two pilot projects in the Basque Country: one aimed at improving health literacy among adolescents and young people, incorporating an equity and diversity approach, and another focused on the design and roll-out of a value-based integrated care pathway for heart failure within the Basque healthcare system.
The organisation of this meeting in Bilbao reinforces Biosistemak’s role in the active participation and leadership of European projects, and the contribution of the Basque healthcare system to the development and implementation of European projects aimed at improving public health and reducing health inequalities.
