The Centre for Innovation in Medicine, together with 15 European partners, officially launched the EU4Health-funded project “Beating Cancer Inequalities through Literacy in Europe” (CURTAIN) in Câmpulung and Lerești, Romania on 9-11 September.

 

The in-person gathering of research organisations, national health institutes, NGOs, medical centres, and multi-stakeholder associations marked the start of a strong collaboration to reduce cancer inequalities across Europe.

 

Over its 3-year duration, CURTAIN will focus on improving cancer health literacy: enabling citizens to access, understand, and use reliable health information for prevention, early detection, and treatment. The project seeks to address persistent inequalities between Eastern and Western Europe, urban and rural areas, and across vulnerable socio-economic groups.

The project aligns with Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the Cancer Mission by prioritising cancer literacy as a key element in reducing inequalities and improving outcomes. Specifically, CURTAIN will:

The CURTAIN project represents a major step forward in addressing inequalities in cancer care across Europe. By closing knowledge gaps and empowering citizens, it aims to ensure that knowledge saves lives, regardless of geography or socio-economic background.

 

ENSP is proud to contribute to this effort and will continue to update on milestones and progress throughout the project’s journey.

The social contract is the glue that holds our societies together, built on everyday acts of solidarity like caregiving, paying taxes, and supporting public services. Today, this bond is under strain. Politicised debates on immigration, waves of disinformation, and growing disconnection from politics have deepened polarisation, leaving many to feel the contract is broken or unfair. To restore trust, we must start with health. Health is a universal need and a powerful bridge across divides, capable of renewing solidarity and reinforcing the European values that bind us. In uncertain times, protecting and revitalising this social contract has never been more urgent.

 

On Wednesday, 1 October 2025, from 18:15-19:30 at the Conference Centre, this patient-led session will discuss policy priorities for improving lung health with a life-course approach, to sustain the well-being of Europeans and support resilient societies.

 

Our lungs are fundamental to life. However, respiratory diseases remain Europe’s Achilles heel. They affect over 82 million people, place a €1.4 trillion strain on healthcare systems and society, and rank as the sixth leading cause of death on the continent. A new WHO Europe report highlights the health inequalities in lung health and diseases, as well as barriers to care - from delayed diagnosis to lack of support in self-management in diseases like asthma and COPD.

 

ENSP is proud to be represented by Secretary General Cornel Radu-Loghin, who will address tobacco and vaping among youth, as a key public health priority for effective prevention. Among other distinguished panelists, his intervention will place this issue within a broader multidisciplinary approach that includes care and diagnosis, health literacy, and early respiratory prevention for both children and adults.

Save the date for the 10th European Conference on Tobacco or Health (ECToH), taking place in Milan, Italy, in 2026. This milestone edition celebrates ten years of progress in the fight against tobacco and nicotine.

 

The theme, “Nicotine-Free Spaces for Healthier Cities”, highlights the urgent need to transform our urban environments into places that actively foster health, well-being, and sustainability. The vision is clear: to build cities where tobacco, nicotine, and emerging products have no place — from schools and parks to streets and public transport hubs.

 

ECToH 2026 will gather experts, advocates, and policymakers to chart the path toward cleaner, healthier, nicotine-free cities across Europe.

 

Delegates are cordially invited to submit abstracts of their scientific work for presentation as an oral communication or poster at ECToH Congress, before 31 October 2025.