IDIVAL launches two free online courses in Cantabria under the European JACARDI project to tackle cardiovascular disease and diabetes

The Health Research Institute of Cantabria (IDIVAL), through its Nursing Research Group, will launch on October 1st two free seven-week online courses within the framework of the European JACARDI project, a joint action aimed at laying the foundations for the new European Union strategy against cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

The courses are supervised by professionals from the Cantabrian Health Service and the University of Cantabria, and designed to be easily followed from any device with internet access. Each week, a new module will be released with both theoretical and practical content adapted to the general population.

A call to citizens

IDIVAL is calling on the people of Cantabria to take part in this free training. The goal is for at least 400 Cantabrians to complete the courses, around 200 in each one, so that the results will be useful for research and contribute to improving prevention and treatment of these diseases.

Two learning paths

The courses are tailored to two population groups in Cantabria:

• Course for the general population: cardiovascular health, healthy eating, physical activity, emotional well-being, prevention of harmful habits, and early detection.
• Course for patients: diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome, self-management and control, nutrition, physical activity, quality of life, treatment adherence, and support resources.

The scale of the problem

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Europe, above cancer and traffic accidents, affecting 63 million people. Diabetes has seen a remarkable increase: in 2019, 32.3 million Europeans were living with it, nearly double the number of a decade earlier.

In Spain, the latest data analyzed by the Spanish Society of Cardiology reveal that:

• One in three deaths is due to cardiovascular disease.
• In Cantabria, 28.18% of deaths are related to these conditions, placing the region among the five autonomous communities with the lowest mortality from this cause.
• Mortality has been declining since 2010, although Cantabrian women remain at higher risk than men (31.10% vs. 25.29%).
• Up to 80% of these diseases could be prevented with a healthy lifestyle.

Cantabria at the heart of Europe

The European JACARDI project involves 21 countries, including Ukraine, through a consortium of 76 partners and more than 300 public health experts. The European Commission has allocated €53 million to this initiative, funded through the EU4H (European Union for Health) program.

In Cantabria, JACARDI has been implemented since the end of 2023 through three pilot projects combining prevention for the general population with training for already diagnosed patients. To this end, IDIVAL collaborates with entities such as the Adult Education Centers of Santander and Camargo, COCEMFE Cantabria, Cantabrian School of Health, Movement for Peace, Plataforma Romanes, and COHORTE Cantabria.

An inclusive and equitable European model

In addition to promoting healthy habits, JACARDI embraces an inclusive approach that takes into account social factors, cultural diversity, and health equity. It also fosters gender equality in public health leadership roles, advocating for a collaborative governance model that empowers new generations and helps build more resilient European communities.

Registrations and more information: https://www.idival.org/jacardi-en-cantabria/