1. Expected Results EMPOWER the collaborating network between institutions and projects related to the Programme Gaining Health and to the general health promotion, to integrate and increase the value of different activities within sharing goals and messages among involved figures CONSOLIDATE role and competences of health promoters MAKE individual and social responsibility aware of choices for healthy lifestyles VALIDATE an effective communication model, usable in the overall Italian context. Global life expectancy could be increased by addressing seven risk factors affecting health: tobacco use, alcohol abuse; high values of blood pressure, body mass index and cholesterol; low fruit and vegetable intake and physical inactivity. Therefore, the Italian Ministry of health and Regions adopted the European Programme Gaining Health by Ministerial Decree on May 4, 2007. It is being supported by a national research project, PInC-Programme of Information and Communication. Objectives Main Objective ACTIVATE awareness and empowerment processes for individual and collective choices of healthy lifestyles, with a set of information and communication activities to support the objectives of Gaining Health. Specific Objectives 1)IDENTIFY activities and inter-sector agreements in support of the National Plan of Active Prevention and Gaining Health, to create a network within sharing goal and messages among all involved actors 2)PLAN a strategy for developing messages based upon a solid evidence, both for general population and specific audiences 3)PERFORM editorial products and training activities for public health professionals or not, to increase their core competences in health promotion. Background PinC P rogramme of I nformation and C ommunication in support of Gaining Health Investing in prevention and more control of noncommunicable diseases would improve the quality of life and well-being of people and societies. These disorders cause no less than 86% of deaths and 77% of the burden disease in the WHO European Region and are linked by common risk factors. A more equitable share of benefits from effective interventions would make the greatest impact as health and economic gain to all Member States. This action-oriented strategy promotes a comprehensive and integrated approach to tackling diseases. De Mei B*, Barbariol P*, Bella A*, Cattaneo C*, Maggio Cavallaro G*, Dittami A*, Fantozzi L*, Lana S*, Perra A*, Possenti V*, Scardetta P* * Unit of Training and Communication, National Centre for Epidemiology, Surveillance and Health Promotion, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome Methods It is used a communicative type based on a “participatory approach”: interactive exchange, listening, dialogue and integration among all partners facilitate activities promoting healthy lifestyles. The communication strategy aims to reach targets capillary, at regional and local levels, with different and combined communication tools. Information about risk factors, recommendations and support are given to citizens for making healthy lifestyles easy. PInC will be also supported by a monitoring and evaluation plan to test out its effectiveness. Conclusions A communication plan supporting Gaining Health is fundamental to concretise its objectives and to facilitate the exchange mainly between who works or not in public health and citizens (the real target of health promotion), to make individual and social responsibility aware of choices for healthy lifestyles by validating an effective communication model, usable in Italy. The research project “PInC-Programme of Information and Communication to support the objectives of Gaining Health” has been funded by the Ministry of Health / National Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (Chap. 4393/2007-Ccm). TP-THU-103 For more information contact: Barbara De Mei barbara.demei@iss.it +39 6 4990 4272barbara.demei@iss.it