Getting and keeping people healthy: reflecting on the successes and failures of public health policy in Europe

Public health policies in Europe have achieved much success in the past 20 years, reducing the burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and thus contributing to rising life expectancy. This article explores some of the successful health promotion and disease prevention policies that have been implemented across the region, focusing specifically on those that aim to combat NCDs. We identify policy gaps and contemplate why some countries have been able to implement effective polices while others have not. We offer concluding remarks on how the public health community can respond to meet new and emerging public health challenges.