The Generalitat ensures that the development of the Health Plan has involved twelve departments of the Generalitat, in addition to the local sphere, the economic sector, and entities to incorporate the health perspective in areas such as education, housing, food, work, urban planning, and environmental protection. Its implementation will be reviewed every three years and the results of the evaluations will be published periodically.
Ten years to reduce obesity, tobacco consumption and cancer deaths
The Government presents the new health plan until 2035, which sets the objective of increasing life expectancy with quality to 70 years
16/10/2026 - 15:41 h
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BarcelonaLife expectancy in Catalonia is very high: the most updated data (2024) place it at 86.6 years for women and 81.6 for men. But the demographic and social reality is complex. There are more chronic diseases and situations of dependency and frailty, more mental health problems and more socioeconomic inequalities, which is why the years lived in good health drop to 67 for women and 68 for men. In other words: Catalan women live 19 years of their lives with low or poor quality of life, and Catalan men 13. "The challenge now is not to live more years, but with more health, well-being and autonomy. This is the great change we are proposing," stated the Minister of Health, Olga Pané, during the presentation of the tenth Health Plan of Catalonia.
This instrument, which is to set the Generalitat's public policies in the field of health, sets 50 objectives to be achieved by 2035. Mainly, the department commits to working towards reaching a healthy life expectancy of 70 years –two years more than now–, reducing deaths from avoidable causes by 15% –such as certain tumors, strokes, physical injuries, and suicides– and placing tobacco consumption below 15% of the population. But it also includes other priorities, such as achieving a 70% cancer survival rate after five years, reducing the overall percentage of low emotional well-being to below 10%, and having half of the population meet the recommended physical activity levels and reducing excess weight to below 30% among children and 50% among adults.
To meet these objectives, the Generalitat has identified several priority interventions. For example, actions to facilitate access to affordable food in collaboration with the commercial sector so that healthy products are easier to find in supermarkets, the implementation of economic and fiscal measures to promote healthy eating, a better food offering in school canteens and cafeterias, and changes to nutritional labeling. Furthermore, the new tobacco law will expand smoke-free spaces and regulate nicotine products to discourage their consumption.
Pain and physical exercise
In 2024, 67,107 people died in Catalonia, of whom 10,939 were due to avoidable deaths. For example, 16% of deaths had lung cancer as the primary cause. An analysis by the Department of Health shows that diseases such as cancer, heart attacks, and Alzheimer's have a significant weight in premature mortality, but falls, lower back pain, and mental disorders affect more years lived. In fact, it is estimated that falls and lower back pain have pushed the years of life lost or lived with disability in the country to 120,000.
Therefore, the Government emphasizes the need to detect frailty early and intervene before functional deterioration occurs. However, age, disability, illness, dependency, and family responsibilities can hinder the maintenance of an active life, and the department ensured that it will promote specific programs for women, the elderly, people with disabilities, and families in situations of socioeconomic vulnerability. Also, extracurricular sports activities for children from 2027 onwards.
Classrooms and clinics
Demographic health differences are also territorial. Life expectancy in the wealthiest and poorest neighborhoods shows a gap of eight years in women and ten in men, and the plan is based on the premise that social, urban, labor, and educational conditions must change to reverse this. It proposes reinforcements for primary health care centers (CAP) in areas of high vulnerability, more prevention of school failure and early school leaving, and an increase in physical activity programs.
Educational level is another factor that influences self-perception of health: approximately 89% of people with higher education rate it positively, compared to 56.5% of those with a lower educational level. Therefore, among the measures in the educational field, the Government wants to concentrate efforts on reducing the early school leaving rate from the current 13.5% to 9%. It also aims to guarantee the coverage of the health needs of students with chronic illnesses during school hours, with the incorporation of nurses or technicians.
In the field of mental health, the plan foresees integrating mental health and addiction networks to strengthen primary care, which currently handles 17% of consultations. Environmental and climatic factors will also be incorporated into healthcare planning, with measures to mitigate the effects of heatwaves, reduce the impact of air pollution, and decrease the carbon footprint of healthcare centers, through environmental criteria in the public procurement of medicines and medical products.
The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, has defended that his executive acts with long-term strategies. "Today we have an example of planning, I say this to highlight the things we do well, we have done it since the year 90, with a first plan in 1995. And this time it is not only 5 years ahead, but 10", he concluded.
Periodic evaluations
