At the end of May 2026, our Horizon Europe project CO-CAPTAIN completed its active implementation phase. The project set out with an ambitious goal: to reduce the cancer burden among people living with mental ill-health by co-designing and piloting a patient navigation intervention aimed at improving access to primary cancer prevention services.
Along the way, the project encountered numerous barriers, ranging from stigma and discrimination to ill-prepared systems and paternalistic assumptions. At the same time, however, we also heard many stories from people actively seeking information on how to improve their health and reduce their risk of cancer.
As project coordinator Igor Grabovac reflected: “We repeatedly met people who were eager for information, eager to improve their health, and eager to participate in decisions affecting their lives. The challenge was never a lack of interest. Too often, it was a lack of support, accessibility, and meaningful engagement.”
In April 2026, the CO-CAPTAIN Consortium successfully organised its final stakeholder event and project presentation. Some highlights from the meeting, together with reflections from several work package leaders, can be seen in the video below.
