UcanACT Wraps Up in Bologna
In Bologna, physiotherapists and citizens gathered on 1 March 2025 to celebrate the completion of the UcanACT pilot programme, our EU-funded project focused on using exercise as a tool for the prevention and treatment of cancer. The project is led by the UcanACT Consortium partners comprising 8 organisations from 5 European countries. For the pilot in Bologna, the Italian Physiotherapy Association (AIFI), the Italian consortium partner, collaborated with the Order of Physiotherapists of Bologna and Ferrara (OFI Bo-Fe), creating a strong synergy between physiotherapy science and policy. AIFI and OFI played a pivotal role in stimulating the cancer care network in Bologna, fostering collaborations between citizens, local institutions (including the Municipality of Bologna, which sponsored the event), and various associations such as Onconauti, Cittadinanza Attiva, FederFarma, and Loto. The UcanACT Consortium is grateful for their contributions to the project’s success.
The final event in Bologna, held in the lush surroundings of Bologna's Giardini Margherita, provided participants with an opportunity to learn from expert physiotherapists in oncology. They also engaged in discussions and shared ideas on how to ensure the continuity of the physiotherapy-citizen relationship, reinforcing its role as a fundamental aspect of care and prevention. The conference part of the event focused on strengthening Bologna’s oncology care network, exploring the role of physiotherapists in oncology care, and discussing future opportunities. It also presented the outcomes of the UcanACT pilot programme, which took place in Bologna during the spring and autumn of 2024. Over these two rounds, 100 citizens participated in the outdoors programme, engaging in physical activities in four local public urban green spaces (PUGS) and under the supervision of 14 dedicated physiotherapists.
The UcanACT pilot programme involved over 40 physiotherapists and 230 citizens in Bologna, Kilkenny, and Munich in the two pilot rounds in 2024. Together, they participated in 132 physical activity sessions twice a week held in beautiful public urban green spaces across the cities. The exercises were designed to be accessible to all, with each activity carefully tailored to participants' fitness levels, using tools validated by the international scientific community.
Exercise was promoted as a vital form of prevention, fostering the understanding that changing one's lifestyle to reduce sedentary behavior can save lives. In Europe every minute five people are diagnosed with cancer. The importance of prevention is critical.
