IMPRESSIONS FROM THE FIRST EVER EUPHW

The first European Public Health WEEK saw 145 events and activities taking place in 35 countries in Europe and beyond. 

Each day was dedicated to an important public health theme

• Monday 13 May 2019 - Staying physically active
• Tuesday 14 May 2019 - Healthy environments
• Wednesday 15 May 2019 - Care4Care
• Thursday 16 May 2019 - Sustainable and healthy diets
• Friday 17 May 2019 - Youth mental health

Summary of highlights

On Monday 13 May, an event in Brussels kicked off the initiative with public health experts from different countries. A roundtable discussion with live streaming was followed by some nice stretches in line with the theme of the day - becoming, being and remaining physically active.

Meanwhile, many other countries were giving the example:

In Kazakhstan, 120 students, teaching and administration staff from the Universities of Almaty city gathered to "move it, move it". 

Also Bulgaria - the country with most activities during the week - saw a lot of indoor and outdoor activity on the first day:

• Around 100 medical students played different kinds of sports...
  
  
  
  
• ...the University of Ruse promoted sports in all ages, including aerobics...
  
  
  
  
• ... and even a flashmob on a public square drew attention to the importance of exercising the body. 
  
   

In fact, the largest and most active EUPHW event also took place in Bulgaria: the festival "Sport, Sea and Health" brought together more than 400 students, scientists and citizens, including people with mental disabilities, to join gymnastics, scientific lectures, art events, dancing, and sports at the beach:

Other countries found creative formats to raise awareness of public health:

• A group of researchers in Uppsala, Sweden challenged children to change their perceptions of refugee children, helping to improve their mental health:

• Students in Turkey collected cigarette butts around their Medical School, filling up several bottles:

• And in Bulgaria, radio and TV interviews helped to bring important public health messages to the general population:
  
  

In addition, several lectures were organised across Europe to discuss the science behind the five daily themes.

• In Portugal, public health residents at the Institute of Tropical Medicine discussed how environmental policies can influence public health:

• Doctors, nurses and public health professionals specifically discussed the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in hospitals in Lithuania:

• Also Malta, Bulgaria and Slovakia organised lectures about healthy and sustainable diets, including for younger audiences:

• In Albania, under the motto ‘Celebrating healthy populations’, 50 health professionals and students discussed the need to recognise public health specialists as an integrated profession in healthcare. 

• In Romania, the National School of Public Health hosted a wider discussion about healthcare systems:

Several events and activities included an interactive component which helped to engage the audience. For example, a week-long exhibition filled in the halls of the Medical University of Gdansk, Poland to clarify certain aspects of health topics. And in the Russian Federation, more than 150 children and their parents took part in an interactive quiz and discussed the importance of protecting their health and civil rights: 

EUPHW dynamics took place not only in person but also online, for example through the following webinars: Discussing determinants of health through the Place Standard Tool; the role of physical therapy in eating disorders; and the impact of the digital age on youth's mental health.

Finally, the European Public Health WEEK represented a unique opportunity to share existing resources, key messages and reports from partners at European level, including the WHO Regional Office for Europe.

For more details about activities on each day, please check the daily summaries below.

Monday 13 May

Please click here for a summary of day 1, dedicated to the kick-off event in Brussels and physical activity.

Tuesday 14 May

Please click here for a summary of day 2, dedicated to healthy environments.

Wednesday 15 May

Please click here for a summary of day 3, dedicated to Care 4 care.

Thursday 16 May

Please click here for a summary of day 4, dedicated to sustainable and healthy diets.

Friday 17 May

Please click here for a summary of day 5, dedicated to youth mental health. 

All photos have been kindly provided by organisers of EUPHW events.