6. Call for proposals, job opportunities

Policy and Knowledge Officer – Health, Digitalisation & Environment
Mental Health Europe
Deadline: 25 January 2022

EU Research Projects Coordinaton
Health and Environment Alliance
Deadline: 12 November

European Food Information Council (EUFIC) Internship Programme
Internship programme

EU Action Grants

Action grants to support actions to improve access to human papillomavirus vaccination

Action grants for the initiative ‘HealthyLifestyle4All’: promotion of healthy lifestyles

Action grants to support implementation of best practices on the ground with direct impact on the effort to tackle mental health challenges during COVID-19

Action grants to support the implementation of best practices in community-based services for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), tuberculosis, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections

Action grants supporting training activities, implementation, and best practices

Action grants boosting cancer prevention through the use of the European Code against Cancer and other concerted actions

7. Interesting news

WHO: Covid will be a 'dual pandemic' - physical and mental

EU Observer | Interview | 1 October 2021
Covid-19 in fact brought a "dual pandemic" - of which the full impact had not yet become apparent, Dr Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, country health policy director at the European branch of the World Health Organization (WHO), told EUobserver on Thursday (30 September).

PHIRI project - October newsletter

In this newsletter's issue, you will find the last updates and activities of the Population Health Information Research Infrastructure project; interesting news; publications; and events to come.

A healthy future - tackling climate change mitigation and human health together

The Royal Society, Academy of Medical Sciences | Report | 14 October 2021
This report summarises the evidence of how climate change mitigation actions could promote human health in the near term, through ‘co-benefits’. It makes four headline recommendations:

1. Incorporating health into the climate narrative 
2. Integrating climate adaptation and mitigation policies to benefit health
3. Developing metrics to assess health impacts
4. Promoting transdisciplinary systems approaches to address the complex interaction between climate change mitigation and health

Read the report

How Public Health Took Part in Its Own Downfall

The Atlantic | 23 October 2021
'As the 20th century progressed, public health moved away from the idea that social reforms were a necessary part of preventing disease and willingly silenced its own political voice. “Public health gains credibility from its adherence to science, and if it strays too far into political advocacy, it may lose the appearance of objectivity", argued Lawrence Gostin.'

The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Health Law

The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Health Law addresses some of the most critical issues facing scholars, legislators, and judges today: how to protect against threats to public health that can quickly cross national borders, how to ensure access to affordable health care, and how to regulate the pharmaceutical industry, among many others.

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/...

Questionnaire: Learning needs of frontline health workers in the EU/EEA countries in vaccinology and in discussing vaccine acceptance and uptake with patients

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has commissioned the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) to conduct a training needs assessment in the areas of vaccinology and vaccine acceptance with the aim of collecting information useful to develop training courses on these topics. This assessment targets frontline health workers and public health professionals involved in immunisation programmes in EU/EEA. It is a web-based questionnaire and includes questions on knowledge, learning needs, and attendance to existing courses in the areas of vaccinology and vaccine acceptance including COVID-19.

ASPHER on behalf of ECDC invites European frontline health workers and public health professionals involved in immunisation to participate by completing an online survey. The survey is implemented in Survey Monkey and it takes about 20-30 minutes to complete. Participation is voluntary and anonymous, no personal data will be collected.

We would like to ask for your support in disseminating the questionnaire to your network and colleagues who are involved in immunisation programmes. You can find the information about the project, background and the survey (including the survey link that can be accessed only once) in the attached document. You are also welcome to complete the survey yourself.

Please note that the survey will be opened for 4 weeks until Tuesday 23rd of November.
The Questionnaire can be found here.

8. Upcoming courses and conferences

9. Interesting publications

Pandemic-related racial discrimination and its health impact among non-Indigenous racially minoritized peoples in high-income contexts: a systematic review

Health Promotion International | 1 October 2021
'Racism must be recognized as a public health issue, and efforts to address its increased impact in pandemic contexts should be made, including ensuring that adequate representation of racially minoritized groups is present in policy, planning, and implementation.'

Impact of the European Union on access to medicines in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review

The Lancet Regional Health Europe | Series review | October 2021
This study illustrates that EU policy makers adopt measures with the potential to influence medicines in LMICs despite limited evidence of their positive and/or negative impact(s). The EU's fragmented internal and external actions in fields related to pharmaceuticals reveal the need for principles for global equitable access to medicines to guide EU policy.

Climate change and infectious disease in Europe: Impact, projection and adaptation

The Lancet Regional Health Europe | Series review | October 2021
Authors: Jan C. Semenza, Shlomit Paz

Health risks of extreme heat

The BMJ | Editorial | 7 October 2021
This editorial highlights the health risks of extreme heat, and offer prevention methods that must be applied equitably.https://www.bmj.com/content/375/bmj.n243...

The health impact of the Triple Challenge of Brexit, COVID-19 and climate change on Food Security in Wales

Public Health Wales’ WHO CC Directorate on ‘Investment for Health and Well-being’ have published a Spotlight Paper which looks at the Triple Challenge of Brexit, COVID-19 and climate change on Food Security in Wales today.

https://phwwhocc.co.uk/resources/rising-...

Implementation of non-communicable disease policies from 2015 to 2020: a geopolitical analysis of 194 countries

The Lancet Global Health | Article | October 2021
This study analyses trends in implementation of WHO-recommended population-level policies and associations with national geopolitical characteristics. It finds that implementation of NCD policies is uneven, but broadly improving over time. Urgent action is needed to boost implementation of policies targeting corporate vectors of NCDs, and to support countries facing high corporate permeation.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langl...

Intersectorality and health: a glossary

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health | Glossary | 27 October 2021
This glossary explores the concept of intersectorality in health, from its creation by a technical advisory group of the WHO in 1970 to its current definiton, use and aspects.

https://jech.bmj.com/content/early/2021/...

Tobacco industry strategies for flavour capsule cigarettes: analysis of patents and internal industry documents

Tobacco Control | Original Research | 5 October 2021
Authors found out that in order to prevent tobacco companies from targeting young people and exploiting regulatory loopholes, regulations on tobacco products should ban flavours and consider the broad variety of flavour capsule variants (FCV) designs, additives and loose products designed to impart flavour into tobacco products.

https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/e...

How to capture the individual and societal impacts of syndemics: the lived experience of COVID-19

The BMJ Global Health | Commentary | 27 October 2021
The objective of this paper is to suggest that an appropriate conceptual model to guide the collection of relevant information capturing the syndemic interactions and resulting societal response is the WHO’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).

https://gh.bmj.com/content/6/10/e006735

10. European Commission news

Zero pollution: Commission report shows more needs to be done against water pollution from nitrates

The latest Commission Report on the implementation of the Nitrates Directive (based on data for 2016-2019) warns that nitrates are still causing harmful pollution to water in the EU. Excessive nitrates in water are harmful to both human health and ecosystems, causing oxygen depletion and eutrophication.

2021 EU Health Award: Cancer Prevention and Mental Health

Within the general context of the EU Health Policy Platform, the European Commission launched the 2021 EU Health Award on the following two topics: 

• Cancer prevention: rewarding the initiatives of cities, NGOs (or other civil society organisations), and educational institutions seeking to promote communication and health literacy on cancer prevention among children and young people (from 6 to 24 years old).
• Mental health: rewarding community-based initiatives alleviating the mental health impact of COVID-19.

Initiatives could include actions raising awareness, tackling prejudice and/or stigma, bridging or complementing service gaps and/or delays that have arisen from disrupted mental health service provision as a consequence of the pandemic, among others.
Interested parties are invited to check the criteria and present details of their initiative by 30 November 2021, using the online submission form.
The winners and shortlisted in each category will receive prizes ranking from EUR 1 500 to EUR 30 000.

Statement by President von der Leyen on vaccine exports

Supporting the mental health of the health workforce and other essential workers

The Independent Expert Panel on effective ways of investing in health has published an opinion on how to support the mental health of the health workforce and other essential workers. The opinion identifies the specific factors that influence health workers’ mental wellbeing and other essential workers, describes the characteristics of effective or promising interventions, and elaborates on the necessary preconditions to ensure the efficient delivery of these interventions across healthcare settings.

Opening Keynote Speech by Commissioner Kyriakides to the 2021 World Cancer Leaders' Summit

At the World Cancer Leaders' Summit, Commissioner Stella Kyriakides presented Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, calling it one of the founding pillars of the European Health Union, and providing examples of how the plan is inclusive, comprehensive and innovative. She added: "Working in tandem with the new Mission on Cancer, the Cancer Plan will deliver results in research, innovation and digitalisation for broad use."

European Health Union: Commission establishes portfolio of 10 most promising treatments for COVID-19

Delivering on a key action from the EU Strategy on COVID-19 Therapeutics, the Commission has established on October 22 a portfolio of 10 potential COVID-19 therapeutics. The list established is based on independent scientific advice, and focuses on COVID-19 treatment candidates that are likely to be authorised and therefore available on the European market soon.

Statement by International Senior Scientific Advisers Ahead of COP26

On 28 October, the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors to the European Commission, together with 37 International Senior Scientific Advisers from around the globe, released a joint statement ahead of the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference COP26, calling world leaders to take action for successfully mitigating climate changes and protect our planet.
The statement builds on the Advisors recent scientific option on a systemic approach to the energy transition in Europe, and their broader work on sustainability and climate change issues such as food systems and the health effects of climate change.

11. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control news

Eurosurveillance - Volume 26, Issue 40, 07 October 2021

Rapid communication
Supplementing SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance with PCR-based variant detection for real-time actionable information, the Netherlands, June to July 2021
Surveillance
Spotlight influenza: The 2019/20 influenza season and the impact of COVID-19 on influenza surveillance in the WHO European Region
Research
Long time frames to detect the impact of changing COVID-19 measures, Canada, March to July 2020
Occupational risk of COVID-19 in the first versus second epidemic wave in Norway, 2020

Eurosurveillance - Volume 26, Issue 41, 14 October 2021

Editorial
Preparing for an influenza season 2021/22 with a likely co-circulation of influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2
Rapid communication
Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection with the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant: second interim results of a living systematic review and meta-analysis, 1 January to 25 August 2021
Research
Heatwave-associated Vibrio infections in Germany, 2018 and 2019
Outbreaks
COVID-19 outbreak among French firefighters, Marseille, France, 2020
Review
Healthcare-associated foodborne outbreaks in high-income countries: a literature review and surveillance study, 16 OECD countries, 2001 to 2019*
Erratum
Erratum for Euro Surveill. 2021;26(40)
Erratum for Euro Surveill. 2021;26(40)

Eurosurveillance - Volume 26, Issue 42, 21 October 2021

Rapid communication
Enhanced national surveillance of severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) within COVID-19 surveillance, Slovenia, weeks 13 to 37 2021
Increase in invasive disease caused by Haemophilus influenzae b, the Netherlands, 2020 to 2021
Research
Rapid, dose-dependent and efficient inactivation of surface dried SARS-CoV-2 by 254 nm UV-C irradiation
The four weeks before lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: a weekly serial cross-sectional survey on risk perceptions, knowledge, public trust and behaviour, 3 to 25 March 2020
Erratum
Erratum for Euro Surveill. 2021;26(41)

12. WHO news

WHO recommends groundbreaking malaria vaccine for children at risk

“This is a historic moment. The long-awaited malaria vaccine for children is a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Using this vaccine on top of existing  tools to prevent malaria could save tens of thousands of young lives each year.”

WHO Announces Proposed Members of its Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO)

Following a public call for experts, the World Health Organization (WHO) today announced proposed members of the WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO). The SAGO will advise WHO on the development of a global framework to define and guide studies into the origins of emerging and re-emerging pathogens of epidemic and pandemic potential, including SARS-CoV-2. 

COP26 Special Report on Climate Change and Health

The 10 recommendations in the COP26 Special Report on Climate Change and Health propose a set of priority actions from the global health community to governments and policy makers, calling on them to act with urgency on the current climate and health crises.
Read the report

Making diets environmentally friendly: Nordic countries lead the way

People need to know how to eat healthily, but also how to make their diets more climate-friendly. For the first time ever, this important idea will be reflected in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR) for 2022.
The NNR guidelines aim to improve diets in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and to inspire countries beyond the Nordic region to consider sustainability aspects as part of their dietary guidelines.

WHO assessment shows sexual and reproductive health must be given higher priority to achieve health for all

WHO country assessments on sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health from Albania, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova and Romania show that several areas and interventions are lagging behind on the path to universal health coverage (UHC). 

Alcohol is one of the biggest risk factors for breast cancer

WHO recommends the following best-buy policies as cost-effective ways to reduce alcohol consumption levels and bring down the number of cancer cases caused by alcohol use:

• making alcohol less affordable (for example, by increasing excise taxes)
• banning or restricting alcohol marketing across all types of media
• reducing alcohol availability (for example, by regulating sale hours).

This newsletter received co-funding under an operating grant from the European Union’s Health Programme (2014-2020). The content of this newsletter represents the views of the author(s) only and is his/her sole responsibility; it cannot be considered to reflect the views of the European Commission and/or the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency or any other body of the European Union. The European Commission and the Agency do not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.

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