Newsletter - March 2022

1. Editorial
2. EUPHA update
3. European Public Health Week
4. European Public Health Conference
5. EUPHA members update
6. European Journal of Public Health
7. Call for proposals, job opportunities
8. Interesting news
9. Upcoming courses and conferences
10. Interesting publications
11. European Commission news
12. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control news
13. WHO news

1. Editorial

At the start of Spring, it is our pleasure to send you the March newsletter. As you can see under EUPHA update, our sections continue organising interesting webinars. Don't miss the opportunity increase your knowledge by participating in these - free of charge - webinars. The organisation of the 4th edition of the European Public Health Week is going smoothly and you can now upload  your events. 

As the Russian invasion of the Ukraine continues, it is important that we stand strong together as European public health professionals.   

Wishing you pleasant reading, 

Iveta Nagyova, EUPHA president and Dineke Zeegers Paget, EUPHA executive director

2. EUPHA update

EUPHA is looking for an Executive Director - deadline for application: 15 April

We are seeking a senior executive with strong leadership, organisational and communications skills and demonstrated ability to build international networks. Commitment to and experience in international public health is essential as is the ability to maintain a healthy and cohesive organisation. The Executive Director is responsible for running both the EUPHA office in Utrecht as well as the satellite office in Brussels. The Executive Director is responsible for increasing EUPHA’s societal impact and its scientific reputation, drawing on EUPHA’s membership, working groups and thematic sections, and through joining forces with the wider public health community in Europe.

Click here for the job add.

EHDS2 Pilot - European Health Data Space

EUPHA has joined a large European consortium bringing together 9 national health data platforms, 2 EU agencies, 3 research infrastructures and one association in applying for a European Commission’s call for projects to set up a test version of European Health Data Space (EHDS). The pilot aims to achieve major breakthroughs on European policies on secondary use of health data for research, innovation and healthcare systems improvements purposes.
 
Since 2019, the European Commission has identified the creation of a European Health Data Space as one of the priorities for European health policy. Several prefiguration instruments have already been set up by the European Commission. This is the case of TEHDaS Joint Action (Towards a European Health Data Space), a reflection program bringing together more than 26 EU Member States and several EHDS2 Pilot consortium partners. More information

EUPHA Webinar 6 April: Healthcare workers walking the trans-sectoral health and social care walk: how to improve integration?

Organised on Wednesday 6 April from 16:00 - 17:00 CET by the EUPHA Health  workforce research section (EUPHA-HWR) and the Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy, Department of Public Health, Babeș-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

https://zoom.us/j/91847743579?pwd=QVJDK21pT0dpWkNiWmlVUzFMcEc3dz09
(Meeting ID: 918 4774 3579, Passcode: 522352)

Download the flyer here.

EUPHA Webinar 27 April: Building capacity for environmental health and climate action: engaging healthcare workers

Organised on Wednesday 27 April from 13:00 - 14:00 CET by the European Health Management Association, EUPHA Environment and health section (EUPHA-ENV) and EUPHA-HWR.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84079797269

EUPHA Webinar 28 April: Migration, health and economics

Organised on Thursday 28 April from 13:00 - 15:00 CET by the EUPHA Migrant and ethnic minority health section and its working group on the economic argument.

More information will follow.

EUPHA Webinar 4 May: Qualitative research: Tools for understanding community needs and amplifying voices

Organised on Wednesday 4 May from 15:00 - 16:00 CET by EUPHA Public health epidemiology section.

Download the flyer here.

EUPHA Webinar 11 May: The contribution of labour market to health workforce policy development

Organised on Wednesday 11 May from 13:00 - 14:00 CET by the EUPHA Health workforce research section and WHO HQ, Unit Head, Health Labour Market, Health Workforce Department.

Download the flyer here.

EUPHA replies to European Commission's public consultation on Food labelling - revision of rules on information provided to consumers for alcoholic beverages

In June 2021, the European Commission opened a public consultation for stakeholders to provide input on food labelling - revision of rules on information provided to consumers for alcoholic beverages. EUPHA and the EUPHA Law and public health section (EUPHA-LAW) provided an extensive response.
In February, the second stage of this consultation opened. EUPHA and EUPHA-LAW once again provided the Commission with expertise, that you can access below.

The RIVER-EU project calls for ensuring equitable access to vaccines for people displaced by the conflict in Ukraine

Key message of the statement: Over two million people have fled Ukraine already. Whenever large groups of people are on the move, it is time to strengthen health systems and vaccine protection – both in the host country as well as among those who may have lost touch with their support system back home. Ensuring equitable access to vaccines, including COVID vaccines, routine childhood vaccines and life-course vaccination to displaced persons must be a key public health priority.
Read the full statement here.

EUPHA participates in a candidate consortium to test a first version of the European Health Data Space

This candidate consortium brings together health data infrastructures, EU agencies, an ERIC, research infrastructures, and associations to build and test a first version of the EHDS. It intends to convey major breakthroughs on European policies for secondary use, research, innovation and healthcare system improvement purposes. 
Read the press release here.

3. European Public Health Week

European Public Health Week update March

The European Public Health Week is from May 16-20. Get involved! 

Host an event, help us spread the word as a disseminator or join the event(s) as a participant.
Events can be organised in person again, if that is in line with the national guidelines . Hhybrid and online events are also more than welcome. 

The media toolkit is almost complete, feel free to use these materials to promote your event or the European Public Health Week in general!

We’re proud to announce this year’s daily partners:
Monday 16 May - A healthy and health literate youth - Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER)
Tuesday 17 May - Vaccination as key prevention strategy - European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
Wednesday 18 May - Climate change affects our health - Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL)
Thursday 19 May - No health without mental health - GAMIAN-Europe
Friday 20 May - Building resilient health systems - The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies

Also we are happy to share the key messages of the European Public Health Week in ready-to-go social media tiles, which can also be shared. Find them here.

If you want to stay up-to-date in the meantime, please email
euphacommunications@eupha.org with the subject "subscribe EUPHW”.

4. European Public Health Conference

15TH EUROPEAN PUBLIC HEALTH CONFERENCE, 9 - 12 NOVEMBER 2022 - STRENGTHENING HEALTH SYSTEMS: IMPROVING POPULATION HEALTH AND BEING PREPARED FOR THE UNEXPECTED.

REGISTRATION OPENS 1 APRIL WITH BENEFITS FOR EUPHA MEMBERS

Registration for the in-person 15th EPH Conference opens 1 April 2022. You can benefit from early bird registration fees until 1 September. We are expecting over 1,500 delegates. Meet your colleagues at the largest public health event in Europe during four fully packed conference days. EUPHA members and delegates from Germany pay € 670 before 1 September, non-members € 760, Students, trainees and colleagues from low- and middle-income countries pay € 400 (all including VAT). More information here

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION IS OPEN UNTIL 1 MAY

Abstract submission for the 15th EPH Conference 2022 is open until 1 May 2022. Abstracts are invited for workshops, oral presentations and E-posters. Prizes will be awarded for the best oral, poster and early career professional’s presentation. Abstracts do not have to be confined to the conference theme but can cover any aspect of public health. Check the submission topics here.

 Accepted abstracts are published in the Abstract Supplement of the European Journal of Public Health. Do not miss the opportunity to be recognised for your hard work. More information on our website.

ABSTRACT MENTORING PROGRAMME

Do you need any help in writing your abstracts? EPH Conference and EUPHAnxt offer an Abstract Mentoring Programme providing an opportunity for young and/or less experienced abstract submitters to receive feedback from experienced reviewers. The programme is for researchers who have limited access to colleagues to ask for guidance and comments on their proposed abstracts. More information on our website.

WELCOME TO BERLIN 2022

The 15th EPH Conference in Berlin will be the first EPH Conference since Marseille 2019 to take place live and in person from 9 – 12 November. With the steady return to 'normal' life across Europe, we are increasingly confident that we can actually host an in person conference in Berlin in November. Many countries in Europe are ending their COVID-19 restrictions and Germany is following as of 1 April. We will keep our fingers crossed in the upcoming months and closely watch government guidelines relating to COVID-19 measures in the run-up to the event. We will make all delegates aware prior to coming of any measures that are in place. This could include social distancing, testing, or showing your vaccination status before entering the venue. Current measures in Berlin can be followed in detail on the websites of VisitBerlin and the State of Berlin.

THEME AND PROGRAMME

The theme of the in person 15th EPH Conference 2022 will be ‘Strengthening health systems: improving population health and being prepared for the unexpected’. In the past years, we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic that infectious diseases know no boundaries. Although we have seen the successful development of vaccines, we have also seen with the spread of the Delta and Omicron variants around the globe that these vaccines have not yet been available to everyone. At the conference, we want to explore ways how the public health community can bring about better population health. How can Europe take a more active role in global health?  Europe must use its knowledge and influence to balance out market forces, expand regulatory oversight and create socially responsible systems for health, especially when it comes to the distribution of vaccines and essential medicines. More information here.

CONFERENCE VENUE

The 15th EPH Conference will be held in the hub27 Berlin, part of Messe Berlin. Hub27 is a modern, multifunctional conference centre with ample room for networking and meeting colleagues. It is easily accessed by U-Bahn and S-Bahn from all parts of Berlin. You can reach Berlin by train from everywhere in Europe. Long-distance high-speed trains arrive at and depart from the Hauptbahnhof. Flights to and from the new Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport (BER), 20 km from the city center.

5. EUPHA members update

Thanking the public health community - joint EUPHA-ASPHER statement

The World has now bypassed two years since the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the alarm on COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) and later characterized it as a pandemic. ASPHER and EUPHA join to express our gratitude to everyone in the public health community who tirelessly committed time and energy to combat COVID-19. 
Read the full statement here.

6. European Journal of Public Health

Advance Articles - March 2022

Psychosocial workplace factors and alcohol-related morbidity: a prospective study of 3 million Swedish workers
Melody Almroth, Tomas Hemmingsson, Alma Sörberg Wallin, Katarina Kjellberg, Daniel Falkstedt
Mapping of clinical research on artificial intelligence in the treatment of cancer and the challenges and opportunities underpinning its integration in the European Union health sector
Elena-Ramona Popescu, Marius Geantă, Angela Brand
Multimorbidity and exit from paid employment: the effect of specific combinations of chronic health conditions
Gabriel S Gurgel do Amaral, Patricia Ots, Sandra Brouwer, Sander K R van Zon
Strength of EU-level food environment policies and priority recommendations to create healthy food environments
Sanne K Djojosoeparto, Carlijn B M Kamphuis, Stefanie Vandevijvere, Celine Murrin, Isobel Stanley, Piotr Romaniuk, Janas M Harrington, Maartje P Poelman on behalf of the PEN Consortium
Body image, body composition and environment: do they affect adolescents’ physical activity?
Viktoryia Karchynskaya, Jaroslava Kopcakova, Andrea Madarasova Geckova, Daniel Klein, Andrea F de Winter, Sijmen A Reijneveld
Correction to: Two sides of every coin: individuals’ experiences of undergoing colorectal cancer screening by faecal immunochemical test and colonoscopy
Corrigendum to: Redistribution of garbage codes to underlying causes of death: a systematic analysis on Italy and a comparison with most populous Western European countries based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Depressive symptoms in higher education students during the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of containment measures
Veerle Buffel, Sarah Van de Velde, Yildiz Akvardar, Miia Bask, Marie-Christine Brault, Heide Busse, Andreas Chatzittofis, Joel Ladner, Fatemeh Rabiee-khan, Theoni Stathopoulou, Marie-Pierre Tavolacci, Claudia van der Heijde, Claudia R Pischke, Paula Mayara Matos Fialho, Edwin Wouters
An intervention in general practice to improve the management of Lyme borreliosis in Denmark
Fredrikke Christie Knudtzen, Thøger Gorm Jensen, Nanna Skaarup Andersen, Isik Somuncu Johansen, Joppe W Hovius, Sigurdur Skarphédinsson
Capacity building in European health information systems: the InfAct peer assessment methodology
Petronille Bogaert, Marieke Verschuuren, Herman Van Oyen, Hans van Oers
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on contact tracing of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis
Pere Godoy, Ignasi Parrón, Irene Barrabeig, Joan A Caylà, Laura Clotet, Núria Follia, Monica Carol, Angels Orcau, Miquel Alsedà, Gloria Ferrús, Pere Plans, Mireia Jane, Joan-Pau Millet, Angela Domínguez, the Transmission of Tuberculosis in Catalonia (Spain) Working Group
Are changes in attitudes towards school associated with declining youth drinking? A multi-level analysis of 37 countries
Abigail K Stevely, Rakhi Vashishtha, Hannah Fairbrother, Laura Fenton, Madeleine Henney, Michael Livingston, John Holmes

7. Call for proposals, job opportunities

Call for application: Observers for the National Health Observatory  Luxembourg

The National Health Observatory is currently looking for national and international experts from various backgrounds, intervening in accordance with their expertise to define and to accompany the work of the Observatory and to guarantee its scientific quality. 

9 areas of expertise are sought (one full member and one substitute member for each area of expertise): 

• expert in epidemiology
• expert in public health
• expert in health systems analysis
• expert in registry management
• expert in population health studies
• expert in health statistics or in biostatistics
• expert in health economics
• expert in demography
• expert in patient-reported outcome measures

The National Health Observatory is a newly created administration, whose mission is to improve the knowledge on the state of health of the population, to contribute to the identification of public health priorities and to improve the quality and efficiency of the health system. The administration is placed under the authority of the Minister of Health.

For more details on the call for application we invite you to visit our website 
https://ods.gouvernement.lu/en/observatoire/appel-candidature.html
Submission deadline: April 20^th, 2022

https://eupha.org/repository/EUPHA_newsl...

Delphi study aiming to define the main and most consensual indicators to assess the quality of primary health care delivery

Health indicators are essential to assess, compare and improve the quality of health care services. The lack of a validated and common list of indicators hinders the benefits from these tools to guide strategies for the promotion of health and the prevention of diseases. 
To address this challenge, a Portuguese R&D project entitled 1st.IndiQare - Quality indicators in primary health care: validation and implementation of quality indicators as an assessment and comparison tool” is inviting general practitioners and public health physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, as well as researchers and other stakeholders in healthcare quality assessment, to take part in a Delphi study to choose the main quality indicators to assess the quality of primary health care delivery in European countries. 
Every participation will be greatly appreciated and will contribute to a better understanding of primary care quality needs across Europe. To participate read the information about this study available in the participant consent form. Please forward this message to all your mailing lists of colleagues with the above-mentioned profile residing/working in European countries.”

Call for Application - Country-specific analyses in the context of the of the COVID-19 crisis

The Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS) invites applications to conduct country-specific analyses for the Horizon2020 project Pan-European Response to the ImpactS of COVID-19 and future Pandemics and Epidemics (PERISCOPE) in work package 3. The goal of work package 3 is to shed light on the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on health systems and to identify successful short-term and long-term strategies to contain such effects.
The details of the call for application can be found here and in the attachment to this e-mail.
Please note that the country list has changed and the application deadline has been extended.

https://www.ihs.ac.at/fileadmin/public/2...

European Patients Forum is recruiting a Head of Governance, Membership and Capacity Building (Maternity cover)

EPF is the umbrella organisation of patient organisations across the EU and a driving force to advance patient empowerment and involvement in EU health policy debates.
The Head of Governance, Membership and Capacity Building is a senior management role which ensures the inclusiveness and representation of all EPF Members in the daily functioning of the EPF secretariat and oversee the learning offer of EPF.
Deadline for applications is 8 April 2022, 23:59.

https://www.eu-patient.eu/globalassets/u...

8. Interesting news

Explained: How climate affects health

Wellcome Trust | Explainer | 22 March 222
Climate change is a global health problem already impacting millions of people around the world. Climate hazards, food and water supplies, infectious diseases, air quality, social impacts, here’s what you need to know.

Rapid Evidence Service review

The Canadian National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools (NCCMT) has partnered with the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC) to develop a report on physical activity as a preventive measure against cancer. This report has informed a new online resource released by CPAC: Physical activity and cancer in Canada - Policy actions to get people in Canada active (https://www.partnershipagainstcancer.ca/topics/physical-activity-policies/).
This resource supports the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control
(https://www.partnershipagainstcancer.ca/cancer-strategy/) and investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity among youth and adults.
Read the NCCMT’s report on the findings (https://www.nccmt.ca/pdfs/res/physical-activity-cancer) and register for the upcoming webinar (https://www.partnershipagainstcancer.ca/news-events/event/cancer-prevention-webinar-series/) to learn about the effectiveness of policy-focused initiatives including active transportation, effective urban design, sport and recreation, school environments and public education.

Antimicrobial Resistance in the EU/EEA - A One Health response

ECDC, EFSA, EMA, OECD | Report | 7 March 2022
Evidence that AMR can spread between animals, humans and the environment is mounting. Reducing the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals, replacing them where possible and rethinking the livestock
production system in a One Health approach is essential for the future of animal and public health.

Proposing a classification of the health consequences of the war in Ukraine is the first step to address them

The BMJ | Rapid Response | March 2022
Authors of this paper call upon colleagues and experts from Ukraine, Europe and beyond to collaborate on improving the proposed etiologic classification of the consequences of the war on health. 

Press release EHDS2 Pilot - A European Consortium Pilot project, candidate for the future European Health Data Space

A large European consortium bringing together 8 national health data infrastructures, 2 EU agencies, 1 ERIC, 4 research infrastructures, and one association is applying for a European Commission’s call for projects to set up a test version of European Health Data Space (EHDS), leading to major breakthroughs on European policies on the secondary use of health data for research, innovation and healthcare system improvement purpose.

Call for good practices by the AMR Stakeholder Network

EPHA | Report | 8 March 2022
Sharing of knowledge, innovation, new methods, and models are indispensable in slowing down the spread of AMR but there is also immense potential in existing knowledge and good practices already in place. As stakeholders learn from each other, these practices can be replicated, adapted, improved upon, or scaled up. The AMR Stakeholder Network call for good practices and the resulting report aims to support and be a part of this effort.

Only a public health approach can tackle the harm done by gambling

The Guardian | Letter | 16 March 2022
Robin Burgess (LSE) and Zoë Osmond (GambleAware) respond to an editorial about the gambling industry and the need for tighter regulation.

SDG Alliance, MEPs for Agenda 2030

The SDG Alliance is an informal group of like-minded MEPs from different committees and political groups across the European Parliament. The group seeks to monitor key legislative files in the European Parliament to identify opportunities to integrate the sustainable perspective and raise awareness of Agenda 2030 amongst political groups and committees across the Parliament. One core objective of the Alliance is to secure the publication of an annual own-initiative report on the implementation of SDGs in the EU, being the first one currently in the drafting stage.

OECD to Exclude the Tobacco Industry

STOP | Open Letter | 9 March 2022
In this open letter, the leadership of STOP, a global tobacco industry watchdog, is writing to OECD new Secretary General to welcome the OECD’s exclusion of the tobacco industry from participation in OECD events and to encourage the organization to continue this best practice.

Mental Health Europe publishes Slovenian Presidency Scorecard

Mental Health Europe | 10 March 2022
To engage with and analyse the performance of the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Mental Health Europe has devised a scorecard system through which we evaluate each Presidency’s commitment to and promotion of mental health. The performance of each Presidency is rated based on the following criteria:  

• Promotion of mental health and well-being,  
• Commitment to the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities,  
• The involvement and empowerment of users of mental health services. 

PHIRI Rapid Exchange Forum - Health screening for refugees from Ukraine

At the latest PHIRI Rapid Exchange Forum on March 14th, participants answered three questions on health screening for refugees from Ukraine. In this one hour meeting organized every two weeks, the participants belonging to European public health institutes, Ministry of Health or Research and universities answer and discuss the experiences in their own countries on specific questions related to COVID-19 measures submitted until 24 hours prior the start of the meeting.

The 2020 European Union report on pesticide residues in food

European Food Safety Authority | Scientific Report | 30 March 2022
The 2020 EU report on pesticide residues in food provides an overview of the official control activities on pesticide residues carried out in the EU Member States, Iceland and Norway. It summarises the results of both the EU-coordinated control programme and the national control programmes. The report also includes the outcome of the risk assessment for both programmes.

Climate Change and Health in European Cities: Urban Adaptation Map Viewer

European Climate and Health Observatory | Data | March 2022
The aim of this map viewer is to provide an overview of the current and future climate-related health risks facing the European cities. The map viewer collates information from various sources on the observed and projected spatial distribution and intensity of high temperatures, flooding, water scarcity, wildfires and vector-borne diseases. It also provides some information on the exposure of the urban population to these hazards, and on the characteristics of people living in cities that may make them more vulnerable to impacts of climate- and weather-related hazards.

9. Upcoming courses and conferences

10. Interesting publications

ONE HEALTH - Monographs of scientific conferences of Academy Medical Sciences of Serbian Medical Society

The monograph “One Health” is the result of the work of a group of experts involved in the concept of One Health, i.e., the cooperation of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the Serbian Medical Society and the One Health Association of Serbia. A number of doctors, veterinarians, biologists and experts in other specialties participated in the preparation of the monograph. Together, presenting various topics, they emphasised that caring for the health of people, animals and environment is very important for the future and life on our planet.
Editors Marija Jevtic, Branislava Belic, Sara Savic 
English version as of page 198.
Marija Jevtic, Branislava Belic, Sara Savic (editors). One Health.  Monograph: Academy of Medical Sciences Serbian Medical Society.  ISBN 978-86-6061-131-6

Primary Care and Covid-19

Primary Health Care Research & Development | Special issue | March 2022

Association between long-term exposure to air pollution and immune-mediated diseases: a population-based cohort study

RMD Open | Original Research | 15 March 2022
This study finds that long-term exposure to air pollution was associated with higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases, in particular rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue diseases and inflammatory bowel diseases. Chronic exposure to levels above the threshold for human protection was associated with a 10% higher risk of developing immune-mediated diseases.

Meeting the health challenges of displaced populations from Ukraine

The Lancet | Comment | 11 March 2022
"The demographics and living conditions before displacement and during refugee journeys will dictate health needs. Systems must prepare for pregnant women, people with chronic diseases and underlying conditions requiring continuity of care, and the health risks associated with infectious and communicable diseases of large groups either in motion or collectively stationed. The physical and mental impacts of enormous numbers of people experiencing the trauma of war, as well as those who are medically vulnerable, children, and those with disabilities, must be addressed."

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among undocumented migrants during the early phase of the vaccination campaign: a multicentric cross-sectional study

The objective of this multicentric study conducted in the early phase of COVID-19 immunisation programmes was to explore undocumented migrants’ hesitancy about COVID-19 vaccine.

Action on patient safety can reduce health inequalities

The BMJ | Analysis | 29 March 2022
This study finds out that understanding health inequalities as failures in patient safety may help assign accountability for mitigating these inequalities and provides a body of experience from which to draw lessons. 

The COVID-19 pandemic and war

Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
"Could there be a symbiotic relationship between COVID-19 and conflict?", wonder authors of this paper.

R&D during public health emergencies: the value(s) of trust, governance and collaboration

The BMJ Global Health | Analysis | 28 March 2022
In this paper, authors argue that normative lessons pertaining to the conduct of R&D during the 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa provide important insights for how R&D ought to proceed to combat the current COVID-19 pandemic and future infectious disease threats.

The ethical issues of the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare: a systematic scoping review

AI and Ethics | Review | 29 March 2022
This systematic scoping review was conducted to identify the ethical issues of AI application in healthcare, to highlight gaps, and to propose steps to move towards an evidence-informed approach for addressing them.

Tobacco companies' exploitation of loopholes in the EU ban on menthol cigarettes: a case study from Denmark

Tobacco Control | Industry watch | 21 March 2022
This paper provides insights into the response of the tobacco industry to the implementation of the menthol ban in Denmark. In this case study, authors identify loopholes in the characterising flavour ban and discuss how to make bans on menthol-flavoured tobacco most effective.

11. European Commission news

EU strengthens partnership with WHO to boost local manufacturing and access to vaccines, medicines and health technologies in Africa

On March 24^th, the European Commission and the World Health Organization (WHO) announced they are strengthening their partnership to improve equitable access to safe, effective, and quality-assured vaccines, medicines and health technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

General government expenditure in the EU on health

Joint Research Centre | Statistics explained | 11 March 2021
This article analyses data on general government total expenditure on 'health' (according to the Classification of the Functions of Government - COFOG). It is part of a set of statistical articles based on Government expenditure by function.

Open Public Consultation- Final evaluation of the 3rd Health Programme 2014-2020

The Open Public Consultation, including a routing to a Targeted Stakeholder Survey, has been launched by DG SANTE to support the final evaluation of the 3rd Health Programme 2014-2020.
Deadline: 3 June

European Health Union: HERA call for representatives of civil society and industry to join its Civil Society Forum and Joint Industrial Cooperation Forum

The European Health Emergency preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) invites representatives of civil society and industry to join its Civil Society Forum and Joint Industrial Cooperation Forum, two new expert groups of the HERA Advisory Forum. Both civil society and industry stakeholders are key to drive public-private collaboration and to detect and address market challenges and supply chain vulnerabilities in and outside the EU. Their presence in the expert groups will ensure that HERA's activities build further on their input and expertise.

Europe's Beating Cancer Plan: EU Chief Scientific Advisors issue recommendations to improve and extend cancer screening programmes

On 2 March, the European Commission’s Group of Chief Scientific Advisors released a Scientific Opinion on cancer screening in Europe.
In this Opinion, the Advisors provide recommendations on how to improve the existing screening programmes on breast, colorectal and cervical cancer and advise to extend them to lung and prostate cancer. They also stress the importance of increasing people’s participation to such programmes by making them more accessible.

12. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control news

Eurosurveillance - Volume 27, Issue 9, 03 March 2022

Rapid communication
Risk of severe COVID-19 from the Delta and Omicron variants in relation to vaccination status, sex, age and comorbidities – surveillance results from southern Sweden, July 2021 to January 2022
Outbreaks
Outbreak of invasive meningococcal disease caused by a meningococcus serogroup B in a nursery school, Wallonia, Belgium, 2018
Research
Seroprevalence of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 – a serial prospective cross-sectional nationwide study of residual samples, Belgium, March to October 2020

Eurosurveillance - Volume 27, Issue 10, 10 March 2022

Editorial
Two years of COVID-19: many lessons, but will we learn?
Rapid communication
Molecular epidemiology of the SARS-CoV-2 variant Omicron BA.2 sub-lineage in Denmark, 29 November 2021 to 2 January 2022
Research
Estimating the effect of mobility on SARS-CoV-2 transmission during the first and second wave of the COVID-19 epidemic, Switzerland, March to December 2020
Inferring transmission fitness advantage of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern from wastewater samples using digital PCR, Switzerland, December 2020 through March 2021
Transmission dynamics and epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant infections in Guangdong, China, May to June 2021

Operational public health considerations for the prevention and control of infectious diseases in the context of Russia's aggression towards Ukraine

This operational document focuses on infectious disease vulnerabilities of those fleeing from Ukraine, and the associated requirements for infection prevention and control.
Download the technical report

Eurosurveillance - Volume 27, Issue 11, 17 March 2022

Rapid communication
Surveillance and return to work of healthcare workers following SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection, Sheffield, England, 17 January to 7 February 2022
Enhancing epidemiological surveillance of the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant using spike gene target failure data, England, 15 November to 31 December 2021
Research
Molecular epidemiology of hepatitis A outbreaks and sporadic cases, Latvia, 2017 to 2019
Large-scale decontamination of disposable FFP2 and FFP3 respirators by hydrogen peroxide vapour, Finland, April to June 2020
SARS-CoV-2 infection among educational staff in Berlin, Germany, June to December 2020

Eurosurveillance - Volume 27, Issue 12, 24 March 2022

Miscellaneous
Set back on the way to meet SDG targets: progress in tackling tuberculosis reversed by the pandemic
Research
Country-specific approaches to latent tuberculosis screening targeting migrants in EU/EEA* countries: A survey of national experts, September 2019 to February 2020
Recurrent tuberculosis in the Netherlands – a 24-year follow-up study, 1993 to 2016
Pregnancy and post-partum tuberculosis; a nationwide register-based case–control study, Denmark, 1990 to 2018

The European Union Summary Report on Antimicrobial Resistance in zoonotic and indicator bacteria from humans, animals and food in 2019-2020

Technical report | 29 March 2022
Data on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in zoonotic and indicator bacteria from humans, animals and food are collected annually by the EU Member States (MSs), jointly analysed by the EFSA and the ECDC and reported in a yearly EU Summary Report.

13. WHO news

One hundred million cases in one hundred weeks: working towards better COVID-19 outcomes in the WHO European Region (2022)

The trajectory of COVID-19 in the coming weeks, months, and year will be largely determined by the decisions and actions taken by individuals, communities and governments. With the support of Member States and partners at the global, regional, national, and community levels, WHO/Europe continues to work to reduce transmission across the European Region.

WHO released a new operational guide to promote COVID-19 vaccination uptake and tackle vaccine hesitancy among refugees and migrants

On 14th March 2022, WHO released Strengthening COVID-19 vaccine demand and uptake in refugees and migrants, a new operational guide aimed to promote COVID-19 vaccination uptake and tackle vaccine hesitancy among refugee and migrant populations through a range of strategies, actionable recommendations, and good practices for understanding and addressing barriers. The guide identifies seven priority areas for interventions for policymakers, planners, and all stakeholders responsible for COVID-19 vaccine rollout to these populations.

Access to vaccination for refugees from Ukraine needed to protect the most vulnerable among them from vaccine-preventable diseases

Vaccination services are important to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission among people travelling or living in close quarters, to protect the refugees from diseases that may be circulating in the host country, and prevent any outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and polio.

New WHO web-based knowledge hub unravels the myriad influences behind our health behaviours

The new WHO web-based knowledge hub of behavioural and cultural insights (WHO BCI-Hub) provides a one-stop-shop for those interested in the complex question of how our health is impacted by who we are, what we know and what we do. It also provides background on the barriers to and drivers of healthy behaviours and practices.

Taxes on sweetened drinks: WHO explains how to make them an effective health measure

Taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) can help countries fight noncommunicable diseases and make people healthier – but this measure can be more effective if taxes are developed in collaboration between health and finance authorities.
This is one of the findings from the new WHO report “Sugar-sweetened beverage taxes in the WHO European Region”, which examines the experience of the 10 Member States who were first in the Region to introduce the measure.

7 April 2022 - World Health Day

85% of adolescent girls don't do enough physical activity: new WHO study calls for action

Adolescent girls are not getting enough physical activity. On World Obesity Day, WHO is focusing on this problem that is growing worldwide and can have serious effects on health and well-being. A new study into the ‘Barriers and Facilitators of Physical Activity Participation in Adolescent Girls’ brings good news – there are some clear steps to change this picture.

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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