Newsletter - August 2022

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

1. Editorial

We welcome everybody back after their summer breaks! As you can see in this August edition of the EUPHA newsletter, a lot has happened in the public health field even in the holiday season. We hope that our newsletter will provide you with a comprehensive overview that will help you catch up quickly. 

Enjoy the read,

Iveta Nagyova, EUPHA president and Marieke Verschuuren, Executive Director

2. EUPHA update

EUPHA's response to European Commission's call for evidence on smoke-free environments

In July 2022, EUPHA gathered evidence on smoke-free environments published in the European Journal of Public Health to answer the European Commission's call for evidence on the topic.

The evidence is supportive of expanding the 2009 recommendations on smoke-free environments with outdoor spaces and emerging products, including electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products. EUPHA's response to the consultation presents a selection of peer-reviewed articles on outdoor smoking regulations and on emerging products. The key results and conclusions are presented, including the implications for policy and the European Commission recommendations.

Skills building webinar by Public Health Wales: Step Change for a Sustainable Planet toolkit - putting theory into action.

Join this interesting skills building webinar organised by the Public Health Wales and powered by EUPHA. Ms. Masters and Dr. Azam from Public Health Wales will introduce you to The Step Change for a Sustainable Planet toolkit. This toolkit is developed to support organisations across the globe taking positive action to respond to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). It enables organisations and their staff to become ‘change makers’ by helping them to put into practice the principles of sustainable development. Join the webinar on September 9th, from 11:00 - 12:00 AM (CET). Register for this webinar here: 
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zlPQLNqURxqwC2vwYYSDpg

Forthcoming: Webinar by the EUPHA Green Club: How green is the European Public Health Conference? Can it get any greener?

Learn about the environmental impact of the European Public Health Conference and what measures can be taken to minimize this impact. How can conferences such as the EPH Conference in Berlin be more environmentally responsible? The date and more details will be shared here and on social media. 

Internship opportunity at EUPHA

The European Public Health Association (EUPHA) is offering an internship opportunity at the EUPHA office. The main task will be to conduct the EUPHA newsletter survey. Read the full call here.
Interested in this internship? Let us know by sending in your application Friday 16 September 2022, latest.

What are your views on personalized medicine?

A  survey on personalized medicine has been launched by the ExACT project. ExACT stands for: European network staff eXchange for integrAting precision health in the health Care sysTems, and EUPHA is a consortium member of this project.

The aim of this survey is to gather the views of citizens in European Union member states on personalized medicine. Personalized medicine tries to tailor health care to individual needs by taking the influence of genes, lifestyle and environment on health into account. Researchers need to combine data from many people to learn more about diseases. We would like to understand citizens' views on the use of their healthcare and lifestyle data, including genetic data and the sharing of such data. We would like to learn your views on how personalized medicine may be applied in health care. With the results of the survey, we aim to contribute to responsible use of personalized medicine, making citizens’ views available for policy to increase health benefits and reduce potential harms. You are invited to participate in the survey or further distribute the links.

The survey is available in English, as well as in Spanish, Italian, Dutch and French. 

Biannual RIVER-EU project newsletter

RIVER-EU is a European Project that aims to improve access to vaccination services for children and adolescents in selected underserved communities, specifically reducing inequity in measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. EUPHA is a project partner, supporting with the Work Package on dissemination and exploitation. Have a look at our latest newsletter, that brings you the most important project achievements and other related relevant information on equitable access to vaccination.

https://mailchi.mp/46af379573b2/river-eu... 

EUPHA signs letter from the health community calling for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty

With this letter, the health community joins academics, scientists, Nobel laureates, cities, faith leaders and young people in calling for a treaty to stop fossil fuels. The health letter builds directly on the call in the Healthy Climate Prescription letter to "deliver a rapid and just transition away from fossil fuels", which EUPHA signed in September 2021. There are concerning health risks and significant health costs associated with every stage of fossil fuel production and use. These are outlined in this briefing note. Like the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the proposed Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty will aim to be an evidence-based international agreement to control a category of substances well-known to be harmful to human health. Join this initiative and sign the letter, too. Either as individual or on behalf of your organisation.

Mental health in 2021 track report

EUPHA has published 'Mental health in 2021', which summarises the mental health track from the 14th European Public Health (EPH) Conference, held 10-12 November 2021, virtually. Did you miss #EPH2021? Or would you like to refresh your memory on the discussions that took place? This report presents the discussions and key messages of the conference’s mental health track, authored by EUPHA fellows.

Warning: another organizer using EUPHW logo and EPH title

We were notified that presenters in the forthcoming EPH Conference 2022 in Berlin were contacted by europublichealthwebinar or http://scientificmeditech.com to present at a 4th European Public Health Webinar. The senders even used EUPHA's  European Public Health Week (EUPHW) logo and have copied the EPH 2022 theme. We want to stress that EUPHA and EPH conference are not involved in this invitation or webinar, and that this webinar is in no way related to the EPH 2022 in Berlin.

For more information about the EPH 2022: https://ephconference.eu/

3. 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.

UPDATE PLENARY PROGRAMME

Plenary 5: Sustaining high quality care: interprofessional training for our clinical and public health workforce. Saturday 12 November, 10:30-11:30 CET. Organised by ASPHER and EHMA  

The plenary session will align with the main conference theme ‘Strengthening health systems: improving population health and being prepared for the unexpected’ and provide a balanced perspective on public health and healthcare interprofessional linkages for training of the two workforces being a prerequisite for a well-functioning, responsive and robust health system.

Moderators: John Middleton, Tara Chen, ASPHER. Keynotes by Natasha Azzopardi Muscat, WHO Regional Office for Europe, George Valiotis, EHMA. Panellists: Fatai Ogunlayi, UK Public Health Specialty Registrar, Laurent Chambaud, EHESP French School of Public Health, Georgia Karyami, EHMA.

Read more about the conference theme and plenary programme here.

LUNCH SYMPOSIUMS

We are organising an exciting lunch symposiums programme during the extended lunch hours. No separate registration required. Just take your lunch to the breakout room and take part.

Thursday 10 November

• Enhancing pathways for vaccine assessments and national decision-making – a driver of resilient health systems, organised by VaccinesEurope
• EU Funding opportunities and procurement, organised by the European Commission

Friday 11 November

• How can mRNA science shape the future of public health?, organised by Moderna
• SHARP Joint Action - strengthening capacity in preparing for the unexpected, organised by SHARP Joint Action

More lunch symposiums will be announced shortly on our website.

PRE-CONFERENCES

Pre-conferences are held on Wednesday 9 November. The full programme can be found on our website. Pre-conferences are held for half a day (morning or afternoon) or a full day. Attending a pre-conference requires separate registration. This can be done while registering for the main conference but can also be added to your existing registration at a later time. Registration fees are €75 and €150. Sponsored pre-conferences are €20. (All sessions inclusive network buffet lunch).

• Evaluating implementation of public policy for the promotion of physical activity and healthy nutrition: Why, how and what should this involve. (PENP), organised by EUPHA Public health policy and politics section and EU-Policy Evaluation Network
• Addressing pre-existing and emerging mental health challenges in times of crisis and beyond – Strategies, approaches and practices from a European perspective (MENH), organised by Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (BZgA), Germany, and Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (GÖG), Austria
• Microsimulation models as a health policy decision support tool (ECON), organised by EUPHA Public health economics section
• Unravelling data for Rapid Evidence-Based Response to COVID-19 (unCoVer) (REBR), organised by Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium
• Skills building workshop: Using public health foresight to be better prepared for the future (FORE), organised by EUPHA Foresight section
• Bridging primary care and public health: revisiting the priorities of practitioners in the aftermath of COVID-19, organised by EUPHA Health services research section
• Health literacy and salutogenesis in context (LISA), organised by EUPHA Health promotion section with the BMBF Research Consortium Health Literacy in Childhood and Adolescence (HLCA) and German universities
• Unravelling data for Rapid Evidence-Based Response to COVID-19 (unCoVer), organised by unCoVer network
• Health systems responses to migration: from crisis mode to diversity-sensitive inclusive systems (MIGR), organised by Heidelberg University Hospital, Bielefeld University, EUPHA Migrant health section and Lancet Migration European Hub
• Longitudinal studies on social security, work and health - defining measurements, statistical analyses and ethical issues, organised by EUPHA Social security, work and health section
• Natural experimental evaluations for public policy and health systems: recent advances and updated guidance (NEEV), organised by EUPHA Public health epidemiology, Public health economics and Health services research sections; in collaboration with the UK Medical Research Council and MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, UK
• How participation strengthens health research: current developments in Participatory Health Research in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, organised by PartNet (Participatory Health Research Network, PRESENT (German Prevention RESEarch NeTwork)
• Health promoting settings and climate change, organised by Berlin School of Public Health and PKV Verband e. V.
• What is metadata? Common standards and properties, organised by EUPHA Public health monitoring and reporting section, Population Health Information Research Infrastructure (PHIRI), Sciensano, The Norwegian Directorate of eHealth, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, and ELIXIR (Research Infrastructure for Bioinformatics)
• Young Researchers’ Forum, organised by ASPHER and EUPHA

FULL PROGRAMME AVAILABLE

The full programme is available online here. Check out when you are scheduled for presentation. You can search by logging in and typing in your surname. Instructions for presenters (workshops, orals, pitches, posters) can be found here.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN WITH BENEFITS FOR EUPHA MEMBERS

More than 1,750 colleagues have already registered. Meet your colleagues at the largest public health event in Europe during four fully packed conference days. Be quick to benefit from early bird registration fees. The full rates apply from 1 September. More information here

PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS

There are currently no restrictive measures for the event industry in place in Berlin. Event organizers are free to decide whether and how to make use of protective measures. For the EPH Conference 2022 we will follow the recommendations for responsible events to ensure our delegates can attend the conference safely. Current measures in Berlin can be followed in detail on the websites of VisitBerlin and the State of Berlin.

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 centre.

4. EUPHA members update

SFSP publishes position on monkey pox

Société Française de Santé Publique (SFSP) has published a position on monkey pox (in French). The main points they stress in this position are:

• The need to get all information/health data re this epidemic in open access;
• The importance of anticipating possible scenarios for the evolution of this outbreak;
• The question of international collaboration/solidarity (more particularly considering the very limited stocks of vaccine available);
• The rapid increase in vaccination and the need to clearly communicate with certain target populations.

The EUPHA Infectious Diseases Control section is currently working on a EUPHA position on monkey pox together with SFSP.

5. European Journal of Public Health

Volume 32, Issue 4, August 2022

EDITORIAL
When the guns fall silent… Priorities for health in post-war Ukraine 
Martin McKee, Iveta Nagyova

COMMENTARIES
Post COP26: legal action now part of public health’s environment and climate change toolbox 
David W Patterson, Richard Harvey, Vlatka Matkovic, Marlies Hesselman, Farhang Tahzib
Extreme heat leads to short- and long-term food insecurity with serious consequences for health 
Carolin Kroeger, Aaron Reeves

SOCIOECONOMIC DETERMINANTS
Latent class trajectories of socioeconomic position over four time points and mortality: the Uppsala Birth Cohort Study 
Muhammad Zakir Hossin, Amy Heshmati, Ilona Koupil, Anna Goodman, Gita D Mishra
Exploring the socioeconomic disparities of maternal body mass index: a national study in France 

6. Call for proposals, job opportunities

EU-OSHA is looking for an Executive Director

Deadline: 26 September, 12.00 noon Brussels time. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (OSHA) is a decentralised agency of the European Union (EU), established in 1994 and based in Bilbao, Spain. EU-OSHA’s objective is to provide the Union institutions and bodies, the Member States, the social partners and other actors involved in the field of safety and health at work with relevant technical, scientific and economic information and qualified expertise in that field in order to improve the working environment as regards the protection of the safety and health of workers.

Job opportunities at the Health and Environment Alliance

The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), based in Brussels, is looking for:

• a Country Engagement Coordinator (Climate and Air) - Deadline: 30 September 2022
• a Senior Communications and Media Officer - Deadline:  12 September 2022

Learn more about HEAL here.

7. Interesting news

Improving quality of care requires more than isolated mechanisms

European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, 19 July 2022.

Addressing backlogs and managing waiting lists during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Policy brief by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies

https://eurohealthobservatory.who.int/pu...

"Implementing innovation to transform health systems: examples from the Veneto and international perspectives" | Hybrid event recording | 26 July 2022

Watch the recording of a hybrid session from this year’s Observatory Venice Summer School.

https://eurohealthobservatory.who.int/news-room/events/item/2022/07/26/default-calendar/observatory-venice-summer-school-2022-implementing-innovation-to-transform-health-systems-examples-from-the-veneto-and-international-perspectives

Wemos includes CEPI to its review of initiatives for access to Covid-19 innovations

In 2022, Wemos released a website providing an overview of initiatives that can improve access to medical products against Covid-19 and future pandemics. Wemos has added to its review the The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a foundation based in Norway that aims to counter current and future epidemic and pandemic threats through supporting and financing the development of vaccines and other medical products. It concludes that CEPI has great potential to foster equitable global access to vaccines, but that its funding conditions are inadequate.

ASPHER's summer newsletter

The summer newsletter of Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) is now available here. 

Registration & Call for Abstracts - ASPHER 2022 Deans' & Directors' Retreat

Registration is now open for the Deans’ & Directors’ Retreat which will take place on 14-16 October 2022 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Learn more on how to submit your abstract in one of the areas selected by ASPHER.
Deadline: 4 September 2022

https://www.aspher.org/news,86.html

Gamian Europe's ongoign activities

Gamian Europe is a patient-driven pan-European organisation, representing and advocating the interests and rights of persons affected by mental ill health. In 2022, EUPHA and Gamian partnered for the European Public Health Week (EUPHW), therefore strengthening the relations between public mental health academic research and patient-led advocacy and information. Gamian-Europe is happy to share news on two of their ongoing projects:

• My HeART is GAMIAN-Europe’s inaugural art competition that was launched earlier this year. The project aims at exhibiting the talent of GAMIAN’s members living with mental ill-health and promote their artistic ability and their own views on the pieces they have chosen to submit. During the summer, judges will evaluate their work and three winners will be announced in September. The top submissions will be displayed across GAMIAN-Europe’s website and social media channels to give our artist members maximum exposure. 
  
• As part of their suicide prevention in young men project, GAMIAN-Europe has followed up its two in-depth workshops with a second visual part of the campaign. This latter segment will include the release of a video where men speak about their own suicidal ideation experiences, an interactive toolkit for young men looking for help or those wanting to help them, plus other engaging social media assets. These will be released on World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10). Stay tuned!

MEPs launch a petition to make 2023 the year of mental health

The European People's Party of the European Parliament has launched a petition to make 2023 the year of mental health. The aim of dedicating a European year for mental health is to gather awareness and momentum for the rights of those living with various mental health conditions. It will be a good launching pad for calling on the EU Commission to create a comprehensive mental health care strategy at EU level. This petition has been endorsed by Gamian Europe, EUPHA's partner for the #EUPHW2022 kick-off event on the topic "No health without mental health". You can sign the petition here until September 8th.

https://www.epp4youth.eu/mental-health/

GLEPHA Marketplace of Ideas: 5-23 September 2022

The Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association (GLEPHA) is a member-based association, bringing the law enforcement and public health sectors together to address complex issues requiring an inter-sectoral approach is a rapidly emerging field, being explored in all jurisdictions and for a multitude of problems. GLEPHA is a EUPHA partner, and works for example with our Law and Public Health section.
Taking place in September, their Marketplace of Ideas will showcase practical and innovative programmes that demonstrate the successful convergence of law enforcement and public health approaches, with a particular focus on policing and policing alternatives. Have a look at the programme and register.

Kick-off of the European Project BeWell

EUPHA's partner EHMA (European Health Management Association) is leading the consortium that will produce a strategy on upskilling and reskilling the European health workforce. The strategy is part of a project called BeWell, which is a large-scale skills partnership that will work with a wide range of healthcare stakeholders to gather insights and deliver training programmes that help inform a strategy that integrates into local, regional, national and European plans. The BeWell strategy will prepare the health workforce for future challenges and ever-changing societal context and evolving expectations. You may contact georgia.karyami@ehma.org at EHMA to learn more about the project.

High Temperatures Have Short-Term Impact on All Major Causes of Death, Including Suicide

INSERM (French National Institute of Health and Medical Research) | News | 24 August 2022
This new study based on all of the deaths having occurred in France over a 49-year period and  published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, confirms the U-shaped relationship (short-term increase in mortality when temperatures are at their hottest or coldest) observed between temperature and the majority of the causes of death considered. However, an exception has been observed for death from suicide, which rose steadily in line with the temperature, without the increased risk at cold temperatures observed for the other causes of death. 

Tobacco industry's price games undermine taxation policies

NCD Alliance | Blog | 11 August 2022
Increasing tobacco tax to increase its price to consumers and therefore reduce its affordability is one of the most effective public health measures to curb the tobacco epidemic, and one that generates government revenue. However, a review that systematically assessed global literature on the tobacco industry’s (TI) response to excise tax policies found that the TI responds to tax increases in multiple ways. It uses a variety of sophisticated pricing strategies to weaken tax policies as they seek to maintain and enhance their profitability.

8. Upcoming courses and conferences

9. Interesting publications

What does it mean to declare monkeypox a PHEIC?

The Lancet Infectious Diseases | Newsdesk | 11 August 2022
Monkeypox has been declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), but what does it mean for the response? This paper stresses that aside from allowing WHO to issue formal, non-binding recommendations, a PHEIC designation is not associated with any substantial powers. However, “it encourages governments to take monkeypox seriously, and makes it easier for WHO and others to fundraise. People are more likely to pay attention to a situation that has been officially designated as an emergency” says Lawrence Gostin, the O’Neill Chair in Global Health Law at Georgetown Law.

Does global health governance walk the talk? Gender representation in World Health Assemblies, 1948-2021

In this paper, authors analysed gender representation in World Health Assemblies (WHA) delegations of Member States, Associate Members and Observers (country/territory), using data from 10 944 WHA delegations and 75 815 delegation members over 1948–2021. They conclude that, despite commitments to gender equality in leadership, women remain gravely under-represented in global health governance. An intersectional approach to representation in global health governance, which prioritises equity in participation beyond gender, can enable transformative policymaking that fosters transparent, accountable and just health systems.

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010-19: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

The Lancet | Articles | 20 August 2022
Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. In this study, authors analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally.

A framework for digital health equity

npj Digital Medicine | Review Article | 18 August 2022
In this paper, authors present a comprehensive Framework for Digital Health Equity, detailing key digital determinants of health (DDoH), to support the work of digital health tool creators in industry, health systems operations, and academia.  

Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

This Special Issue published in the Health Policy Journal aims to provide coherent and comprehensive insights on lessons learned from the COVID-19 response, which will support policymakers while they prepare for future outbreaks but also for other health system shocks that affect the supply and demand of health services.

10. European Commission news

Commission decides to register new European Citizens' Initiative on tobacco

On August 24^th, the Commission decided to register a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) entitled ‘Call to achieve a tobacco-free environment and the first European tobacco-free generation by 2030'. The organisers of the initiative call on the Commission to propose legislation to save new generations from falling into tobacco addiction, to act against related environmental dangers and against smoking. Following the registration, the organisers have 6 months to open the signature collection. If it receives 1 million statements of support within 1 year, from at least 7 different Member States, the Commission will have to react.

New EU4Health call for tenders on tobacco control

The European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) has launched a new call for tenders to provide services to support the actions in the field of tobacco control at EU level. The objectives of this call include the support to the implementation and further development of the EU's tobacco control policy and legislation and actions further outlined in Europe's Beating Cancer Plan. 
Learn more and apply by 30 September 2022.

Big data use for public health: publication of Big Data Steering Group workplan 2022-25

The Big Data Steering Group set up by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA) has published its third workplan that sets key actions to be delivered between 2022–25. The new workplan will allow to further enhance the efficient integration of data analysis into the evaluation of medicinal products by regulators. This joint HMA/EMA Big Data Steering Group advises the EMA Management Board and HMA on prioritisation and planning of actions to implement the ten priority recommendations in the Big Data Task Force final report (phase two). 

11. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control news

Eurosurveillance - Volume 27, Issue 31, 04 August 2022

Rapid communication
Functional immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in the general population after a booster campaign and the Delta and Omicron waves, Switzerland, March 2022
Sindbis virus outbreak and evidence for geographical expansion in Finland, 2021
Outbreaks
Hepatitis of unknown aetiology in children – epidemiological overview of cases reported in Europe, 1 January to 16 June 2022
Perspective
Signalling and responding to zoonotic threats using a One Health approach: a decade of the Zoonoses Structure in the Netherlands, 2011 to 2021
Erratum
Erratum for Euro Surveill. 2021;27(30)

Eurosurveillance - Volume 27, Issue 32, 11 August 2022

Research
SARS-CoV-2 infection in households with and without young children: Nationwide cohort study, Denmark, 27 February 2020 to 26 February 2021
Epidemiology of Lyme borreliosis based on outpatient claims data of all people with statutory health insurance, Germany, 2019
Perspective
Monkeypox: another test for PCR

Eurosurveillance - Volume 27, Issue 33, 18 August 2022

Rapid communication
Seroprevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and risk of COVID-19 in Navarre, Spain, May to July 2022
Monkeypox self-diagnosis abilities, determinants of vaccination and self-isolation intention after diagnosis among MSM, the Netherlands, July 2022
The relevance of multiple clinical specimens in the diagnosis of monkeypox virus, Spain, June 2022
Research
Role of population and test characteristics in antigen-based SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis, Czechia, August to November 2021
Recording of ’COVID-19 vaccine declined‘: a cohort study on 57.9 million National Health Service patients’ records in situ using OpenSAFELY, England, 8 December 2020 to 25 May 2021

Eurosurveillance - Volume 27, Issue 34, 25 August 2022

Surveillance
Trends and regional variations of gonococcal antimicrobial resistance in the Netherlands, 2013 to 2019
Epidemiological profile of COVID-19 in the French overseas department Mayotte, 2020 to 2021
Letter
Letter to the editor: Atypical weather is associated with the 2022 early start of West Nile virus transmission in Italy

Long-term qualitative scenarios and considerations of their implications for preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the EU/EEA

There are a wide range of potential trajectories for the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic in the coming months and years. This document sets out a number of scenarios that are intended to be plausible, internally consistent, and coherent descriptions of possible futures.

12. WHO news

Foods for infants and young children: a matter of concern?

World Breastfeeding Week, held on 1–7 August each year, sparked discussions across the WHO European Region around the growing international concern about infant feeding. Many commercial food products are marketed as suitable for babies from 4 months of age, potentially displacing breast-milk intake. Worryingly, sweet purées and snack foods that are high in free sugars dominate the marketplace. A model law developed by the WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases will enable countries to strengthen their adherence to the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, and protect young children from the harmful effects of inappropriate food marketing.

Landscape of observational studies on the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination

The document provides an overview of the different observational studies that are being conducted to assess the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination, including key features in terms of study design, sample size, study population, key outcomes measured and location of study. (This document is in draft form as it is work in progress).

Towards a new vision for shared responsibility in pharmaceutical pricing, coverage and reimbursement: policy approaches building on principles of solidarity, transparency and sustainability

This technical report considers four categories of policies – demand pooling, formal tiered pricing, risk-sharing agreements and policies to harness competition – with potential to ameliorate issues in ensuring timely, affordable and equitable access to effective medicines in the WHO European Region. Each approach offers the potential to address a different dimension of the affordability problem. 

Report of the expert meeting to strengthen capacity in screening and brief interventions for alcohol in Russian-speaking populations (‎2022)‎

The goal of the meeting, which was organized by the Alcohol and Illicit Drugs programme of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, was to bring together technical experts such as health organizers and healthcare professionals who work with Russian speaking populations on a daily basis and offer them an exchange platform. The expert meeting was considered a sounding board for sharing experiences, learning from good practices and identifying opportunities and barriers for implementing screening and brief interventions for alcohol.

Palliative care for older people: better practices

Intented for policy-makers, decision-makers, planners and multidisciplinary professionals concerned with the care and quality of life of older people, this publication aims to provide examples of better palliative care practices for older people to help those involved in planning and supporting care-oriented services most appropriately and effectively. It takes both an individual person and a health systems approach, focusing on examples from or relevant to the WHO European Region. 

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HaDEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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