Newsletter – April 2024

1. Editorial
2. EUPHA update
3. European Public Health Week
4. European Public Health Conference
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 Institutions’ news
11. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control news
12. WHO news

1. Editorial – Embracing Diversity for Healthier Futures

Dear readers,

This month, as I read this edition of our newsletter, I felt really inspired how EUPHA’s work underscores our commitment to Public Health values, in particular diversity.

First of all, the Sexual and gender minority health section (SGMH) is at the forefront of addressing the unique health needs of the LGBTQIA+ community. The dedicated efforts of Arjan van der Star and Lovro Marković, along with their team, focus on enhancing our understanding and improving the health outcomes of these populations. Their work not only sheds light on health disparities but also paves the way for more inclusive health practices and policies. Their propositions for the upcoming EPH Conference are innovative – aligning with our main theme- but they also will connect to local communities. Kudos to them!

We are also thrilled to announce the launch of our Healthy ageing section, responding to the challenges posed by an ageing population. Aligning with the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, it aims at working collectively to reduce inequalities and improve the well-being of older adults through a multidisciplinary approach.  

Another example of our work: our Migrant and ethnic minority health section is working closely with WHO on the Knowledge forum that will happen in Malta, working with refugees and migrants, where they will walk the talk, inspire, and reach out.

Public Health is about values, public health is about equity. This will be reflected in many ways during the European Public Health Week 2024 and its theme “Health is a political choice”. This event will provide a platform for discussions that bridge public health and political choices, advocating for policies that ensure the health and well-being of all Europeans in their diversity. The work of our members and sections may not be on the cover of magazines, but I strongly believe that we are working towards meaningful changes.

Wishing you pleasant reading.

Dr Iveta Nagyova, EUPHA President, and Charlotte Marchandise, Executive Director

2. EUPHA update

Meet the section: Sexual gender and minority health

For the third installment of our new Meet-the-Section newsletter feature, we asked our Sexual & Gender Minority Health Section colleagues, Arjan and Lovro, to present the work of their Section.
Sexual & Gender Minority Health encompasses the health of those who identify as non-exclusively heterosexual (e.g., gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, queer), report same-gender attraction, or report same-gender sexual behavior, but also those who identify with a gender different from their assigned birth sex (e.g., transgender, gender non-binary, genderqueer) or were born with diverse sex characteristics (i.e., intersex). We sometimes also refer to these populations with the wider LGBTQIA+ acronym. The section’s work spans across various domains of health, including physical, psychological, social, behavioral, and sexual health and wellbeing. It draws from various disciplines, such as epidemiology, medicine, psychology, sociology, intervention development, implementation science, etc., and various theoretical frameworks (i.e., minority stress, social stigma, etc.).  
The SGMH section aims to increase knowledge on differences in health and health care among sexual and gender minority populations, promote monitoring of health-related outcomes and disparities among LGBTQIA+ populations, as well as explore the reasons for and evidence-based means of reducing these health disparities towards health equity. The Section’s priority is to build a network of researchers in the field of sexual and gender minority health from a public health and behavioral science perspective.
Please join our section through the subscription link on the EUPHA website here and follow us on X/Twitter. Also, be sure to meet us at the EPH Conference during the Join the Network session and various other section-led events/workshops.
Arjan van der Star and Lovro Marković, SGMH section President and VP

EUPHA section on Healthy ageing

EUPHA is happy to anounce a new section with the topic of Healthy ageing.
The Healthy ageing section will address the pressing public health challenge posed by the ageing population in Europe, the WHO European Region and beyond. By aligning with the goals of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, which aims to promote healthy ageing, reduce health inequalities, improve access to integrated and long-term care and enhance the well-being of older adults, the section seeks to actively contribute to the objectives of this global initiative. The section will adopt a multidisciplinary approach to bridge the gap between geroscience discoveries and their translation into public health practice. It will address the challenges associated with unhealthy ageing, including the impact of lifestyle factors, social determinants of health, and the accessibility of public health and health care (among them long-care) services.
Read more about the aim of the section here.
You are invited to subscribe to the section on the section page here.

Meet the Section: EUPHA-SGMH

For the third instalment of our new Meet-the-Section newsletter feature, we asked our Sexual & Gender Minority Health Section colleagues, Arjan and Lovro, to present the work of their Section
Sexual & Gender Minority Health encompasses the health of those who identify as non-exclusively heterosexual (e.g., gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, queer), report same-gender attraction, or report same-gender sexual behaviour, but also those who identify with a gender different from their assigned birth sex (e.g., transgender, gender non-binary, genderqueer) or were born with diverse sex characteristics (i.e., intersex). We sometimes also refer to these populations with the wider LGBTQIA+ acronym. The section’s work spans various health domains, including physical, psychological, social, behavioural, and sexual health and well-being. It draws from various disciplines, such as epidemiology, medicine, psychology, sociology, intervention development, implementation science, etc., and various theoretical frameworks (i.e., minority stress, social stigma, etc.).  
The SGMH section aims to increase knowledge on differences in health and health care among sexual and gender minority populations, promote monitoring of health disparities among LGBTQIA+ populations, and explore the reasons for these health disparities. The Section’s priority is to build a network of researchers in the field of sexual and gender minority health from a public health and behavioural science perspective.
Please join our section through the subscription link on the EUPHA website here and follow us on X/Twitter. Also, be sure to meet us at the EPH Conference during the Join the Network session and various other section-led events/workshops.
Arjan van der Star and Lovro Marković, SGMH section President and VP.

3. European Public Health Week

We are excited to again announce the European Public Health Week 2024 under the theme Health is a political choice! As we approach the crucial elections of 2024, it becomes increasingly apparent that health must be a central focus in political discourse.
A week-long pan-European platform for public health events, the EUPHW will offer dynamic discussions on public health and – at the intersection of politics and health – will call for sustainable change across Europe. This is only possible through relevant complementary partnerships.
We will kick off on May 13th with a morning webinar and continue with an afternoon High-Level Panel, streaming live from Brussels. Here is a brief overview of our daily themes and EUPHW daily partners. Please follow links for more information.

Monday, May 13th // Health is a political choice!

• Starting the discussion
  Monday, May 13th, 10:00-11:30 CEST (online)
• Radical community management training
  Monday, May 13th, 12:00-15:00 CEST (in-person)
• High-level panel
  Monday, May 13th, 15:00-16:30 CEST (hybrid)

Tuesday, May 14th // Mental health

• How do you do co-creation in mental health?
  Tuesday, May 14th, 10:00-11:00 CEST (online)

Wednesday, May 15th // Planetary health

• The strength of partnerships in designing health-promoting policies
  Wednesday, May 15th, 10:00-11:00 CEST (online)

Thursday, May 16th // Health through the life course

• Breaking down silos
  Wednesday, May 15th, 10:00-11:00 CEST (online)

Friday, May 17th // Next generation of public health

• Public health of today and tomorrow
  Friday, May 17th, 14:00-17:30 CEST (hybrid)

Next to these kick-off events, there will be dozens (probably hundreds) more – organised by you, public health professionals and enthusiasts around Europe. Please refer to the 2024 EUPHW Events calendar for the full list and see below how to submit your event.
We invite you to participate actively in the 2024 EUPHW. In addition to organising and submitting an event, your involvement can take various forms, such as amplifying our message through social media and contributing to workshops and exhibitions. Whether you’re an individual or an organisation, there’s a platform for your voice to be heard. Let’s raise awareness about these public health themes and collaborate!

4. European Public Health Conference

17^th EPH CONFERENCE, LISBON, PORTUGAL

PRE-CONFERENCES 11 – 12 NOVEMBER
MAIN CONFERENCE 13 – 15 NOVEMBER
SAILING THE WAVES OF EUROPEAN PUBLIC HEALTH: EXPLORING A SEA OF INNOVATION

Theme and programme

The theme of this year’s EPH Conference ‘Sailing the waves of European public health: exploring a sea of innovation’, reflects our collective journey. Just as explorers once set out from Lisbon to discover new worlds, we public health professionals are embarking on a journey of innovation and discovery in our own field. We aim to push the boundaries, discover new approaches and chart the course for the future of public health in Europe. The focus of our journey will be on:

• Artificial Intelligence in Public Health: exploring how AI is transforming disease surveillance, healthcare delivery, and decision-making;
• One Health: while recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, we will discuss how an animal-centric approach can strengthen public health strategies and mitigate emerging threats;
• Social Marketing in Public Health: discussing innovative campaigns, digital strategies, and community engagement techniques to promote healthier behaviours;
• Health Inequalities: looking at innovative strategies that can be employed to reduce disparities and ensure equitable access to health care;
• Global Health: discussing the interconnectedness of our increasingly globalized world and how European public health efforts can contribute to global health solutions.

The themes will be dealt with in our plenary sessions, organised by EUPHA, EuroHealthNet, European Health Management Association (EHMA), ASPHER, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), European Commission and WHO Regional Office for Europe. Read more here.

Registration is open with benefits for EUPHA member

Registration for the Lisbon 2024 is open. You can benefit from early bird registration fees until 1 September. EUPHA members and delegates from Portugal pay € 690 before 1 September, non-members € 790. Students, trainees and colleagues from low- and middle-income countries pay € 400. All fees mentioned including VAT. Read more here.

Abstract submission closes 1 May

Abstract submission for Lisbon 2024 closes 1 May 2024, 18:00 CET. Abstracts are invited for workshops, oral presentations, pitch presentations and ePosters. Read more here.

Conferência de Saúde Pública da Lusofonia

We are excited to announce the “Conferência de Saúde Pública da Lusofonia,” on 11 and 12 November 2024, specifically targeting the global Lusophone community. The Lusofonia Public Health Conference aims to promote debate and reflection around strengthening cooperation in public health between the nine Member States of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP).

Thematic areas include National Health Systems, Training and Development of the Health Workforce, Health Information and Communication, Monitoring of Sustainable Development Goals, Public Health Emergency Preparedness, Research and Bioethics in Health. These themes will be addressed in plenary sessions and round tables, spread out over the two day conference. The programme also includes oral presentations for which abstracts are cordially invited.
Abstracts are invited. Deadline for abstract submission is 31 May 2024. The abstracts selected for presentation in free communication and poster formats at the Lusofonia Public Health Conference will be published in the Anais do IHMT. Read more here.
The conference language will be Portuguese. Simultaneous translation into English will be provided. Registration, with reduced fees for delegates from the Portuguese speaking countries, is through the EPH Conference registration panel.
The Lusophone Public Health Conference is organized by EPH Conference, the Portuguese Association for Public Health (APPSP) and the National Association of Public Health Doctors (ANMSP). The conference is held at the Lisbon Congress Center, Portugal.

Looking for hotel accommodation?

You are advised to book your travel and accommodation early. On the EPH Conference website you find a link to the booking site of our travel partner Forum d’Ideias. Read more here.

Welcome to Liston 2024

The 17^th EPH Conference will be held in Lisbon, Portugal, from 12 – 15 November 2024. Theme of the EPH conference 2024 is: Sailing the waves of European public health: exploring a sea of innovation. The main conference is from 13 – 15 November. Pre-conferences will be held on 11 and 12 November. The 17^th EPH Conference will be held at the Lisbon Congress Center (CCL). Click here for a virtual tour.

5. European Journal of Public Health

Volume 34, Issue 2, April 2024

Editorials
Public health role in litigation to address climate change 
Giovanna Mazzola and others
A volunteer-led approach to physical activity at large scale—the example of the Gaelic Athletic Organisation 
Anthony Staines and Emer O’Hara

Social determinants
Sociodemographic inequalities of suicide: a population-based cohort study of adults in England and Wales 2011–21
Isobel L Ward and others
Associations between healthy lifestyle and mortality across different social environments: a study among adults with frailty from the UK Biobank
Junhan Tang and others
Global health inequality: analyses of life disparity and healthy life disparity
Yan Zheng and Vladimir Canudas-Romo
Healthy eating encouragement and socio-demographic factors associated with cognitive development among pre-schoolers: a cross-sectional evaluation in Nepal
Prakash Sharma and others

Health services research
Assessing health insurance literacy in Switzerland: first results from a measurement tool 
Tess L C Bardy
Prevalence, diagnostic delay and economic burden of endometriosis and its impact on quality of life: results from an Eastern Mediterranean population 
Bethan Swift and others
A multidisciplinary Delphi consensus to define evidence-based quality indicators for diabetic foot ulcer care 
Flora Mbela Lusendi and others
Preferences for innovations in healthcare delivery models in the Swiss elderly population: a latent class, choice modelling study 
Anna Nicolet and others

Child and adolescent health
On a collision course: fatal motorcycle and bicycle accidents of adolescents in Finland from 2008 to 2019
Jani Unkuri and others
Long-term impact of parenting-related leave policies on adolescents’ well-being: a systematic review of quasi-experiments
Hande Tugrul and others
Adolescents with emotional and behavioural problems are at higher risk to become excessive or addicted Internet users: is this association moderated by gender?
Laura Bitto Urbanova and others
Inducement of positive nutritional practices through health promotion campaigns among parents/caregivers in Albania
Suela Vasil and others

Physical activity
Association between active commuting and low-grade inflammation: a population-based cross-sectional study 
Sara Allaouat and others
Pharmacists’ involvement in physical activity promotion in community pharmacy: a systematic review 
Ruben Viegas and others

Work and health
Metabolic syndrome and poor self-rated health as risk factors for premature employment exit: a longitudinal study among 55 016 middle-aged and older workers from the Lifelines Cohort Study and Biobank 
Katharina Runge and others
Work–family conflicts and sickness absence—a register-linked cohort study among young and early midlife employees 
Aino Salonsalmi and others
Dual trajectories of short-term and long-term sickness absence and their social- and health-related determinants among women in the public sector 
Johanna Suur-Uski and others

Substance and use gambling
Mortality among people who inject drugs – the interwoven roles of fentanyl and HIV: a community-based cohort study 
Maris Salekešin and others
Harmful types of gambling: changes and emerging trends in longitudinal helpline data 
Virve Marionneau and others

Editor’s choice
Gambling among indebted individuals: an analysis of bank transaction data 
Virve K Marionneau and others

Screening
Relationship between health-related determinants and adherence to breast and colorectal cancer screening: a population-based study in Flanders, Belgium 
Allegra Ferrari and others
Divergent effects of switching from cytology to HPV-based screening in the Nordic countries 
Veli-Matti Partanen and others
Direct mailing of HPV self-sampling kits to women aged 50–65 non-participating in cervical screening in the Czech Republic 
Ondřej Ngo and others

Vaccination
Understanding the health system barriers and enablers to childhood MMR and HPV vaccination among disadvantaged, minority or underserved populations in middle- and high-income countries: a systematic review
Jumanah Essa-Hadad and others
Political polarization may affect attitudes towards vaccination. An analysis based on the European Social Survey data from 23 countries
Michał Wróblewski and Andrzej Meler
Multilevel analysis of COVID-19 vaccination intention: the moderating role of economic and cultural country characteristics
Monika Lamot and Andrej Kirbiš

Covid-19
Contact tracing in Austria, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, and Kosovo during the COVID-19 pandemic: response review and good practices 
Ahmed Taha Aboushady and others
Trends of perceived disruption in healthcare services during the pandemic: findings from the COVID-19 National Resilience Cohort in Iceland 
Yue Wang and others
Primary care indicators for disease burden, monitoring and surveillance of COVID-19 in 31 European countries: Eurodata Study 
Sara Ares-Blanco and others
A comparison of excess deaths by UK country and region during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic 
Neil A Hopper and others
Area-level excess mortality in times of COVID-19 in Switzerland: geographical, socioeconomic and political determinants 
Julien Riou and others

European public health news
Editorial: Health is a Political Choice 
Charlotte Marchandise and others

6. Call for proposals, job opportunities

Health Foundation funding and opportunities in 2024

Read all about the Fellowships and networks, funding and research opportunities, opportunities to tender for work during 2024 and other ways to get involved
Read more here.

The Partnership on Transforming Health and Care Systems aims to fund transnational research projects via dedicated calls

Check out the calls from more than 30 funding agencies, including a call for proposals by 14 May 2024 here.

Call for applications for CBITN’s 2024-25 funding competition

Studentship and Fellowship Opportunities 2024-2025
Applications for the following opportunities are available now. Applicants can apply from any Canadian institution of higher education.

• Master’s Studentships
• Doctoral Studentships
• Postdoctoral Fellowships

Duration: One (1) year. Applications are renewable upon resubmission.
Deadline to apply: Monday, May 27th, 2024 (5pm ET).
Funding start date: September 2024

National CBITN Event

The primary objective of this event is to facilitate networking opportunities for mentees, with people a variety of expertise and experiences within and outside of academia. We have assembled a diverse group of professionals from academia, healthcare, industry, government, and more, to provide mentees with insights into potential future career paths and guidance on navigating these diverse avenues.
Attend in person or virtually. Click here to register.

PhD position in the INDEEP Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Network, Amsterdam UMC

INDEEP (INtervention on the DEterminants of, and Expertise in, Physical activity behaviours) is an EU-funded Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Network that seeks to generate excellence in research and training, providing future graduates that can advance the state-of-the-art in Physical Activity promotion, through a comprehensive understanding of the determinants associated with Physical Activity Behaviours, innovative methodologies, and data analytics.
More information here.

HaDEA Publication of open calls for proposals (grants): Tentative calendar

Check out the calls here.

LSE Fellow in Health Policy at Department of Health Policy

LSE is committed to building a diverse, equitable and truly inclusive university 
This is a career development position and is fixed term for two years.
An LSE Fellowship is intended to be an entry route to an academic career and is deemed by the School to be a career development position.  As such, applicants who have already been employed as a LSE Fellow for three years in total are not eligible to apply. If you have any queries about this please contact the HR Division. 
 Read more here.

WHO Technical Officer (Mental Health)

The Division of Country Health Policies and Systems (CPS) assists countries in the Region in the development and implementation of appropriate health policies and systems to strengthen universal health coverage. It works to strengthen data-driven, evidence-informed, contextually tailored health policy development and implementation at national, regional and local levels, taking an inclusive approach across the life course. The Division advocates strengthening of public health leadership, focusing on implementing policies that are people centered, promote health, prevent illness, and address the social and economic determinants of health, while fostering leadership on equity, human rights and gender mainstreaming in health. It focuses on building capacity for health systems innovation to enable the sustainable delivery of high-quality primary health and community services that are effectively linked to hospitals, and mental health, public health and social care services. To do so, CPS supports country efforts to facilitate access to leave nobody behind, to improve financial protection, to strengthen the health workforce, to increase access to affordable medicines and technologies, and to promote the uptake and implementation of digital technology. The mental health flagship programmed is responsible for the implementation of the WHO European Framework for Action on Mental Health 2021-2025and collaborates closely with units and divisions across the Regional Office on initiatives aimed at promoting mental health and improving prevention and treatment of address mental health conditions which are a leading cause of suffering and disability in the European Region. In September 2021, a pan-European Mental Health Coalition was launched as a network of experts, organizations and leaders dedicated to strengthening mental health systems across the WHO European Region. It will serve as the main vehicle for a synergetic implementation of the WHO European Framework for Action on Mental Health 2021-2025 and will prioritize the following six areas of work: tackling stigma & discrimination and preparing leaders to champion reforms; building up the support of children, adolescents and young people in mental health systems; promoting healthy ageing, including dementia prevention, in older adults; developing workplaces that promote and protect mental health and well-being; protecting mental health in emergencies; and ensuring that everyone can access good quality mental health services
Read more here.

Open Call for Trainees: Value Based Health Care: how to generate value in the Age Friendly Environments

University of Rijeka – Faculty of Medicine (MEDICINSKI FAKULTET U RIJECI-HR)
In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, the paradigm is shifting towards a model that emphasizes value over volume. Value-based healthcare (VBHC) stands at the forefront of this transformation, championing the delivery of high-quality care that prioritizes patient outcomes and experiences while optimizing resource utilization.
As social and health practitioners, your role is pivotal in shaping the trajectory of healthcare delivery. Your daily interactions with individuals and communities provide a unique vantage point to understand the diverse needs and challenges within the healthcare ecosystem. Recognizing the significance of your contributions, we embark on a journey to equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate the principles and practices of value-based care.
Read more here.

7. Interesting news

Global immunization efforts have saved at least 154 million lives over the past 50 years (Gavi)

A major landmark study just published by The Lancet reveals that global immunization efforts have saved an estimated 154 million lives – or the equivalent of 6 lives every minute of every year – over the past 50 years. The vast majority of lives saved – 101 million – were those of infants.
The study, led by the World Health Organization (WHO), shows that immunization is the single greatest contribution of any health intervention to ensuring babies not only see their first birthdays but continue leading healthy lives into adulthood.
Read more here.

Primary health care is the “heart”, not the “front door”, of health systems (Observatory)

International symposium hosted by Spain’s Ministry of Health sees the release of two key resources for decision-makers.
A high-level international symposium gathered over 1000 participants in Madrid and online to discuss the pivotal role of primary health care (PHC) in health systems and to inform policymakers of best practices for implementation.
“It’s often said that primary health care is the front door of our health care system. We consider it to be the heart of our health care system,” said the Spanish Minister of Health, Monica Garcia, setting the tone for the symposium “Transforming Primary Health Care: from Spain to Europe”.
European experts concurred that PHC is not just about delivering care; it is about fostering health promotion, disease prevention, and community well-being. Other takeaways included PHC as a driver of equity, human rights, and social justice, as well as its role as a cornerstone of social cohesion.
Read more here.

Four direct MSF experiences that make us deeply concerned about the nutrition crisis in Gaza (MSF)

Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is deeply concerned about reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) about the catastrophic levels of hunger experienced by people in Gaza, particularly in the north. While MSF’s presence in northern Gaza is limited, our direct clinical experience in Rafah and testimonies from our Palestinian colleagues give us grave concern about severely limited access to basic food, water and other essential supplies.  
 
Here are four direct MSF experiences in Gaza that highlight why the international community must be gravely concerned about a growing nutrition crisis in this context.
Read more here.

How patient-led research could speed up medical innovation

Melissa Red Hoffman was “feeling really stuck” last summer. A 50-year-old surgeon in Asheville, N.C., Hoffman had been struggling with long COVID since getting infected with the coronavirus two and a half years earlier. “Deafening fatigue” was one of her worst symptoms, she says. “I feel tired behind my eyes from the moment I get up to the moment I go to sleep.” She managed to work part time, but much of her work had shifted to administrative tasks that she did from her couch.
Then she found Remission Biome. It’s a research project started in early 2023 by Tamara Romanuk and Tess Falor, two people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, or ME/CFS, a chronic disease that shares symptoms with long COVID. Project participants have taken medical research into their own hands to determine whether and how changes to their gut bacteria can improve their health. After an initial test with three participants led to some symptom relief, Romanuk and Falor announced last July that they would recruit 50 people with ME/CFS, long COVID or both for a larger test of the project’s protocol.
Read more here.

Model Creating Impact in public health in 6+ steps

Successful impact initiatives originate from the creativity, curiosity and intrinsic motivation of individual researchers. ‘The desire to solve the puzzle’ – is often what drives researchers to get and stay involved in these kinds of activities
Read more here.

8. Upcoming courses and conferences

9. Interesting publications

Health for All Policies: The Co-Benefits of Intersectoral Action

Factors outside of healthcare services determine our health and this involves many different sectors. Health for All Policies changes the argument about inter-sectoral action, from one focusing on health and the health sector to one based on co-benefits – a ‘Health for All Policies’ approach. It uses the Sustainable Development Goals as the framework for identifying goals across sectors and summarizes evidence along two causal axes. One is the impact of improved health status on other SDGs, e.g. better educational and employment results. The other is the impact of health systems and policies on other sectors. The ‘Health for All Policies’ approach advocated in this book is thus a call to improve health to achieve goals beyond health and for the health sector itself to do better in understanding and directing its impact on the world beyond the healthcare it provides. This Open Access title is the seventh book in Cambridge’s European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies series.
Read more here.

Everyone who reviews a manuscript should answer a transparent set of questions, to ensure that scientific literature is subject to reliable quality control

Everyone who reviews a manuscript should answer a transparent set of questions, to ensure that scientific literature is subject to reliable quality control.
Read more here.

Belgium: health system summary 2024

Compulsory social health insurance covers most Belgian residents (99%), who are affiliated to a sickness fund of their choice or to the public auxiliary fund. The provision of care is based on the principles of independent medical practice, direct access (no gatekeeping), free choice of physician and of health care facility, and predominantly fee-for-service payment. The organization of the health care system is divided between the federal authorities and the federated entities. Current health expenditure per capita in Belgium (EUR PPP 4 168) in 2021 was among the top 10 in the EU, representing 11.0% of GDP. Public expenditure on health was 77.6%, while out-of-pocket payments and voluntary health insurance represented shares of 17.9% and 4.5%, respectively.
Read more here.

Large language models and the generation of health disinformation

The objectives of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguards to prevent large language models (LLMs) from being misused to generate health disinformation, and to evaluate the transparency of artificial intelligence (AI) developers regarding their risk mitigation processes against observed vulnerabilities.
Read more here.

The untapped health and climate potential of cycling in France: a national assessment from individual travel data

Promoting active modes of transportation such as cycling may generate important public health, economic, and climate mitigation benefits. We aim to assess the mortality and morbidity impacts of cycling in a country with relatively low levels of cycling, France, along with associated monetary benefits. We further assess the potential additional benefits of shifting a portion of short trips from cars to bikes, including projected greenhouse gas emissions savings.
Read more here.

10. European Institutions’ news

Air pollution: Parliament adopts revised law to improve air quality

The revised law aims to reduce air pollution in the EU for a clean and healthy environment for citizens, and to achieve the EU’s zero air pollution vision by 2050.
Read more here.

Commission welcomes European Parliament’s adoption of the European Health Data Space

The Commission welcomes the adoption by the European Parliament today of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) and new rules to increase the safety and quality of substances of human origin (SoHO). These are two cornerstones of a strong European Health Union which protects the health of citizens and improves the resilience of healthcare systems.
Read more here.

2023 figures show stalling progress in reducing road fatalities in too many countries

The Commission has published preliminary figures on road fatalities for 2023. Around 20,400 people were killed in road crashes in the EU last year, a small 1% decrease on 2022.  Despite some progress since the baseline year of 20191, few Member States are on track to meet the target of halving the number of road deaths by 2030. 
Read more here.

Targeted Consultation on EU4Health: have your say on future priorities, orientations and needs

As we reach the mid-point of the EU4Health programme and building on last year’s successful consultation, the European Commission invites interested stakeholders to share their views on future priorities, orientations and needs for the future by 10th June 2024. This includes Member State authorities responsible for health at national, regional or local level.
Read more here.

11. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control news

Eurosurveillance – Volume 29, Issue 17, 25 April 2024

Rapid communication
Contact tracing management of a measles case in a paediatric hospital: experience of the local public health unit, Portugal, January 2024
Daniel Saldanha Resendes, António Tomás, Mariana Pinção Cardoso, Sebastian von Schreeb, Rita Miranda Ferrão, Paula Vasconcelos, Maria Helena Almeida, Bruno Novo Castro, Vasco Ricoca Peixoto, Renato Lourenço Silva  and Margarida de Morais
Severe A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza acute encephalopathy outbreak in children in Tuscany, Italy, December 2023 to January 2024
Luca Bartolini, Silvia Ricci, Chiara Azzari, Maria Moriondo, Francesco Nieddu, Manuela L’Erario, Zaccaria Ricci, Gabriele Simonini, Marzia Mortilla, Giuseppe Indolfi, Carlotta Montagnani, Elena Chiappini, Luisa Galli  and Renzo Guerrini
Availability of drugs for the treatment of multidrug-resistant/rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in the World Health Organization European Region, October 2023
Ralf Otto-Knapp, Suzanne Edwards, Giorgi Kuchukhidze, Stefan Kröger, Brit Häcker, Stela Bivol  and Askar Yedilbayev

Outbreaks
Outbreak of invasive Group A streptococcus disease in a nursing home in Ireland in February 2023 caused by emm type 18
Ciara Carroll, Mary Meehan, Roisin Connolly, Jayne Prendergast, Colette Magnone, Aine Meehan, Chantal Migone, Keith Ian Quintyne, Caroline Carpenter, Helen Byrne, Robert Cunney  and Paul Mullane

Research
Scenarios of future mpox outbreaks among men who have sex with men: a modelling study based on cross-sectional seroprevalence data from the Netherlands, 2022
Marc C Shamier, Luca M Zaeck, Hannelore M Götz, Bruno Vieyra, Babs E Verstrepen, Koen Wijnans, Matthijs RA Welkers, Elske Hoornenborg, Brigitte AGL van Cleef, Martin E van Royen, Kai J Jonas, Marion PG Koopmans, Rory D de Vries, David AMC van de Vijver  and Corine H GeurtsvanKessel

Eurosurveillance – Volume 29, Issue 16, 18 April 2024

Rapid communication
Increased reports of measles in the Metropolitan City of Milan, northern Italy, September 2023 to March 2024
Maria Gori, Clara Fappani, Silvia Bianchi, Sabrina Senatore, Daniela Colzani, Priscilla Pasutto, Melissa Baggieri, Silvia Gioacchini, Antonella Marchi, Paola Bucci, Emilio D’Ugo, Marino Faccini, Danilo Cereda, Luigi Vezzosi, Elisabetta Tanzi, Fabio Magurano  and Antonella Amendola
Rapid molecular epidemiology investigations into two recent measles outbreaks in Israel detected from October 2023 to January 2024
Efrat Bucris, Victoria Indenbaum, Tal Levin, Yara Kanaaneh, Keren Friedman, Tatyana Kushnir, Rivka Sheffer, Michal Savion, Matanelle Salama, Noa Di-castro, Kozita Labay, Maya Butera, Baraah Shihada, Zohar Mor, Yaniv Lustig  and Neta S. Zuckerman
Emergence of OXA-48-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in Lithuania, 2023: a multi-cluster, multi-hospital outbreak
Paulius Greičius, Marius Linkevicius, Jelena Razmuk, Jekaterina Sinotova, Erik Alm, Olov Svartström, Valeria Bortolaia, Eglė Kudirkienė, Louise Roer, Rene S Hendriksen, Gabija Tamoliūnaitė, Daniel Palm, Dominique L Monnet, Anke Kohlenberg  and Algirdas Griškevičius

Surveillance
Multiple introductions of monkeypox virus to Ireland during the international mpox outbreak, May 2022 to October 2023
Gabriel Gonzalez, Michael Carr, Tomás M Kelleher, Emer O’Byrne, Weronika Banka, Brian Keogan, Charlene Bennett, Geraldine Franzoni, Patrice Keane, Cliona Kenna, Luke W Meredith, Nicola Fletcher, Jose Maria Urtasun-Elizari, Jonathan Dean, Ciaran Browne, and others

Eurosurveillance – Volume 29, Issue 15, 11 April 2024

Rapid communication
Excess mortality in Europe coincides with peaks of COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), November 2023 to February 2024
Sarah K Nørgaard, Jens Nielsen, Anne Christine Nordholm, Lukas Richter, Alena Chalupka, Natalia Bustos Sierra, Toon Braeye, Maria Athanasiadou, Theodore Lytras, Gleb Denissov, Oskari Luomala, Anne Fouillet, Isabelle Pontais, Matthias an der Heiden, and others

Research
Emergence of OXA-48-like producing Citrobacter species, Germany, 2011 to 2022
Julian Sommer, Hannah Reiter, Janko Sattler, Elisabetta Cacace, Jessica Eisfeld, Sören Gatermann, Axel Hamprecht  and Stephan Göttig
Epidemiology, resistance genomics and susceptibility of Acinetobacter species: results from the 2020 Spanish nationwide surveillance study
Cristina Lasarte-Monterrubio, Paula Guijarro-Sánchez, Isaac Alonso-Garcia, Michelle Outeda, Romina Maceiras, Lucia González-Pinto, Marta Martínez-Guitián, Carlos Fernández-Lozano, Juan Carlos Vázquez-Ucha, German Bou, Jorge Arca-Suárez  and Alejandro Beceiro

Eurosurveillance – Volume 29, Issue 14, 04 April 2024

Rapid communication
Pertussis epidemic in Denmark, August 2023 to February 2024
Anne Christine Nordholm, Hanne-Dorthe Emborg, Sarah Kristine Nørgaard, Ulrikka Nygaard, Aoife Ronayne, Lise Birk Nielsen, Bolette Søborg, Peter H Andersen  and Tine Dalby
Neonatal Elizabethkingia anophelis meningitis originating from the water reservoir of an automated infant milk dispenser, the Netherlands, February 2024
B Ruben Brandsema, Ger-Jan Fleurke, Sigrid Rosema, Eke MW Schins, Jelte Helfferich  and Erik Bathoorn

Outbreaks
Outbreak of carbapenemase-producing Citrobacter farmeri in an intensive care haematology department linked to a persistent wastewater reservoir in one hospital room, France, 2019 to 2022
Marie Regad, Julie Lizon, Corentine Alauzet, Gabrielle Roth-Guepin, Caroline Bonmati, Simona Pagliuca, Alain Lozniewski  and Arnaud Florentin
Detection of dengue in German tourists returning from Ibiza, Spain, related to an autochthonous outbreak, August to October 2022
Lucía García-San-Miguel, Jaume Giménez-Durán, Gabriela Saravia-Campelli, María Cruz Calvo-Reyes, Beatriz Fernández-Martínez, Christina Frank, Hendrik Wilking, Ramón García Janer, Miguel Ángel Miranda, Esteban Aznar Cano, Mª José Sierra Moros  and Antonio Nicolau Riutort

Perspective
The approach to developing Ireland’s first national health protection strategy and lessons learnt, December 2021 to October 2022
Ciara Kelly, Joan Gallagher, Lola Odewumi, Robert Conway, Mary E Black, Kristin Concannon, Louise Marron  and Lorraine Doherty

Eurosurveillance – Volume 29, Issue 13, 28 March 2024

Rapid communication
Molecular epidemiology identifies the expansion of the DENV2 epidemic lineage from the French Caribbean Islands to French Guiana and mainland France, 2023 to 2024
Raphaëlle Klitting, Géraldine Piorkowski, Dominique Rousset, André Cabié, Etienne Frumence, Alisé Lagrave, Anne Lavergne, Antoine Enfissi, George Dos Santos, Laurence Fagour, Raymond Césaire, Marie-Christine Jaffar-Bandjee, Nicolas Traversier, and others
Increase in invasive Streptococcus pyogenes M1 infections with close evolutionary genetic relationship, Iceland and Scotland, 2022 to 2023
Stephen B Beres, Randall J Olsen, S Wesley Long, Ross Langley, Thomas Williams, Helga Erlendsdottir, Andrew Smith, Karl G Kristinsson  and James M Musser

Surveillance
Atypical age distribution and high disease severity in children with RSV infections during two irregular epidemic seasons throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Germany, 2021 to 2023
Wei Cai, Sophie Köndgen, Kristin Tolksdorf, Ralf Dürrwald, Ekkehard Schuler, Barbara Biere, Brunhilde Schweiger, Luise Goerlitz, Walter Haas, Thorsten Wolff, Silke Buda  and Janine Reiche

Research
Questioning risk compensation: pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men, capital region of Denmark, 2019 to 2022
Sebastian von Schreeb, Susanne Kriegel Pedersen, Hanne Christensen, Kristina Melbardis Jørgsensen, Lene Holm Harritshøj, Frederik Boetius Hertz, Magnus Glindvad Ahlström, Anne-Mette Lebech, Suzanne Lunding, Lars Nørregaard Nielsen, Jan Gerstoft, Gitte Kronborg  and Frederik N Engsig
COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic infection with SARS-CoV-2 BA.1/BA.2 lineages among adults and adolescents in a multicentre primary care study, Europe, December 2021 to June 2022
Charlotte Lanièce Delaunay, Iván Martínez-Baz, Noémie Sève, Lisa Domegan, Clara Mazagatos, Silke Buda, Adam Meijer, Irina Kislaya, Catalina Pascu, AnnaSara Carnahan, Beatrix Oroszi, Maja Ilić, Marine Maurel, Aryse Melo, and others

12. WHO news

Joint statement – European Immunization Week 2024: 50 years of protecting generations past, present and future through immunization

The establishment of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) 50 years ago was a pivotal moment in the history of public health and has saved millions of lives globally every year. In 1974, only 5% of the world’s children had been vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. Today, that figure has increased to nearly 85% of children worldwide and 94% in the WHO European Region. 
Joint statement by:
Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe
Ms Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia
Ms Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety
Click here for more information.

Alcohol, e-cigarettes, cannabis: concerning trends in adolescent substance use, shows new WHO/Europe report

Across Europe, central Asia and Canada, a concerning picture of adolescent substance use emerges from a new WHO/Europe report. With over half of 15-year-olds surveyed having experimented with alcohol and a shocking 1 in 5 having recently used e-cigarettes, the risks to young people are clear. The new data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study also highlights a narrowing gender gap in substance use, emphasizing the need for targeted prevention strategies. The long-term consequences of these trends are significant, and policy-makers cannot afford to ignore these alarming findings.
Read more here.

Exploring the digital health landscape in the WHO European Region: taking a closer look

A new WHO report looks at individual countries to see how the WHO Member States are reshaping their health-care systems through the integration of digital health policies and tools. “Exploring the digital health landscape in the WHO European Region: digital health country profiles” details innovations in areas including telehealth, mobile health and Big Data, as well as digital health governance, electronic health records, patient portals and analytics. 
Read more here.

COVID-19 Lessons learned: WHO/Europe launches the first Pan-European Network for Disease Control

WHO/Europe today jointly launched the Pan-European Network for Disease Control (NDC) with the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The NDC will be hosted by UKHSA, with UKHSA Chief Executive Dame Jenny Harries as interim Chair of the Steering Group. 
As a network of health security networks, the NDC’s mission is to bolster the preparedness of the WHO European Region, spanning 53 countries across Europe and central Asia, by proactively identifying and mitigating potential risks before they escalate into regional or global threats.
Read more here.

Launch of WHO/Europe’s first-ever mobile app on primary health care for children and adolescents: digitalized, evidence-based guidance at health professionals’ fingertips

The WHO Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Athens, Greece, will introduce the new WHO/Europe app for primary health care for children and adolescents on 29 April. This hybrid event will be hosted at the Ministry of Health of Greece. 
The app, tailored to health professionals responsible for tending to children and young people in primary health-care settings, presents digitalized guidelines based on the successful “Pocket book of primary health care for children and adolescents”. It aims to improve quality of care for every child and adolescent across the WHO European Region.
Read more here.

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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