We are pleased to send you this last EUPHA newsletter edition of 2022, again filled with many interesting updates, activities and publications. We wish you a wonderful Christmas time and a good start of 2023. We look forward to a new year full of impactful collaborations, scientific advancements and international friendship in the field of public health!
Iveta Nagyova, EUPHA president and Marieke Verschuuren, Executive Director
2. EUPHA update
Welcoming EUPHA’s new president-elect and secretary
A warm welcome to two new members of the EUPHA Executive Council: the new EUPHA President-elect, Dr Tit Albreht, and the new EUPHA Secretary, Prof Charles Agyemang. Both were elected at the EUPHA Governing Board meeting last month (November 2022) in Berlin, Germany. Dr. Albreht will serve as EUPHA President for the term 2024-2026. The EUPHA Executive Council is charged with the management of the association.
Dr. Tit Albreht, EUPHA President-elect
Prof. Charles Agyemang, EUPHA Secretary
Mental health in a digital world: how to ensure good mental health outcomes for vulnerable groups
EUPHA is actively participating in the Mental Health in All Policies Thematic Network of the Health Policy Platform, hosted by the European Commission and monitored by Mental Health Europe. The first webinar of this Thematic Network will be organised on 11 January, with the objective to share knowledge and experience related to concrete actions to maximise the opportunities and reduce the risks arising from digital technologies, in relation to mental health, with a focus on vulnerable groups. Learn more and register
Upcoming webinars: Health information & environmental disasters and mental health.
In January a webinar will be organised by Sciensano, supported by EUPHA. The subject of the webinar is: The change in demand and consumption of health information. A second EUPHA powered webinar that is taking place at the end of January will be organised by the EUPHA Environment and health section. This webinar will focus on environmental disasters and mental health. Keep an eye on our webinars webpage for the date and more information.
European Public Health Week 2023
Mark your calendars! From May 22 to 26 the next European Public Health Week will take place. The overarching theme is ‘Public health: Global issues, local actions’. Each day of the week will have its own daily theme:
• Monday 22 May: Mental health for all • Tuesday 23 May: Diversity in health • Wednesday 24 May: Access to care • Thursday 25 May: Prevention and control of NCDs • Friday 26 May: Global health emergencies and response
Do you want to receive the newest updates about the European Public Health Week? Subscribe for the EUPHW newsletter by sending us an e-mail: [email protected]. We hope you will join the EUPHW 2023 as an event host, disseminator or participant!
Please note that the certificate of attendance for the 15th European Public Health Conference, which took place last November in Berlin, can be downloaded until 31 March 2023.
EUROPEAN PUBLIC HEALTH NEWS European Public Health News Maaike Droogers, Marie Guichardon, Marieke Verschuuren, Stella Kyriakides, Hans Henri P Kluge, Jarno Habicht, Ledia Lazeri, Alisa Ladyk-Bryzgalova, Roy Wadia, Rayyan Sabet-Parry, Alona Roshchenko, Jason Maurer, Anthony Staines, Floris Barnhoorn
5. Call for proposals, job opportunities
Call of interest for the External Advisory Board members for HealthData@EU pilot
The External Advisory Board will provide additional insight and expertise to the project activities, which covers the entire user journey for the European Health Data Space (EHDS), including data discovery (metadata standards), data access (regulatory and legal compliance), and data preparation and use (data interoperability and quality).
By participating in the HealthData@EU Pilot External Advisory Board, you will contribute in shaping the future European Health Data Space for secondary use and in ensuring that it is fit for purpose for all categories of stakeholders. Deadline for submission of applications: 13 January 2023. Read the full call in this PDF, here you will also find the application form.
Sciensano is looking for a data engineer
The EU Health Information System Unit of Sciensano – the Belgian Public health institute – (Department of Epidemiology and Public Health), is involved in international projects in health information including the Population Health Information Research Infrastructure (PHIRI), HealthyCloud and the European Health Data Space 2 pilot. These projects aim to facilitate and support data-driven research by sharing health information across European countries. In specific use cases federated research infrastructures are built and tested to allow federated analysis of data sets. Our newly created position of Data engineer will be responsible to carry out these use cases. Additionally, metadata catalogues are being built using standards. You would be responsible to build out the standards with a European team.
Health at a Glance: Europe 2022 marks the start of a new State of Health in the EU cycle – an initiative launched by the European Commission, in co-operation with the OECD and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, to assist EU Member States in improving the health of their citizens and the performance of their health systems. The report examines the key challenges European countries must address to develop stronger, more resilient health systems following the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also includes a special focus on how the pandemic has affected young people’s mental and physical health. Read the report
Investing in health systems towards Universal Health Coverage: a compilation of resources by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies to help policy-makers ensure #healthforall
Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is crucial to build health systems that ensure access to high quality services, protect against financial hardship, promote well-being of families and communities, strengthen resilience, and protect against public health crises. Read more here.
Digital health service delivery in Europe: Lessons from the pandemic
Digital health service delivery solutions such as telehealth consultations and remote monitoring were rapidly implemented early in the COVID-19 pandemic as in-person service delivery was curtailed for infection control purposes. Previous seemingly insurmountable legal and financial barriers to implementation were swiftly overcome. However, there is now a need to take stock and ensure “emergency” fixes have been transformed into longer-term regulatory and payment mechanisms to consolidate progress. Which digital solutions have proven their worth? What have been the longer-term barriers and facilitators to implementation? What role do digital solutions have in recovery from the pandemic? Watch the webinar of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies of 14 December here.
Perspectives on Paternalism and Public Health
The Faculty of Public Health in collaboration with colleagues at the EUPHA Ethics in public health section and other partners have published a report on Perspectives on Paternalism and Public Health. The report is a collection of essays reflecting on the paternalism debate in public health practice and policy.
Health System Summary for United Kingdom, Kyrgyzstan, Poland and Bulgaria.
Health System Summaries that are published by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies are stand-alone, concise documents summarising the main elements of a country’s health system in an engaging, policy-relevant way. They analyse core evidence and data on the organization, financing and delivery of health care. They also provide insights into key reforms and the varied challenges testing the performance of the health system. Read the summaries here for United Kingdom, Kyrgyzstan, Poland and Bulgaria.
How do countries’ health sector contribute to the economy?
The “Health and the Economy: a series of country snapshots” series developed by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies in collaboration with the WHO Barcelona Office for Health Systems Financing share valuable evidence for policy-makers on how investing in health sectors and health systems helps to achieve national economic objectives. Lately, the country snap shots of Germany, Italy and Finland are published. The series can be foundhere.
Organiser: Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association and Umeå University
8. Interesting publications
The cost of inaction on physical inactivity to public health-care systems: a population-attributable fraction analysis
The Lancet Global Health | Article | 5 December 2022 In this paper, authors aimed to estimate the public health-care costs associated with diseases because of physical inactivity, which will help policy makers to prioritise investment in policy actions to promote and enable more people to be more active. Learn more
Between rules and resistance: moving public health emergency responses beyond fear, racism and greed
The BMJ Global Health | Analysis | 5 December 2022 In times of a public health emergency, lawyers and ethicists play a key role in ensuring that government responses, such as travel restrictions, are both legally and ethically justified. […] With a new pandemic treaty and amendments to the WHO’s International Health Regulations (IHR) on the near-term horizon, ethics and international law are at a key inflection point in global health governance. Learn more
Cross-border healthcare collaborations in Europe (2007-2017): Moving towards a European Health Union?
Health Policy | Article | December 2022 Cross-border health care (CBHC) collaborations, using EU funding, may represent a lever for local and regional policymakers by which to balance questions of access and quality of health care against economic concerns in health. An analysis of existing collaborations analyses CHBC against the three core dimensions of European Union health policy: fiscal policy, economic policy, or social cohesion policy. A literature review and a systematic analysis of online data bases on EU-funded CBHC collaborations for the period 2007–2017. Learn more
After the four-year transition period: Is the European Union’s Medical Device Regulation of 2017 likely to achieve its main goals?
Health Policy | Article | December 2022 Following a series of major scandals over the past two decades, the medical device industry is now undergoing a major regulatory change: the implementation of the European Union Medical Device Regulation (MDR) of 2017. After a transitional period of four years, the MDR became fully binding in May 2021. Although the medium- and long-term impacts of the MDR are still unclear, a range of scholars, health care professionals, and industry representatives have begun to publish early evidence and publicize their views on how the new regulation may impact free trade and patient safety. Learn more
Population ageing and health financing: A method for forecasting two sides of the same coin
Health Policy | Article | December 2022 There is a perception that population ageing will have deleterious effects on future health financing sustainability. The authors propose a new method—the Population Ageing financial Sustainability gap for Health systems (or alternatively, the PASH)—to explore how changes in the population age mix will affect health expenditures and revenues. Learn more
Reimagining health systems as systems for health
The BMJ | Opinion | 16 December 2022 We can envision how health systems can move beyond being concentrated on treating illness. While continuing to provide health treatment services, health systems must be reimagined as “systems for health” by ensuring health security and encouraging healthy populations. Learn more
EUPHA members’ priorities – selection on health promotion
EUPHA’s member survey indicated that one of the public health priorities for our members is health promotion, in its broader sense. Therefore, we have compiled some recent and interesting articles relating to this research field, in addition to the usual interesting publication that we share in the newsletter.
The Lancet Child and Adolescent Public Health | Editorial | December 2022 Promoting physical activity in children and adolescents “As countries recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, with overstretched health systems and a tight fiscal budget, promotion of physical activity is a practical and cost-effective way to improve long-term population health and must be prioritised.”
EU and African partners launch flagship initiative to enhance sexual and reproductive health and rights
European and African partners are joining forces to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Africa, particularly among adolescent girls and young women, to empower and enable them to reach their full potential. The initiative builds on a joint analysis of gaps, needs, and lessons learnt, and prioritises areas where a regional perspective can complement global and country level investments, with a focus on three specific objectives:
Increase the implementation of continental and regional commitments on SRHR in the health and education sector
Improve the availability, affordability and acceptability of quality-assured SRHR goods for all, especially women and girls
Strengthen advocacy and accountability to ensure SRHR needs are met
EU institutions agree on joint priorities for 2023 and 2024
A Joint Declaration on EU legislative priorities for 2023 and 2024 was signed on 15 December by the Presidents of Parliament, Council and Commission. Regarding health, priorities and work include :
Ensuring a full recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic
Continue building a European Health Union while respecting national competences
A proposal for a Regulation on the European Health Data Space
WHO calls on countries to close gaps in health coverage for people affected by conflict and low-income households
As the European Region grapples with war, a cost-of-living crisis and rising energy costs, WHO/Europe urges countries to heed the lessons from the 2008 financial crisis, step up public spending on health and give priority to protecting the people most in need, which is now more important than ever. Read more
Health for all: Meeting the needs of children and adolescents through enabling policies
“Supporting nutrition, education and access to health services, while preventing violence and injury are all essential to the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents throughout this region, and the world” said Zhanar Kalmakova, the Acting Board Chairperson at the National Center for Public Health of Kazakhstan. The Government of Kazakhstan has taken recent and purposeful steps to ensure that children and adolescents have universal access to health coverage, including important sexual and reproductive health services. Read more
WHO Pan-European Coalition paves the way for a new direction in mental health and well-being
The meeting held on 23-24 November revealed that the WHO European Region has innumerable resources and tools available for supporting mental health and well-being, but that they require greater investment and adaptation to specific local contexts. The focus of the Coalition in the new year will be on shining a light on these resources and tools, including by systematically mapping existing mental health-related policies and evidence-based tools in the Region. Read more
Participatory health research with migrants: a country implementation guide
This country implementation guide identifies key issues in regard to migrants’ involvement in health research. It offers evidence for adopting a participatory health research approach for meaningful, rather than tokenistic, involvement. Read more
The need for rehabilitation services in the WHO European Region
Rehabilitation aims to optimise functioning and reduce disability in individuals with health conditions in interaction with their environment. It is a cost-effective service that anyone may need at some point in their lives. From the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study 2019 dataset, this report describes the need for rehabilitation services in the WHO European Region. Read more
The WHO European framework for action to achieve the highest attainable standard of health for persons with disabilities 2022-2030
The WHO European framework for action to achieve the highest attainable standard of health for persons with disabilities 2022–2030, with its accompanying Resolution, was adopted by all 53 Member States in September 2022. It is expected to have a significant impact on the health and well-being of all in the Region, and especially persons with disabilities, as it will advance inclusive health systems across the Region. Learn more
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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