Welcome to the July issue of our newsletter with updates on what is going on in public health in Europe and beyond. We hope you have enjoyed/are enjoying your well-deserved summer break, after which you are ready to tackle the ongoing battle against COVID-19.
Wishing you pleasant reading,
Iveta Nagyova, EUPHA president and Dineke Zeegers Paget, EUPHA executive director
2. EUPHA update
Webinar: Public Health, Climate Change and Strategic litigation, 7th October 2021, 14.00- 16.00 (Brussels); 13.00-15.00 (London)
The Webinar is organised by the Global Health Groningen Research Centre, the UK Faculty of Public Health, the European Public Health Association Law and Public Health and the Environmental Health sections, in collaboration with a range of other partners.
The session will include presentations and panel discussion by distinguished legal scholars, policy makers and public health practitioners exploring the challenges and opportunities for advancing arguments in strategic litigation, in particular its health, environmental and human right dimensions.
Law, ethics and politics in 2020
A summary report of the sessions on Law, ethics and politics at the 16th World Congress on Public Health 2020 (WCPH2020), drafted by the EUPHA fellows and reviewed by the EUPHA section presidents.
Did you miss the WCPH2020? Or would you like refresh your memory of the discussions that took place? This report presents the discussions and outcomes of the conference’s law, ethics and politics sessions.
Wondering what we did in 2020? We – the European Public Health Association (EUPHA) – strengthend national public health associations; provided scientific evidence through our 26 sections; co-organised the World Congress on Public Healthl; and much more in 2020. Check out our annual report 2020 summary.
EUPHA office internship – public health priorities the next 5 years
The European Public Health Association (EUPHA) is looking for an intern at the EUPHA office. We are looking for a person with a background in public health. The short internship (three months) is a chance to be part of the day-to-day work of the office. A key task is to analyse the regional priorities of the EUPHA member questionnaire. Earlier this year our members were consulted on their priorities for the coming five years. A first analysis has been made highlighting important public health issues, now a more detailed analysis could help guide EUPHA’s work the coming years. Starting date is flexible, preferably in September. Travel and accommodation costs associated with the internship are covered by EUPHA (via the European Solidarity fund), as well as a daily subsistence allowance for the duration of the internship. If you are interested please send a short motivational letter and your CV to [email protected] with in the email subject heading ‘EUPHA office intern 2021 – public health priorities’. The final date to express you interest is 6 August 2021, latest. We look forward to hearing from you!
COVID-19 Response and Preparedness Seminar Series Webinar 1: TRIPS – recording available
The European Public Health Association (EUPHA) in collaboration with the French Public Health Association (Société Française de Santé Publique) (SFSP), and with the support of the EUPHA Health technology assessment section (EUPHA-HTA), are organising a series of events to raise awareness and to share the knowledge of experts on key aspects regarding: COVID-19 Preparedness and Response. The first webinar of this series took place on July 6. The speakers presented and discussed the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (#TRIPS) Agreement, the relevance of a temporary waiver and of voluntary licensing, as well as knowledge transfer and vaccine distribution mechanisms. This first seminar also focused on the role of the European Union and of its Member States regarding these issues. Speakers • Joseph E Stiglitz of Columbia University and of Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET), and a Nobel Laureate (2001 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics) • Andrew Asamoah of Pasteur Institute of Dakar • George Pavlakis of National Institutes of Health (NIH) • Ellen ‘t Hoen of Global Health Law Groningen Research Centre and of Medicines Law and Policy • Els Maeckelberghe of University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG) and of EUPHA Ethics in Public Health Section Moderators Yves Charpak, Vice-President SFSP, France; and Elena Petelos, Vice-President EUPHA HTA.
Feedback to the European Commission’s proposal for labelling rules on alcoholic beverages
Our key points:
Alcohol consumption is a significant public health concern.
Current ingredient and nutrition labelling on alcohol does not inform consumers
Ingredient and nutrition labelling would promote high level of consumer and public health protection and promote the functioning of the internal market
On-label information is far more useful to consumers
The EU should also introduce other effective labelling, including front-of-pack labelling, to help empower consumers
We are very happy to have increased our collaboration with individual members. With the UK Faculty of public health, we are organising a series of webinars on Public Health, Climate Change and Strategic litigation, the next one being organised on 7 October.
Together with the French Society, we are organising a series of webinars to raise awareness and to share the knowledge of experts on key aspects regarding: COVID-19 Preparedness and Response. The first one was organised on 6 July.
EUROPEAN PUBLIC HEALTH NEWS European Public Health News Dineke Zeegers Paget, Iveta Nagyova, Dineke Zeegers Paget, Chris Brown, Natasha Azzopardi Muscat, Hans Henri P Kluge, Stella Kyriakides, Floris Barnhoorn, Anthony Staines
Invitation to participate – COVID-19 Models and Social Determinants of Health: Evaluating Evidence to Inform Policy Decisions
The Western University in Ontario, Canada are looking to recruit decision makers or service providers working in the health system and infectious disease modellers to complete a survey aimed at understanding how COVID-19 models can inform policy decisions to reduce social disparities in the impact of the pandemic. Participation in one of these anonymous surveys is completely voluntary, and will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. No personal information will be collected, and all data will be grouped with other participants for publishing purposes. Office of Human Research Ethics, Western University, (519) 661-3036, email: [email protected].
[JOB OFFER] Principal Expert Public Health Foresight and Determinants
ECDC Unit: Scientific Methods and Standards Reference: ECDC/AD/2021/SMS-PEPHFD Deadline for application: 26 August 2021 The post is located in the Scientific Process and Methods (SPM) Section, within which the jobholder will report to the Head of Section. The SPM Section is based within the Scientific Methods and Standards Unit. The jobholder will provide expertise and leadership on public health foresight and determinants of infectious disease epidemiology and impact to inform strategic decisions and policy in the area of infectious disease prevention and control. Learn more
Join the European Commission’s Knowledge Centre on Cancer
Apply to join the KCC team as a public health data analys. The incumbent will design studies and methodologies to link different datasets with cancer registry data and contribute to other pillars of the KCC. Deadline for applications is 23/08/2021. More information here Apply here
7. Interesting news
How relaxing COVID-19 restrictions could pave the way for vaccine resistance
This new article published in Virulence describes how we are in an ‘arms race’ with the virus and how rising cases could provide opportunities for it to evolve into even more transmissible variants.
New research highlights “invisible crisis in children’s mental health”
A new study published in Evidence-based mental health reveals that one in eight children have mental disorders requiring treatment and that even high-income countries are failing to provide most of these children with support.
How to Build a Global COVID-19 Surveillance Program
“Humankind remains behind the curve of knowledge on emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, including their biologic properties, geographic prevalence, and rates of spread. This information is critical in order to produce well-matched and disease-preventing COVID-19 vaccines.”
Revealed: EU Glyphosate assessment was based on flawed science
A new scientific analysis concludes that the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) claim that glyphosate is not genotoxic cannot be justified on the basis of manufacturers’ studies. Of the 53 industry-funded studies used for the EU’s current authorization of glyphosate, 34 were identified as “not reliable”, 17 as “partly reliable” and only 2 studies as “reliable” from a methodological point of view.
Organiser: International Labour Organization (ILO); International Social September Security Association (ISSA); Institute for Work & Health (IWH) & Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety (CCOHS)
Organiser: National Technical University of Athens, Road Safety Observatory September (NRSO) in cooperation with the Hellenic Institute of Transportation Engineers (HITE)
Organiser: EuroSafe in collaboration with the Austrian Road Safety Board (KFV)
9. Interesting publications
Inequalities persist in Europe–and COVID-19 does not help
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health | Editorial | 9 July 2021 ‘Recent evidence of continuing inequalities by educational level in disability in Europe is disappointing. Further socioeconomic measures might reveal greater inequalities. […] Assuming that there is inequity behind these inequalities, this, along with the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, reinforces the need for multisectoral action, collaboration and cooperation.’
Effect of smoke-free policies in outdoor areas and private places on children’s tobacco smoke exposure and respiratory health: a systematic review and meta-analysis
The Lancet Public Health | 15 July 2021 Smoke-free policies in outdoor areas and semi-private and private places (e.g. cars) might reduce the health harms caused by tobacco smoke exposure (TSE). The authors aimed to investigate the effect of smoke-free policies covering outdoor areas or semi-private and private places on TSE and respiratory health in children, to inform policy.
Meat consumption and risk of ischemic heart disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition | Review | 20 July 2021 The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to quantitatively assess the associations of unprocessed red, processed meat, and poultry intake and risk of IHD in published prospective studies. […] This study provides substantial evidence that unprocessed red and processed meat, though not poultry, might be risk factors for IHD.
What does public health really mean? Lessons from covid-19
The BMJ blogs | Opinion | 26 July 2021 The authors review the experience of covid-19 and put forth 10 principles of how the public health community should manage pandemics moving forward.
Protecting women and girls from tobacco and alcohol promotion
The BMJ | Analysis | 19 July 2021 This paper focuses on industry’s targeting of women and girls in low and middle income countries as potential consumers of tobacco and alcohol.
Predictors of Vaccine Hesitancy: Implications for COVID-19 Public Health Messaging
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health | Review | 29 July 2021 “Based on the assortment of demographic and individual difference factors that contribute to vaccine hesitancy, public health communications must pursue a range of strategies to increase public confidence in available COVID-19 vaccines.”
A public health approach to gambling regulation: countering powerful influences
The Lancet Public Health | Viewpoint | August 2021 In view of the well described commercial determinants of health and corporate behaviour, an immense effort will be needed to shift the gambling discourse to protect public health. In this Viewpoint, authors seek to advance this agenda by identifying elements that need challenging and stimulating debate.
Vaccinating the world: ‘Team Europe’ to share more than 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines with low and middle-income countries by the end of 2021
Team Europe (the EU, its institutions and all 27 Member States) is on track to exceed this initial goal, with 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines foreseen to be shared with the countries that need them most, by the end of 2021.
Air Quality: Commission decides to refer GREECE to the Court of Justice of the European Union over poor air quality
On July 15th, the European Commission has decided to refer Greece to the Court of Justice of the European Union for poor air quality caused by high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Air pollution remains the number one environmental health problem in the EU.
2020 Annual Report published: how the JRC tackled one-of-a-kind year
On July 29th, the Joint Research Centre has released its 2020 Annual Report. 2020 was a year of unprecedented challenges for Europe and the world. But it was also a year where Europe’s leading science and research shone through, helping the Commission take decisive action to meet the challenges and continue building a positive future together.
New report: Loneliness doubles in Europe during the pandemic
One in four EU citizens reported feeling lonely most of the time during the first months of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Eurofound survey data analysed in a new report from the JRC.
Coronavirus: Commission steps up research funding with €120 million for 11 new projects to tackle the virus and its variants
The Commission has short-listed 11 new projects worth €120 million from Horizon Europe, the biggest European research and innovation programme (2021-2027), for supporting and enabling urgent research into the coronavirus and its variants. The 11 short-listed projects involve 312 research teams from 40 countries, including 38 participants from 23 countries outside of the EU.
New study by WHO/Europe and ECDC examines variations in antibiotic consumption in European countries between 2014 and 2018
The WHO Regional Office for Europe and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) have released a report on the consumption of antibiotics in countries across the WHO European Region. The report highlights changes in consumption of antibiotics in many countries, but it also highlights the need for more detailed data to improve strategies to reduce antimicrobial consumption across the European Region.
Behavioural and cultural insights shed light on how the pandemic has left youth behind
“On top of the difficulties young people have faced, governments and health systems have struggled to meet their needs during the pandemic. This was the clear conclusion at the recent Policy Forum on Behavioural and Cultural Insights, which brought together Member States to discuss the impact of the pandemic on the Region’s youth on 10 June.”
WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic 2021: New and Emerging Products
This report tracks the progress made by countries in tobacco control since 2008 and, for the first time, presents data on electronic nicotine delivery systems, such as ‘e-cigarettes’. The report shows that many countries are making progress in the fight against tobacco, but some are not addressing emerging nicotine and tobacco products and failing to regulate them.
WHO/Europe releases report on mechanisms for improving transparency of markets for medicines, vaccines and health products
This review identifies two mechanisms in place to improve the transparency of markets – price transparency and greater transparency of research and development costs. The review highlights the importance of transparency, among other recommendations such as price and cost monitoring.
WHO/Europe launches new guide to support stakeholders in health and sustainable development
The WHO Regional Office for Europe has launched the E4As Guide, helping to promote engagement with health and sustainable development among key stakeholders.
This newsletter received co-funding under an operating grant from the European Union’s Health Programme (2014-2020). The content of this newsletter represents the views of the author(s) only and is his/her sole responsibility; it cannot be considered to reflect the views of the European Commission and/or the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency or any other body of the European Union. The European Commission and the Agency do not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.
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