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Dear members of the EUPHA Health promotion section,
Springtime is a joyful time for Europeans, but this should not make us forget (too much) about the significant challenges our public health community is facing. We know that Europe is not immune to the rapid degradation of the public health institutions, programmes and policies that we are witnessing in the USA. Some of the key ingredients of this catastrophe are already here such as a concentration of ownership of the medias (including digital social platforms), high income inequalities, and the repeated attacks on our democratic electoral processes by foreign countries that aim to bring to power the most reactionary and xenophobic political parties.
We need to be vocal, to raise our voice to make visible the work we do and the infrastructure that keeps people of all ages out of harm’s way. It is our duty to show the population what makes Europe-Europe: the WHO Region with some of the best indicators of health and well-being. Our collective wealth is not one we can just describe in financial and material assets, it is most, and above all, our health. And it takes years to build back what has often been destroyed in a matter of a few weeks and months.
So it is really concerning to learn that the European Commission is showing signs of backtracking on its budgetary commitments for the 2025 EU4Health Work Plan. What is at stake is the operational funding for civil society organisations under existing Framework Partnership Agreements. EUPHA will be directly impacted if the EC does not respect its commitments. We, the Steering Committee members of this section along with Charlotte Marchandise the EUPHA’s Executive Director are inviting you to on #StandUpForPublicHealth and to share it with your colleagues and students (see below the message from the president and executive director of EUPHA for more information).
Last, but not least, the countdown has started for the preparation of the scientific programme for the next European Public Health conference. The call for abstracts is out and there is no doubt that Helsinki will be the place to be for the public health community of Europe. We warmly invite you, section members, to submit an abstract to showcase your work, your success and the lessons you learned from your experiences. May 1st is as usual the deadline for submission.
Thank you for reading us,
Eric Breton, President (Eric.Breton@ehesp.fr)
Camila Picchio, Vice President
And the members of the Steering Committee: Chrysanthi Tatsi, Dulce Maria do Nascimento do Ó, Ekaterina Volevach, Elisabeth Nöhammer, John Dierx, Karina Leksy, Michelle Baybutt, Monica O’Mullane, Roosa-Maria Savela, Sherihane Bensemmane, Suzannah D’Hooghe and, Ursula Griebler.
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The 2025 European Public Health conference: Call for contributors from Mediterranean countries
The Health Promotion Section is hectically involved in the preparation of a series of workshop for the EUPHA conference. One will be titled “Community health programmes and practices: a Mediterranean perspective” [Provisional title]. We have contributors from France, Morocco, and Spain but would love to have two other countries featuring in the workshop. If you are a practitioner, researcher, or decisionmaker well acquainted with community health practice and policy and planning to attend the EPC Conference in Helsinki, please send us your contact details at . Check the EPC website for more info on the conference ()
The 2025 European Public Health conference: Call for contributors for a pre-conference workshop
The Health Promotion Section is also working on a full-day pre-conference workshop on the settings approach in health promotion. If you are interested in contributing your expertise, case study, policy example, or research to the pre-conference workshop, please reach out to our section VP, Camila Picchio at: As a preliminary overview, the workshop will explore the settings approach in health promotion—a recognized strategy that emphasizes health where people live, learn, work, and play. Participants will engage with diverse examples from policy, research, and practice, highlighting how integrating health into everyday settings (schools, workplaces, cities, rural communities, prisons, healthcare settings, etc.) can drive equity and improve outcomes. Special attention will be paid to participatory and equity-focused methodologies.
European Public Health Week: Join us for our webinar on Health Equity and Social Determinants of Health (May 15, 10.00 – 11.00 CEST)
Do not miss out this webinar co-organised by the Health Promotion Section and EuroHealthNet. Featuring excellent speakers, the webinar will offer a trove of evidence on why national public health systems need to address the upstream social determinants of health to generate significant progress in tackling health inequalities.
Click to register!
The European Public Health Week will launch on Monday 12 May, with an in-person and virtual event in Brussels.
One of the week’s standout events will be the Hackathon on “Co-Designing a Public Health Innovation Lab in Brussels.” This hands-on event will bring together participants from diverse sectors, including academia, healthcare, and technology, to envision a cutting-edge hub for fostering public health innovation. Expect creative brainstorming, dynamic collaboration, and the development of actionable concepts to shape the future of public health research and practice.
Together, the events of EUPHW 2025 will examine how public health systems can adapt and thrive in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world. By fostering dialogue, collaboration, and innovative thinking, the week aims to inspire tangible progress in creating resilient, sustainable, and equitable public health systems.
Stay tuned for updates on how you can be part of this transformative journey!
2025 Daily themes
Each day of the 2025 EUPHW will start with a daily kick-off webinar, organised by our daily partner organisations.
The 2025 European Public Health Week daily themes are:
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And a Hackathon “Co-Designing a Public Health Innovation Lab in Brussels” will be organised.
More information on daily themes, as well as on our daily partner organisations and daily kick-off webinars, can be found .
Would you like to organise an event on this day? Whether you are an institution, a health professional or an ordinary citizen interested in one of these themes, you may organise your own event(s). To submit an event, please follow this link .
IUHPE 2025 Abu Dhabi
We are just a few weeks away from the 25th World Conference of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) which will be hosted in Abu Dhabi, UAE (first time in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region) from May 13-16. Eric Breton, president of the EUPHA Health Promotion Section, along with Ursula Griebler and Suzannah D’Hooghe, members of the section’s Steering Committee, will be there and happy to take the opportunity to learn more about the work and challenges the members of the section are facing. Let us know if you are planning to attend (). More info on the conference website .
The Global Community Health Annual Workshop:
June 10 – 12, 2025
Attracting people from all over the world, the Global Community Health Annual workshop provides a space where community health/ health promotion practitioners and policy makers improve their skills and where researchers gain in capacities to conduct community-based participatory research.
For its 5th edition, the main theme is ‘Building healthy, fair and climate-smart communities: addressing commercial determinants of health’.
Organisers include the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education, EHESP School of Public Health, International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE), Réseau Francophone International Pour la Promotion de la Sante (RÉFIPS), European Public Health Association (EUPHA), University of Clermont Auvergne and University of Huddersfield.
The workshop is delivered online in a very interactive format. Enrolment is free of charge and we encourage young investigators and junior practitioners to take the opportunity.
More information can be found .
Protect public health in Europe: Support the petition to save EU4Health civil society grants
We are writing to you today with a special edition of the EUPHA newsletter to gain your support for a critical issue impacting public health in Europe.
What’s happening?
Civil society organizations across Europe—including EUPHA—are facing an uncertain future due to a major delay in the adoption of the 2025 EU4Health Work Plan and approval of full-year funding under the Framework Partnership Agreements.
The operating grants expected at the start of the year have not been released, leaving many organizations unable to plan, hire, or secure alternative funding—putting vital public health work at risk.
Why it matters
The delay is already having a serious impact:
- Key EU health priorities, such as cancer, mental health, health preparedness, and health equity, are stalled.
- Dozens of civil society organizations, including EUPHA, are facing the threat of downsizing or closure.
- The credibility, consistency, and stability of EU funding partnerships are being undermined.
This is not just about funding—it is about safeguarding the future of public health in Europe. Civil society organizations are trusted partners in public health, bridging the gap between science, policy, and the public. Their role has been especially vital during the COVID-19 pandemic, and many rely on EU4Health operating grants to retain staff, plan activities, and deliver crucial services. The lack of financial clarity and stability puts their ability to contribute to EU health goals in jeopardy, weakening Europe’s overall health preparedness and resilience.
How you can help
We’ve launched a petition urging the European Commission to adopt the 2025 EU4Health Work Plan and unlock the promised grants. Please take two minutes to help:
- : Add your name to support civil society’s role in public health. Be sure to confirm your signature via email.
- : Use the hashtag #StandUpForPublicHealth and share widely. Teaching? Add it to your presentations. You can also download supporter materials.
- : Please take a moment to read the letter to Ursula von der Leyen. If you have any contacts with Ministers of Health, please share this letter with them to further raise awareness of the situation.
Every signature counts
We cannot afford to let these delays continue without consequences. We need to act now to ensure the vital contributions of civil society organizations are protected and strengthened.
Your voice matters. Help us raise this urgent issue with the European Commission and protect the future of public health in Europe.
Thank you for standing with us.
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