18TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE: HEALTH IN THE FUTURE: VISIONS AND CHALLENGES OF CURRENT AND FUTURE PRACTICES When: 5 Jun 2025 Organiser: Angela Boskin Faculty of Health Care Contact: center@fzab.si, www.fzab.si 5 June 2025, Hotel Astoria, Bled, Slovenia The aim of 18th international scientific conference is to promote researches that address the acceptance of and knowledge on technologies among health and social care workers. A transformation of health and social care is needed. The mosaic of today is made up of fragments of staff shortages, the introduction of new technologies into work and everyday life, highly informed patients who require a different approach, dealing with a challenging demographic facts, new generations entering the labour market, lack of time and interpersonal relationships. Current and future health and social care practices are closely related to society, people and technologies. Many areas are at the same time the vision and challenge: inter-institutional and international cooperation and exchange of good practices, accessibility of health and social services and materials, general health promotion, prevention of inequality and vulnerability in society, retaining health care workers in the profession, prevention of corrupt practices, accessibility of data on the health of citizens and data of the health system functioning, flexibility, coordination and cooperation, management of health and social care institutions, politically independent management of the health and social care system and many more. Health in the future is inextricably linked to the successful integration of knowledge and modern technologies into health care. Welcome! Sanela Pivač, PhD, Assistant Professor Dean THEMES: CLINICAL RESEARCH LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT - Retaining health care workers in the profession - Intergenerational cooperation - Preventing corrupt practices - Factors for ensuring a sufficient number of doctors and nurses - Accessibility of data on the health of citizens and data of the health system functioning - Flexibility, coordination and cooperation - Qualified management for managing health care institutions - Politically independent management of the health care system - Acceptance and knowledge of telecare, telehealth, and socially assistive robots among (future) healthcare professionals EDUCATION, INNOVATION, MODERN TECHNOLOGIES - Inter-institutional and international cooperation and exchange of good practices - Accessibility of health services and materials - Promotion of health in the population - Prevention of inequality and vulnerability in society PARTICIPATION FEE Active and other participants: 150 € The participation fee includes lectures, lunch, snacks during breaks, a participation certificate, and proceedings of lecture. The participation fee must be transferred to the Angela Boskin Faculty of Health Care, bank account: Fakulteta za zdravstvo Angele Boškin, Spodnji Plavž 3, 4270 Jesenice, IBAN: SI56 0700 0000 1033 819, SWIFT: GORESI2X (Gorenjska banka d.d. Kranj, Slovenia), reference number 20250605. Invoices will be issued after the conference. Additional info: center@fzab.si, www.fzab.si or 00386 4 5869 368
COULD THE CONTINUING MPOX EPIDEMIC THREAT IN AFRICA LEAD TO THE NEXT PANDEMIC IF URGENT GLOBAL ACTION IS NOT SUSTAINED? Part of ASPHER Epidemic Emergencies Lessons Learned Series 13 December 2024 Mohamud Sheek-Hussein, Ariane Bauernfeind, John Middleton, John Reid, Shane Creagh Piper, Vasco Ricoca Friere Duarte Peixoto, Alison McCallum, on behalf of the ASPHER Public Health Emergencies Task Force Read and download the full statement here: https://www.aspher.org/download/1605/aspher-mpox-epidemic-threat-december2024.pdf Mpox is a growing threat, a changing virus, evolving in severity and transmissibility. This zoonotic disease, was first recognised as a global public health threat when the Clade IIb epidemic was declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on 23rd July 2022 (1). Global escalation of epidemic countermeasures reduced spread and PHEIC status was discontinued from 11th May 2023. However, mpox is considered endemic in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Liberia, Gabon, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Nigeria, and the Central African Republic (CAR) with cryptic, sustained human to human infection in parts of Nigeria since 2014 (2) (3). On August 14, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director General declared a new PHEIC (4), based on the increase in mpox cases in DRC and rapid spread to neighbouring countries that had not previously reported outbreaks (5). According to recent CDC reporting (6) to date, the global epidemic of clade II mpox has caused more than 100,000 cases in 122 countries, including 115 countries where mpox was not previously reported. Of particular concern is emergence of a new sub-lineage of the clade I mpox virus (clade Ib) and evidence indicative of ongoing evolution (7). In this new epidemic, two-thirds of cases and 85% of the deaths in DRC, are in children under 15 years old, with infants and young children experiencing an approximately 10% case fatality rate (CFR). In this statement we revisit our continuing ‘Lessons Learned’ focus on epidemics and pandemics. This builds upon ASPHER’s previous commentary on the first Mpox PHEIC in 2022/23 (8), and on our wider lessons on global preparedness for epidemics from the COVID-19 Pandemic (9). We also view the challenges of this second mpox PHEIC in the context of our recent commentary on the Global Pandemic Agreement (10) where we welcomed progress to date highlighting the need for sustained investment in global early warning systems, prompt public health alerts and co-designed knowledge generation, exchange and application, while noting the depleted public health workforce, requirement for capacity building, and ongoing concern re inequitable access to diagnostics, support, vaccines and countermeasures.
CALL FOR ASPHER PRESIDENCY and ASPHER EXECUTIVE BOARD (up to 4 seats) Elections will be held at the ASPHER General Assembly for the ASPHER PRESIDENCY and the ASPHER EXECUTIVE BOARD. The Presidency is a two year term with option to run once for re-election. The Executive Board is a three year term with option to run once for re-election. Each candidate interested in running for election to the ASPHER Presidency or the ASPHER Executive Board should submit letters of nomination from two ASPHER Member institutions other than their primary home institution. If you are interested to help steer ASPHER over the course of the coming years, please let us know. DEADLINE: Nomination letters should be received by office@aspher.org by Friday 23 May. CALL FOR ASPHER AWARD NOMINATIONS Each year ASPHER honours outstanding members of the public health community with the following awards: ANDRIJA ŠTAMPAR MEDAL. The Andrija Štampar Medal recognizes outstanding lifetime achievements in the public health teaching, research or practices of an esteemed individual within the public health community. Nominees do not need to be a current or past faculty member of an ASPHER member school. ASPHER RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARD. This award recognizes outstanding achievements in public health research. It is given annually to an individual – on behalf of their research team – primarily affiliated with an ASPHER member school. ASPHER TEACHING & PRACTICE EXCELLENCE AWARD. This award recognizes outstanding achievements in public health teaching and practice of a School of Public Health within the ASPHER community. It is given to an ASPHER member school or ASPHER-member programme of public health. ASPHER EARLY CAREER EXCELLENCE AWARD. This award recognizes outstanding achievements in the field of teaching, research or practice of early career individuals. It is given annually to a maximum of five individuals that are primarily affiliated with an ASPHER member school. Early career positions considered for this award include up to assistant/associate professors. More details on the Award descriptions can be found here: https://www.aspher.org/download/1606/aspher-awards.pdf DEADLINE: Please send your nominations to office@aspher.org by Friday 25 April for outstanding members of the public health community that deserve recognition for the 2025 ASPHER Awards.
