In 1966, the Regional Office of WHO for Europe under Dr. Leo Kaprio held discussions with leading figures in schools of public health, including schools for tropical hygiene, as part of a worldwide initiative to set up Regional Associations of Schools in every WHO Region as a channel for initiating innovative policies.
This led to the establishment of the Organisation: Association des Institutions Responsable pour l’Enseignement Supérieur de la Santé Publique en Europe (AIRESSPE)
In 1973, the Association’s name was changed to the Association of Schoold of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) as a neater acronym.
60 years after its establishment, ASPHER is thriving with over 150 structures of public health education and training linked to member institutions from across the European Region and beyond.