ASPHER recently participated at the European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) where we brought Schools of Public Health to the table with a series of events on Public Health Diplomacy in partnership with the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH).
Urgent global health threats must be tackled through increased collaboration, coordination, cooperation and communication across multiple stakeholders. Policy makers, practitioners and scholars have increasingly recognised the importance of health in relation to other political issues such as trade, security, equity, development, and human rights. However, in the current environment, good health and well-being has been challenged due to increased geopolitical tensions and a rise in nationalism, fuelling competitiveness rather than cooperativeness. Countries need to design and negotiate frameworks and agreements that can address global health challenges in a collective manner.
The regional Schools of Public Health associations, ASPHER and ASPPH, are working toward meaningful and bold solutions to prepare a cadre of committed Public Health Diplomats, facilitating data driven dialogue, evidence-informed communications and implement health training programs in a complex environment. Schools of Public Health must be ready to take responsibility and build needed capacity!
Events at EHFG included a Young Forum Gastein Skills Building Workshop, a lunch with high-level stakeholders, and a lively fishbowl discussion as part of the Main Conference: Public health diplomacy - Cooperativeness and collaboration vs disagreement and division. Watch the session recording here!
Participants at EHFG debated a background policy brief authored by the organising group and an outcome statement is under draft. Both will be available very soon through a special collection on Public Health Diplomacy in a Complex World in the journal Public Health Reviews edited by Ashish Joshi (ASPPH) and Ramune Kalediene (ASPHER). If you have something to contribute to the topic consider submitting your manuscript to the call for papers!
As a priority of the Presidency of Henrique Barros, ASPHER under the leadership of Ramune Kaldeine is taking the work forward to establish Public Health Diplomacy living labs in Europe while engaging other key stakeholders to build momentum. Stay tuned for the ASPHER/ASPPH/EHFG outcome statement and much more!
Lore Leighton
Brussels, Belgium