Didier

14
Apr
2026
Global Forum of WHO Collaborating Centres, Lyon, 7–9 April 2026

Global Forum of WHO Collaborating Centres, Lyon, 7–9 April 2026

From 7 to 9 April 2026, Lyon hosted the first Global Forum of WHO Collaborating Centres, with the theme ‘Collaborating for a Healthier Future’, alongside the One Health Summit 2026 and bringing together global experts from hundreds of institutions designated as WHO Collaborating Centres across more than 80 countries. This Forum aims to strengthen the scientific and technical contribution of these centres to the WHO’s Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 14) and the “Health for All” agenda.

During a session dedicated to the role of Collaborating Centres, the WHO Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, and Didier Jourdan, Head of the FR-135 Collaborating Centre and holder of the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education, spoke jointly. Hans Kluge set out the strategic framework for the European Region, emphasising the need for strong networks of Collaborating Centres to support countries in the context of multiple crises.

Didier Jourdan illustrated this framework based on the experience of WHO Collaborating Centres, highlighting three key developments for the network:

  • moving from scattered initiatives to genuine work programmes aligned with EPW2 and GPW 14;
  • strengthening links with the WHO Academy to roll out evidence-based training on a large scale; and
  • using health education and literacy as a structural response to the crisis of mistrust in science and institutions.

Together, they championed the idea of Collaborating Centres conceived not only as ‘centres of excellence’, but as interconnected ‘centres of capacity’, serving education systems, health professionals and communities.

Read the presentation of Professor Didier Jourdan

Posted by Didier in News
09
Apr
2026
Global Community Health Annual Workshop 2026 – Register today

Global Community Health Annual Workshop 2026 – Register today

The sixth edition of the Global Community Health Annual Workshop will take place online on 9, 10 and 11 June 2026.

The health of Mother Earth is inextricably linked to human health and wellbeing. Climate change impacts vulnerable communities the most. It deepens inequalities and threatens both environmental and human health. These challenges also offer opportunities for collective action on the local level, innovation, and climate justice.

This year’s workshop, ‘Connecting planetary health, climate justice, and community health: from knowledge to impact’, invites participants to explore the links between planetary health and community health and wellbeing. We will look into mobilizing communities,including the involvement of young people,as agents of change, ensuring that climate solutions are just, accessible, and impactful taking into account indigenous perspectives. By bridging knowledge with action, we aim to inspire collaborative strategies that address the root causes of environmental degradation while fostering healthier, more resilient communities.

Audience

The Global Community Health Annual Workshop provides a space where community health practitioners, activists, policy makers, and researchers can learn and improve their skills. In 2025 over 500 participants from all regions of the world participated.

Format of the workshop

The online workshop will take place on 3 consecutive days, 3½ contact hours per day. To accommodate participants from all different time zones, the workshop will be offered twice a day.

  • Block 1 will run from 10.00 – 13.30 Paris; 16.00 – 19.30 Beijing; 18.00 – 21.30 Melbourne.
  • Block 2 will run from 16.00 – 19.30 Paris; 7.00 – 10.30 Los Angeles; 11.00 – 14.30 Buenos Aires

The workshop uses an interactive format ensuring active participation through a series of online lectures, combined with community heath hubs.

Community health hubs

The community health hubs (working groups) are offered in different languages including English, French, Spanish and possibly other languages. During the community health hubs participants can share experiences, build their regional and global networks and work on their individual assignments.

Assignment

Participants can submit an individual assignment on their learnings of the workshop. Each assignment will be assessed and can be published on the Chair website, for future reference. After approval of the assignment participants will receive a certificate of attendance.

Language

The online lectures are held in English, French or Spanish. For translation into 50+ languages, including English, French, Spanish, Persian, Arabic and Chinese, we use an AI based translation app.

Registration free of charge

The Community Health Workshop will take place online and is free of charge. Practitioners, students, activists, policy makers and researchers from different backgrounds from all over the world are welcome to join. Participants need to register using the online registration form. Registration will close on Thursday 4 June 2026, 16.00 CEST.

Organisers

Organisers are the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education, University of Clermont Auvergne, University of Huddersfield, 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) and Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, UMC Utrecht.

More information

For more information about the workshop, please visit the dedicated webpage.

Posted by Didier in News
31
Mar
2026
Putting community engagement at the heart of action: WHO global curriculum guide for community health workers

Putting community engagement at the heart of action: WHO global curriculum guide for community health workers

The WHO has published a global reference guide for the training of community health workers. This competency-based curriculum provides a comprehensive framework for designing or adapting training programmes, incorporating core modules (home visits, community mobilisation, data collection, ethics) and specific modules (maternal and child health, chronic diseases, mental health, WASH, emergencies), with a view to strengthening the quality of primary care and universal health coverage.

This guide, designed for government departments, training institutions and frontline teams, helps to clarify the roles of community health professionals, to integrate scientific knowledge, professional expertise and the experiential knowledge of communities, and to address the social and economic determinants of health with a view to promoting health and reducing inequalities.

The guide is freely available on the WHO website.

Posted by Didier in News
31
Mar
2026
Capacity building in planetary health: two international summer schools in Utrecht

Capacity building in planetary health: two international summer schools in Utrecht

In July 2026, Utrecht University is organising two complementary summer schools dedicated to planetary health, bringing together academics, professionals, and change-makers, fostering a sense of responsibility and agency to address the pressing challenges posed by the planetary health crisis. In the face of accelerating climate crises and environmental degradation, understanding the deep interconnections between human health and planetary well-being is more critical than ever.

Foundations of Planetary Health

The first course “Foundations of Planetary Health” (13-17 July 2026) highlights how the Planetary Health crisis extends far beyond climate change alone: it represents a broader environmental and systems-level challenge that intensifies ongoing public health issues and is driven by social inequities, unequal access to resources, and disparities in political power. In this course, participants will build a foundational understanding of the key concepts, frameworks, and justice-oriented perspectives that shape the field of planetary health. 

The course combines theoretical input, case studies and practical workshops, including discussions on climate disinformation, mental health and local responses to environmental challenges. A field trip will also provide a practical illustration of the challenges involved in ecological restoration and regional adaptation.

Transforming Systems for Planetary Health

This advanced course “Transforming Systems for Planetary Health” (20-24 July 2026) dives deep into the structural forces shaping our planet’s health – power dynamics, decoloniality, the exposome, and the economic and governance structures driving the planetary crisis. Participants will develop perspectives on how to contribute to equitable and sustainable systems transformation. It’s designed for individuals with a background in planetary health, sustainability, or systems thinking who are ready to explore these topics more critically.

Practical information

The summer schools are organized by Utrecht University, supported by the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education, and UU Planetary Health Education Hub.

Posted by Didier in News
19
Mar
2026
24 – 26 September 2026 : STRONGER TOGETHER – For Better Health among Children, Adolescents and Young Adults

24 – 26 September 2026 : STRONGER TOGETHER – For Better Health among Children, Adolescents and Young Adults

The Joint International Paediatric, School and Adolescent Medicine and Health Congress “STRONGER TOGETHER – For Better Health among Children, Adolescents and Young Adults” will be held from 24 – 26 September 2026 in Portorož, Slovenia. This event will bring together experts from across Europe who are dedicated to supporting young people in their transition from childhood to adulthood.

This congress is being organized collaboratively by four leading associations in the fields of pediatric, school, and adolescent health:

  • ZZP (Slovenian Paediatric Association of the Slovenian Medical Association)
  • EUSUHM (European Union for School and University Health and Medicine)
  • IAAH (International Association for Adolescent Health)
  • SSSAM (Slovenian Association for School, Student and Adolescent Medicine of the Slovenian Medical Association)

Scientific program

The scientific program will address current issues in physical and mental health, prevention, health promotion, and the social determinants affecting youth development.

The congress will also provide an excellent opportunity for networking, sharing experiences, and strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration among professionals from diverse backgrounds.

Topics related to pediatrics, school, adolescent and student medicine and health

  • Preventive Medicine:
    screening programs, health education, public health campaigns, preventive health examinations, health promotion, vaccination, risk factors, environmental impacts on health
  • Sports Medicine:
    healthy athletic development, health risks for athletes, injury prevention, monitoring of physical performance, sports nutrition, rest and recovery
  • Chronic Diseases:
    challenges and support programs in the management of chronic patients, transition of care, modern approaches and therapies, monitoring of chronic patients
  • Sexual Health:
    education for healthy sexuality, contraception, sexual identity, sexually transmitted diseases
  • Emergency Medicine:
    2025 resuscitation guidelines
  • Mental Health:
    mental health care, recognition of mental health problems, support services, sources of help
  • Open Topics:
    development of school, student, and adolescent health care, health system policies, health-related behaviors in adolescents, other relevant topics

Abstract submission and more information

Abstract submission is open until 31 March 2026.

For more information visit the conference website.

Posted by Didier in News
12
Mar
2026
La Trobe University and UNESCO Chair GHE join forces to reduce health and social inequities

La Trobe University and UNESCO Chair GHE join forces to reduce health and social inequities

La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, has become the newest member of the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education community following the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Clermont Auvergne Foundation, host institution of the UNESCO Chair. The agreement was signed on 22 January 2026 at La Trobe’s Bundoora campus by Professor Coral Warr, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation, and witnessed by Professor Didier Jourdan, chair holder of the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education.

Through this partnership, La Trobe joins a global network of universities, institutions and practitioners committed to promoting health, equity and quality education for children and young people in their everyday environments. La Trobe’s contribution will be led by Distinguished Professor Richard Osborne and the Global Health and Equity Development Hub, internationally recognised for its pioneering work in health literacy, including the Ophelia (Optimising Health Literacy and Access) process and tools to identify and respond to diverse health literacy needs.

The new collaboration will focus on co-producing knowledge, building capacities of education and health professionals, and sharing evidence-informed practices that reduce health and social inequities, particularly in rural and Indigenous communities. Planned activities include joint workshops, case studies, and the co-design of locally relevant interventions and policies at the intersection of health literacy, education and equity.

By joining the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education, La Trobe University strengthens the Chair’s multidisciplinary and international community and reinforces its ambition to support institutions and professionals in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals related to health, education and the reduction of inequalities.

Posted by Didier in News
12
Mar
2026
Combating gender-based violence in schools: international webinar and launch of a new training programme

Combating gender-based violence in schools: international webinar and launch of a new training programme

School-Related Gender-Based Violence (SRGBV) affects millions of students around the world every year. It not only compromises the safety and well-being of children and adolescents, but also hinders their access to inclusive and equitable education.

In this context, UNESCO, the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) and UNICEF are organising an international webinar on 18 March 2026 dedicated to preventing and responding to gender-based violence in schools. This event will also mark the global launch of a new online training module on SRGBV, accessible via UNICEF’s AGORA learning platform.

The webinar will bring together government representatives from South Africa, Jamaica and Laos, as well as young leaders, teachers and civil society organisations involved in preventing violence in and around schools. Discussions will highlight concrete solutions for strengthening educational policies, teaching practices and mechanisms for protecting students.

The new online course offers a set of evidence-based resources, including practical tools, feedback and contributions from adolescents, feminist activists, institutional actors and public officials. The aim is to support education systems in developing effective strategies for preventing and addressing gender-based violence.

This webinar is an opportunity to share international experiences and identify levers for action to create safer, more inclusive and gender-equitable school environments.

Practical information

Date: 18 March 2026
Time: 3:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. (Paris time)
Simultaneous interpretation: English, French, Spanish and Hindi
Registration: registration link

Posted by Didier in News
24
Feb
2026
Development of a Greek National Network of the UNESCO Chair GHE confirmed

Development of a Greek National Network of the UNESCO Chair GHE confirmed

On Thursday December 18th, 2025, Professor Didier Jourdan, Chair holder of the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education (GHE) and Artemis Tsitsika, Affiliated Professor and National Representative for Greece of the UNESCO Chair GHE and Head of the MSc “Strategies of Developmental and Adolescent Health” of the Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) signed a pre-agreement on behalf of the UNESCO Chair GHE and the MSc “Strategies of Developmental and Adolescent Health” of the Medical School, NKUA in Greece. Through this pre-agreement, the intention to develop a Greek National Network of the UNESCO Chair GHE was confirmed.

Empowering youth by developing youth well-being centres, digital education, and community engagement

The Greek National Network will focus on supporting the development of youth well-being centres for children and adolescents based on the WHO guidelines that support somatic and psychosocial health, school life and learning, mental health, digital literacy, as well as prevention goals focusing on well-being, social emotional empowerment (SEL) and lifestyle medicine throughout the country.

The Network will also develop Train the Trainer curricula related to the development and behaviour of youth, environmental challenges and positive parenting (parent academies). Participation of the Network in the Global Permanent Observatory of the impact of Digital Education on Adolescent Health and Well-being (G-POD) and the Erasmus Project Culture, Literacy and Psychosocial Skills for Students Mental Health (CLIPS ) are also included in the agreement. In all activities of the Greek National Network, youth participation is of great value.

Advocating for Adolescent Health

In the run-up to the official confirmation of the collaboration by signing the pre-agreement two national events took place focusing on advocating for adolescent health, highlighting mental health, well-being in the digital age and adolescent medicine.

For more information:

Posted by Didier in News
12
Feb
2026
23 February 2026 – Teacher well-being and personality potential as drivers of learners’ development, health, and well-being

23 February 2026 – Teacher well-being and personality potential as drivers of learners’ development, health, and well-being

UNESCO IITE and UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education webinar series

Time: 13.00 – 14.30 CET

Language: This webinar will be held in English

Registration: Register here. Registration is free. The link to the webinar will be sent to you after registration.

Summary

Teacher well-being, alongside professional performance, is a key priority for education systems worldwide. This webinar will explore how personal and school-related factors influence teachers’ well-being and job satisfaction, and how these factors, in turn, affect learners’ development, health, and well-being. Speakers will share global and country-specific data, as well as practical approaches to supporting teachers in maintaining their well-being, strengthening self-efficacy, and advancing their professional development.

Key topics:

  • What shapes teacher well-being and why it is important
  • Teacher personality potential and self-efficacy: why they matter for well-being
  • Who can support teacher well-being, and how
  • Teacher well-being support practices

Speakers

Didier Jourdan is full Professor at the University of Clermont Auvergne (France). He is the Chair Holder of the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education and Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research in Education and Health. He drives international research and knowledge exchange to shape policy and practice in health and education worldwide. His research examines how health promotion interventions make a real difference—tackling health inequalities, unpacking implementation dynamics, enhancing professional practice, and confronting ethical dilemmas. He has formerly held positions as Director of the National Higher Institute for Teaching and Education Clermont-Auvergne (Inspé), Head of the Centre for Lifelong Learning and Vice-President of Blaise Pascal University. He is the former Director of the Prevention and Health Promotion Division of Public Health France and served as President of the “Prevention, Education and Health Promotion” Commission of the French High Council for Public Health. Involved in the main international networks in the field of health promotion, health education and public health, he plays an active role in international collaborations centred on research in health promotion and health education. He is Vice-President of the International Union of Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE).

Ms. Ekaterina Khaustova is the Head of the International Programme at the Investment in the Future Charitable Foundation (Russian Federation). She is an expert in the field of education for well-being, motivation, and personal development of children, with a focus on the human-centered transformation of educational environments. Ms. Khaustova presided over the Developing Environment Programme, aimed at developing socio-emotional and cognitive skills, as well as educational motivation, in children and young people aged 5 to 18. In Russia, this Programme is implemented across more than 2,000 schools and kindergartens in 47 regions, with approximately 30,000 teachers trained to date. Currently, the Programme is active in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan in partnership with UNESCO IITE. Additionally, she is responsible for large educational projects aimed at the enlightenment and popularization of science and technology in Russia. Since 2024, Ekaterina has been a member of the Academy of Human Potential, led by a renowned psychologist, professor Alexander Asmolov. She is also a laureate of the National “Silver Archer” Award in Public Relations, having been nominated in 2013 for the “Best Project in Scientific Achievements and Innovations.”

Ms. Anastasia Nogai is an International Project Manager at the Investment in the Future Charitable Foundation. With a background in sociology, she works on building partnerships across Central Asia to help create better learning environments for personal development of all actors in education. Her approach is shaped by her previous work in health education at UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education. Outside of work, Anastasia is a big believer in conscious consumption and is dedicated to making education more equal and diverse for everyone.

Dr. MinChien Tsai is the Research Manager for the UNESCO Chair and WHO Collaborating Centre Global Health & Education at the University of Huddersfield. She holds PhD in Psychology and serves on the scientific committee of the International Barometer of Education Staff Health and Well-being (I-BEST). She is a registered Health Promotion Practitioner with the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE). Her work focuses on teacher well-being, health-promoting schools, occupational health, and healthy ageing at work.

Mr. Tigran Yepoyan is UNESCO regional health education advisor for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. He oversees the development and promotion of ICT-powered tools for health and well-being education for young people and supports teacher capacity building for violence prevention and health education. Has 25+ years of working experience in the field of HIV, education, health, social support, youth and community development in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. He is based in Moscow at the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education, where he heads the Unit of ICT in Health Education.

Host

Goof Buijs is manager of the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education. After finishing his Master study in Human Nutrition his first job was teaching health science at the Amsterdam teacher trainer institute. Next he moved into the field of health promotion, as health promotion officer in Amsterdam. At the Netherlands Institute for Health Promotion NIGZ he specialized in school health promotion, first on the Dutch level to introduce the national health promoting school programme and leading several European projects. In 2007 he became the manager of the Schools for Health (SHE) network until 2017. In 2018, with prof Didier Jourdan, he set up the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education, also the WHO Collaborating Centre. His specialisation is bringing health and education sectors together. He is an experienced networker, expert in co-creation, trainer, and organizer of local and global events. He supports cooperation among people, focusing on everyone’s talents and uniqueness. He is an environmental activist for most of his life.

Resources

Posted by Didier in News
08
Jan
2026
UNESCO Chair endorses the Helsinki statement on Investing in Health and Well-being

UNESCO Chair endorses the Helsinki statement on Investing in Health and Well-being

The Helsinki Statement on Investing in Health and Well-being is one of the outcomes of the 18th European Public Health Conference. Urging bold investment in health systems, embedding equity, using “Health in All Policies”, protecting public health from misinformation, and measuring well-being beyond GDP, seeing health as an investment for sustainable societies, not a cost, linking human health with planetary and social sustainability, and promoting an “economy of well-being”.

The Helsinki Statement on Investing in Health and Well-being, remains open for endorsement. Organizations across Europe can still sign and add their voice. EUPHA will build on it throughout 2026, especially during European Public Health Week (4–9 May 2026), when they will work with partners to bring the statement to life in countries and communities.

EPH Conference Helsinki 2025 Joint Statement

Posted by Didier in News