Didier

Apr

2020

Bringing a Health Promotion perspective to COVID-19 response by EUPHA-HP, IUHPE and UNESCO Chair

“A Health Promotion Focus on COVID-19. Keep the Trojan horse out of our health systems: Promote health for ALL in times of crisis and beyond!”.

Ongoing discussion about the range of actions needed during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is calling all of us to bring forward our thoughts and experiences about how best to cope with the multiple challenges we are facing regarding COVID-19. The Health Promotion section of the European Public Health Association, IUHPE and the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education would like to share five talking points that could evolve into a more refined and targeted public health discussion on the implications of this pandemic, from a health promotion perspective.

As discussions worldwide bring topics such as health, equity, sustainability, solidarity or human dignity to a new level of implications, a systematic perspective is missing to bring these themes together with the disease prevention and curative efforts in the public health framework. This is where health promotion has the expertise to bring these extremely relevant issues together, to offer a comprehensive approach, in a common effort to support the medical care systems to face the sudden burden that was laid in their hands.

Authors: Luis Saboga-Nunes, Diane Levin-Zamir, Uwe Bittlingmayer, Paolo Contu, Paulo Pinheiro, Valerie Ivassenko, Orkan Okan, Liane Comeau, Margaret Barry, Stephan Van den Broucke, Didier Jourdan

Click here to download the document

Apr

2020

A framework to guide an education response to the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020

OECD recently published a report which aims at supporting education decision making to develop and implement effective education responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. In most countries around the world school-based education will be disrupted for several months due to the social isolation measures as a response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Without an effective strategy to protect learning opportunities during this period, this disruption will cause severe learning losses for students.

It is therefore highly important that education leaders take immediate steps to develop and implement strategies which reduce the educational impact of the pandemic. The report proposes that leaders of education systems and organizations develop plans for the continuation of education through alternative methods.

The report offers a framework to guide the development of context-specific education strategies. It includes a checklist of 25 points to support the development of an education strategy during the pandemic. This can be used by national, state or local education authorities or by leaders of education networks.

Based on a rapid assessment of education needs and emerging responses in ninety eight countries, the report identifies the most critical needs that should be addressed in these plans, as well as the areas likely to face more implementation challenges. The domains identified as highest priority are: ensuring academic learning for students, supporting students who lack skills for independent study, ensuring the wellbeing of students, providing professional support for teachers and ensuring wellbeing of teachers and medical attention to teachers. The identified priorities are closely related to the UNESCO Chair’s ambitions. The report describes the challenges facing various education systems to depend on online education as an alternative of school-based education.

Read the report.

Mar

2020

SAVE THE DATE Side event at the World Health Assembly in Geneva – 19 May 2020

Developing the capacity of ALL schools to promote the current and future health of students

Objectives

To describe the evidence base for the implementation and scaling up of school-based health initiatives
To assess the challenges and the levers for effective and sustainable implementation in all schools
To share innovative intersectoral initiatives from different educational contexts

By the end of the session, we aim to have identified the conditions for the implementation of health promoting practices in schools and 3 priorities to enable every school to develop these health promoting practices.

Background

Developing the capacity of ALL schools to promote the current and future health of students is a major issue for both educational success, and current and future student health. The aim is to go beyond the rhetoric and to share a realistic approach based on knowledge about the determinants of health, the situation of schools, the practices of professionals and the mechanisms for change in the educational systems. The priority is to enable all schools to develop practices (which are accessible and compatible with the context) that contribute positively to the health of children and young people. This is a major challenge when it comes to reducing inequalities and enabling all schools, especially those located in the most vulnerable areas, to exploit their full potential for the success of all students and to act on the various determinants of health. The three goals of an inclusive, equitable and healthy school are inseparable.

A joint initiative

This session is a joint initiative of UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education, Geneva’s Department of Public Education, Training and Youth (DIP), International Association for Adolescent Health (IAAH), International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE), European Public Health Association (EUPHA), NCD Child, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) (tbc). Students and school professionals will share their insights with the participants.

Format

Presented in a local school near the Palais des Nations, the session will be held both in English and French, on Tuesday 19th May 2020, 17.30 – 20.00 CET (17.30 – 18.30: Introduction session in French and 18.30 – 20.00: Meeting in English).

To receive the upcoming practical information on the event, send us an email to: info@unescochair-ghe.org

Feb

2020

The Handbook of health promotion research: An ambitious collaborative project

Background

Health promotion, as a strategy (a set of coordinated intersectoral actions) that aims to orient and support social change in order to improve health for all and reduce health inequalities, has been adopted in many countries. However there is not yet a structured field of research, based on a set of paradigms, approaches and methods that is recognised as health promotion research. Health promotion still needs a clear and widely adopted definition that would delineate a coherent body of disciplinary knowledge and methods.

It is timely to map and to understand the practices of health promotion research (in terms of paradigms, ethical framework, research strategies and methods) and their anchor in the ethical system of health promotion.

An ambitious collaborative project

Based on original contributions from leading experts in the field, this Handbook will explore the main theoretical, methodological, empirical and policy challenges and pressing social issues facing health promotion research today. The goal is to bring together experts from different “research traditions” that coexists in the field of health promotion. The ultimate aim is to contribute to the creation of a global community of knowledge production and sharing.

The Call

This call is open to all individuals and groups who conduct research on health promotion practices, and who want to advance health promotion research by reflecting on and sharing their own research practices.

As a first step, we want to receive structured detailed (2 pages) outlines of potential contributions based on how specific research projects or research programs were conducted. Deadline for submitting the outlines is April 15, 2020.

You will find all information and requirements for the outline in the call below :

Call Handbook of Health Promotion Research

The Handbook of Health Promotion Research will be published under the auspices of the UNESCO Chair and WHO Collaborating Centre “Global Health & Education” and the Canada Research Chair on Community Approaches and Health Inequalities, in partnership with the International Union for Health Promotion and Education. The editors are Didier Jourdan and Louise Potvin.

Feb

2020

International Adolescent Health Week (IAHW) 2020: Transforming Risk into Wellness with Resilience, Healthy Lifestyle, and Holistic Well-being

The annual International Adolescent Health Week (IAHW), will take place this year from 15-21 March 2020. IAAH and the UNESCO chair in Global health and Education are supporting this initiative.

http://internationaladolescenthealthweek.org/index.html

The 2020 Theme is: Transforming Risk into Wellness with Resilience, Healthy Lifestyle, and Holistic Well-being.

What: An annual, international week of dynamic participatory events to inspire adolescents and their communities to advocate for a successful transition into adulthood.

Who: Individuals and organizations all over the world (the IAHW map is here)

When: 15-21 March 2020 (third full week in March annually)

Official Color: Lime green, which represents health, happiness, and the high energy and passion of adolescents.

It is an opportunity for all professionals who work with young people to run events locally. The website has a number of resources for people to use to do so.

Resources:

Website: internationaladolescenthealthweek.org
Toolkits: https://internationaladolescenthealthweek.org/resources.html

- Timeline planning
- Resilience and Mental Health
- Healthy Communities and Holistic Well-Being
- Healthy Lifestyle

Youth designed logos : https://internationaladolescenthealthweek.org/youthdesignedlogos.html

Social Media #IAHW2020 :

If you have any questions at all, please contact: Laura A. Offutt, MD, FACP: Real Talk with Dr. Offutt, LLC www.realtalkwithdroffutt.org

Feb

2020

The contribution of the UNESCO Chair and the WHO Collaborating Centre, to UNESCO’s forward-looking work on tomorrow’s education

UNESCO’s Futures of Education initiative

Accelerated climate change, the rise of artificial intelligence, the explosion of social movements around the globe … Despite differences, humanity faces common challenges. What will the world look like in 2050 and what role can education play in shaping the future? UNESCO’s new global initiative on the Futures of Education looks at 2050 and beyond and seeks to understand how education can shape the future of humanity and the planet. The initiative is catalysing a global debate on how knowledge, education and learning need to be reimagined in a world of increasing complexity, uncertainty, and precarity.

Futures of Education: UNESCO Chairs GHE input

As a first contribution to the global debate on the futures of education the UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN networks from all disciplines and scholarly fields were invited to prepare think pieces to help advance a shared vision for the future. We are proud that the contribution of the Chair hosted by University Clermont-Auvergne was accepted and included in the publication: Humanistic Futures of Learning: Perspectives from UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks (UNESCO, 2020) (published in English and French). The main findings were presented to the International Commission on the Futures of Education at their first meeting.

A humanistic approach to education and development is the common thread in all contributions. The approach is grounded in a vision of development that is economically inclusive, socially just, and environmentally sustainable. A vision that acknowledges the diversity of knowledge systems, of worldviews, and of conceptions of well-being, while reaffirming a common core of universally shared values. A vision which promotes an integrated approach learning, acknowledging the multiple personal, social, civic and economic purposes of education.

Plurality of knowledge to meet the challenges of tomorrow is the title of the publication by the Chair hosted by the University Clermont-Auvergne. “The authors suggest that knowledge for the future must be inherently plural. In essence, they propose the harnessing of a combination of different kinds of knowledge within an “educational pathways” framework to make education relevant and equip learners with the skills to tackle the societal challenges of the future.”[1]

Your contribution

The success of the Futures of Education initiative also rests on a broad, open consultation and engagement process that involves youth, educators, civil society, governments, business leaders and many other stakeholders. Therefore, you are invited to contribute to the global discussion and debate in 2020 through one or more of the following channels (available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish):

Top 3 Challenges and Purposes of Education – Survey. A 2-minute online survey to offer views on the top three development challenges ahead in the future and top three ways education can address them.
Your Vision of Education in 2050 – Submission of artwork . This platform invites people to share their original creative, artistic visions of what education might look like in 2050.
Your View on the Futures of Education – Written contributions. This platform invites people to present their thoughts on what they see as the one major issue for the futures of education (max 1000 words).

[1] Jourdan, D., Faucher, C., Cury, Ph., Lamarre, M-C., Mebtoul, M., Matelot, D., Diagne, F. & Damus, O. (2020). Plurality of knowledge to meet the challenges of tomorrow. In S. Joseph (Ed.), Humanistic Futures of Learning: Perspectives from UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks (pp 172-176). Paris, France: UNESCO.

Feb

2020

The school environment does matter for educational success and health!

The school environment plays an important role in the educational success, well-being and health of students. The quality of life at school (the physical and/or social environment) represents one of the key determinants of successful education. Adequate access to water, sanitation and hygiene in schools is every child’s right, as recognized in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Protocol on Water and Health and the Ostrava Declaration on Environment and Health. Both schools and local authorities are heavily involved to ensure that pupils are cared for in the best possible conditions. Within the Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programme, WHO Europe has just published an information package and tool aimed at supporting schools and local authorities in this area:

The information package offers practical support for school staff on how to address common WASH problems and deliver improvements at the school level, alongside pupils and the entire school community. It will help schools strengthen health education and implement whole-school policies that promote the health, well-being and dignity of pupils and school staff, making every school a health-promoting school.

Access to WASH in schools in the pan-European region presents many and diverse challenges. A key step to improve the situation, bringing better educational and health outcomes, is high-quality surveillance to raise awareness and drive progress. The practical tool supports countries in strengthening surveillance of WASH in schools. The findings will inform the development of supportive regulations and improvement planning to safeguard children’s health, well-being, dignity and cognitive performance. The tool also enables countries to use the data collected to facilitate policy dialogue and inform international reporting, including on progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal targets related to WASH in schools.

Jan

2020

Education and Environmental Health

Improving the health of all and reducing inequalities requires a renewed focus on the actual physical environment of schools. Two studies, conducted in North America, highlight the link between pollution in the school environment and educational success (reading and mathematics assessments, behavioural incidents and absence). These studies examine the influence of trafic pollution on the one hand and industrial sites on the other.

Educational success and the factors that influence it are major public health issues. Indeed, the research data show that the level of education strongly influences health. As the OECD report on health-related learning points out,

“This is not primarily a question of providing more specific health-based learning but of recognising and investing in the wider impact of general learning in education contexts through the lifecourse.” (http://www.oecd.org/education/innovation-education/37437718.pdf, page 176) The first priority for improving health and reducing inequalities is to ensure that all students are in school and that succed. Health goals are inseparable from educational goals; schools that promote health are first and foremost schools where the quality of education provided to students is high.

Alongside the issues of school management, family and community links, the availability of medical and social services in the school environment, and teaching (general knowledge and skills, health education pathways), the physical and social environment is a determinant of students’ educational success. Indeed, children and young people spend 40% of their awake time at school. Factors related to the surrounding air, ventilation, lighting, noise, sanitary facilities, cleanliness of the premises and catering are key elements of successful education.

Local and regional authorities are making considerable efforts in this area, particularly with regard to school canteens and sanitary facilities. As far as pollution is concerned, we are only just at the beginning of an ongoing process that ought to bring about a new way of thinking about the educational ecosystem. In fact, school spaces welcome children and young people, i.e. individuals in the process of development, people whose nervous system and other biological systems are in the maturation state. The long-term impact of social and environmental factors is much greater than it is for adults. Approaches to the organization of schools must be based on research evidence on both exposure and impact on young people.

Promoting the health of children and young people means giving them the knowledge, skills and culture to take responsibility for their own health and to contribute collectively to social change for health. This can only be achieved if every student is provided with an appropriate school environment. This is all the more decisive as inequalities in housing already affect the most socially vulnerable children. It is therefore crucial to build an alliance (researchers, States, local authorities, professionals, associations, parents, students, etc.) to take action on the school environment and to prevent schools from contributing to an increase in the deleterious effects of some environmental factors on education and health.

Does Pollution Drive Achievement? The Effect of Traffic Pollution on Academic Performance (Jennifer Heissel, Claudia Persico et David Simon 2019)

The Effects of Local Industrial Pollution on Stu dents and Schools (Claudia Persico et Joanna Venator 2019)

Other available studies

The Effect of Indoor Air Pollution on Cognitive Performance: Evidence from the UK (2018)

The Long-Run Economic Consequences of High-Stakes Examinations: Evidence from Transitory Variation in Pollution (2016)

Dec

2019

ASCD launches Whole Child Network

On Friday November 8^th, ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) launched the ASCD Whole Child Network: http://www.ascd.org/programs/The-Whole-Child/Whole-Child-Network.aspx, a free-to-join global network of schools that are focused on the same goal: transforming their schools and school communities into ones that put the child at the center.

Schools that join the network receive tools designed to help them assess and make changes to better support the whole child approach to education. The process begins with the ASCD Whole Child School Improvement Tool™, an online survey that allows schools to self-assess their practices based on the ASCD Whole Child Tenets and indicators: http://files.ascd.org/pdfs/programs/WholeChildNetwork/WCN_2019_Indicators_Tenets.pdf.

In addition, the ASCD School Improvement Tool has been updated so that it will now provide results down to the Indicator level – highlighting specific areas that each school should focus attention on: https://sitool.ascd.org/Default.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2f.

To help schools plan and craft their Whole Child journeys ASCD has also developed a Whole Child Network Guide which leads schools through an assessment-planning-reflection logic model. In accompaniment with the ASCD Action Planner these allow schools to plan out their activities, PD and policy development: http://www.ascd.org/programs/learning-and-health/wscc-model.aspx.

All of this, and additional tools and resources, are free to any one, any school, or any districts that signs up to be part of this movement.

This first stage of the launch is focused on raising awareness and building up the network of schools. The next stage will focus on finalizing the Certification and Coaching options as well as creating a series of events where schools and leaders committed to a Whole Child approach can meet up.

Stay tuned and sign up!

For more information:

www.ascd.org/wholechildnetwork

http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/siteASCD/marketing/MediaKit.pdf

Nov

2019

Luis A. Saboga-Nunes introduces the pre-conference “Intersectorality: next generation, a real way to tackle health inequalities?”

Luis A. Saboga-Nunes, is an Associated Professor at the Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, president of the EUPHA Health Promotion Section and member of the UNESCO chair Global Health & Education.

In this video, Dr. Saboga-Nunes introduces the pre-conference “Intersectorality: next generation, a real way to tackle health inequalities?”. He underlines the fact Health Inequalities Reduction is a public health concerns in all countries and communities. We aim and want to see Health Inequalities vanish out of our societies. How to act effectively on determinants of health and fight against these inequalities?

This question is at the heart of the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education and WHO Collaborating Center” and will be the foundation of the discussion to be held at the EUPHA pre-conference in Marseille on Wednesday 20 November 2019. This pre-conference will look at “Intersectorality: next generation, a real way to tackle health inequalities?” by bringing together stakeholders committed to this agenda, from different social contexts of the world. They will share their visions of intersectorality through action- oriented best practices in Canada, Brazil, New Caledonia or Denmark.

The discussions will be continued with a Round Table in order to identify, first, the contributions and limits of the intersectoral approach; second, the gaps between discourses and practices. He invites policy maker, community leader, academics, health practioners, people engaged in research, teaching, health policy development, and other health promotion domains, to join us in Marseille, November 20th.

Share your experience and discover other contributions and help us move together for and agenda to tackle Health Inequalities.