Didier

May

2025

5th edition Global Community Health Annual Workshop – Confirmed speakers

On 10, 11 and 12 June 2025 the 5^th edition of the Global Community Health Annual Workshop will take place as an online event. This year’s workshop theme is ‘Building healthy, fair and climate-smart communities: addressing commercial determinants of health’.

During the workshop the focus will be on the impact of the commercial determinants of health on community health and how public health actions can respond to them. Different initiatives with a special focus on participatory methods will be explored looking at conflict of interests and possible co-benefits of private sector action for better health on the community level. This will also be the capacity building focus for the participants.

The Global Community Health Annual Workshop provides a space where community health and health promotion practitioners and policy makers can improve their skills and where researchers can gain in capacities to conduct community-based participatory research.

Speakers

We are honoured to have excellent contributors from all over the world. A preview of the contributors:

Prof. Ilona Kickbusch PhD– Director and chair of the Global Health Centre, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland
Prof. Jason Corburn – University of California, Berkeley, Center for Global Healthy Cities, USA
Raúl Mercer – MD MSc, Coordinator of the Program of Social Sciences and Health, FLACSO, Argentina
Mariela Alderete – MD, Researcher, Program of Social Sciences and Health, FLACSO, Argentina
Nancy Neamtan – Former CEO of the Chantier de l’économie sociale, Canada
Prof. Alafia Samuels – Caribbean Institute for Health Research, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica
Khanitta Saeiew – National Health Commission Office (NHCO), Thailand
Tanguy Bognon – Volunteer, Responsible of Monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning at HIA, Health Access Initiative (HAI), Benin
Giulia Gasparri – Consultant

Format of the workshop

The global workshop will run during 3 days, 3,5 contact hours per day. To accommodate participants from all different time zones around the world, 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

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

Community health hubs

These community health hubs (smaller working groups) acknowledge our diversity and cultural dimensions and are offered in different languages including English, French, Spanish and other languages depending on the availability of facilitators. During the community health hubs participants have the opportunity to share experiences, build their regional and global networks and work on their individual assignments.

We encourage participants to gather locally and organise their own local community health hubs. They can follow the central lectures online together and then continue their discussions live in the local community health hubs.

Assignment

Participants will be asked to submit an individual assignment, which can be a reflexion on their main learnings of the CHW or a description of a community health initiative they are involved in or know of. Each assignment will be assessed and 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 the English and French language. This year we will provide translation into 50+ languages, including English, French, Spanish, Persian, Arabic and Chinese. We will use a translation app based on AI during the plenary sessions.

Registration

This interactive workshop will take place online and is free of charge. Practitioners, students, policy makers and researcher from different backgrounds from all over the world are welcome to join. You can register by completing the online registration form. Registration will close on Tuesday 3 June 2025, 16.00 CEST.

Organisers

Organisers are the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education, 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), University of Clermont Auvergne and Huddersfield University.

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

May

2025

WHO guideline on preventing early pregnancy and poor reproductive outcomes among adolescents in low- and middle-income countries

WHO launched the new WHO Guideline “Preventing early pregnancy and poor reproductive outcomes among adolescents in low- and middle-income countries”.

Adolescent pregnancy and child marriage are intertwined issues that hinder the realisation of sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescents, and particularly of adolescent girls. Recent data show that first births to girls aged 17 years and younger, in 54 developing countries with data, occur within marriage or cohabiting unions.

Adolescent pregnancy remains a critical global issue, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where 21 million girls aged 15–19 become pregnant each year, half unintentionally. Child marriage, restrictive societal gender norms and stereotypes, and limited access to education and employment perpetuate cycles of early marriage and childbearing.

Access to sexual and reproductive health services and comprehensive sexuality education remains limited. Many adolescents lack essential information on puberty, contraception, and sexual health. Barriers such as stigma, legal restrictions, and provider biases hinder access to contraception, with persistent inequities across regions and groups.

The objectives of this guideline are the same as those of the 2011 edition, namely to provide evidence-based normative guidance on interventions to improve adolescent morbidity and mortality by reducing the chances of early pregnancy and its resulting poor health outcomes. The specific objectives of the guideline were to:

identify effective interventions to prevent early pregnancy by influencing factors such as early marriage, coerced sex, unsafe abortion, access to contraceptives and access to maternal health services by adolescents; and
provide an analytical framework for policy-makers and programme managers to use when selecting evidence-based interventions to prevent early pregnancy and negative health outcomes when they occur that are most appropriate for the needs of their countries and context.

The recommendations and best practice statements described in this document aim to enable evidence-based decision-making with respect to preventing early pregnancy and poor reproductive outcomes among adolescents in low- and middle-income country contexts.

You can find the recording of the guideline launch webinar here, access to the guideline in English here, and the executive summary in French here and Spanish here.

May

2025

Why Schools Should Prioritise Health: Expert Voices from the Schools4Health Initiative

What makes the Health Promoting School (HPS) approach so essential today? Why should both policymakers and schools invest in it—and how does it help promote core European values like participation, equity, and inclusion? As part of the Schools4Health initiative, partners sat down with leading experts in education and public health to explore these questions and more, delving into what it takes to successfully implement the HPS approach and how projects like Schools4Health can support broader efforts led by organisations such as the WHO.

These are some of the questions the Schools4Health initiative is exploring as part of its mission to embed the Health Promoting School (HPS) approach into education systems across Europe. As part of this effort, partners recently invited two leading experts in education and public health to share their views on why now is the time to integrate health into the very fabric of school life.

From mental wellbeing and physical activity to healthy nutrition, health affects every aspect of a young person’s ability to learn and thrive. And yet, despite mounting evidence, many school systems continue to treat health as an add-on rather than a core condition for learning and development.

In a series of exclusive interviews recorded at the Schools4Health consortium meeting, advisory board members Professor Peter Paulus (Leuphana University Lüneburg) and Trinette Lee (WHO) reflect on the urgent need to rethink how we structure education and how a shift to the HPS model can lead to better outcomes not just for students and teachers, but for society.

The interviews kick off a new video series exploring the role of health in education through the eyes of those shaping policy and practice at the highest level.

Curious about their insights? Watch the first video on our LinkedIn page and follow Schools4Health on LinkedIn to explore the series to learn how schools can become healthier, more inclusive places to grow and learn.

For more insights on the HPS approach, discover the new Schools4Health policy brief, Why Invest in Health Promoting Schools, which outlines why it is a crucial and cost-effective strategy to create healthier learning environments.

Learn more at www.schools4health.eu

Apr

2025

Protect European Health: Sign the petition to save EU4Health civil society grants

Civil society is the backbone of public health in Europe. But without urgent action, key health organisations face a funding crisis.

EUPHA and partners are calling on the European Commission to adopt the 2025 EU4Health Work Plan – ensuring full-year operational funding for civil society organisations (CSOs) under the Framework Partnership Agreement.

Without it, we risk losing decades of progress in public health, science, and equity across Europe.

Sign the petition

Join those who have already spoken out. Sign now and help protect the future of health advocacy in Europe.

Sign the petition here

Why your voice matters

Health CSOs provide vital expertise, watchdog functions, and community engagement that governments alone cannot deliver.
Delays or cuts to EU4Health funding put:

Public health professionals and their work at risk
Science and knowledge exchange in jeopardy
Health equity and community outreach in danger

Your signature shows EU leaders that public health matters.

How you can support

Sign and share the petition
Share it with your network, colleagues, and partners.

Use the hashtag #StandUpForPublicHealth
Raise awareness and show your support on social media platforms.

Add your voice to our campaign
Use the graphics and slides from the EUPHA website to spread the word in meetings, emails, and events.

Apr

2025

Roundtable Creating a Lifelong Learning for Health Pathway in Kirklees – 24 April 2025

A roundtable event will be held at the University of Huddersfield on 23-24 April 2025 to explore the contribution of stakeholders from the UNESCO Learning Cities of Kirklees, Clermont-Ferrand and Cork and the UNESCO Chair ‘Global Health & Education’ (Universities of Huddersfield and Clermont Auvergne) and partner organisations to design a ‘lifelong health learning pathway’ project in our neighbourhoods.

If you are an education or health professional, a student, or a researcher or educator – or an interested supporter – please join online to learn more about how we can build health literacy in our communities among our children and young people through the collaboration of local education and health professionals (e.g. headteachers/principals, teachers, education support staff, pharmacists, optometrists, doctors, nurses, sports coaches, youth workers, creative health professionals). We will be looking in schools, on the high street, on social media – meeting our children and youth and their families where they live, learn and relax.

Time: 15.30 – 17.00 CEST

Location: online

Apr

2025

UNESCO School Meals Coalition: Education and Nutrition: Learn to Eat Well

Global food insecurity is a growing risk that has been compounded by climate change, conflict and economic instability. Meanwhile, obesity rates have surged due to food production practices, the marketing of unhealthy dietary patterns, and sedentary lifestyles.

This report explores the intersection of education and nutrition in the context of Sustainable Development Goals. It advocates for a systemic, life-cycle approach to strengthen both sectors and highlights how investments in education contribute to improved nutrition and vice versa. It underscores the need for robust monitoring of school meal programmes. The report also warns of growing global food insecurity, rising obesity rates, and calls for coordinated efforts across sectors to create healthier, more sustainable food and education systems.

Download the report here: Education and nutrition | Global Education Monitoring Report (2025)

The School Meals Coalition is a prominent and innovative vehicle for multilateral action and addresses multiple Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) outcomes. The School Meals Coalition drives actions to urgently improve and scale up school meal programmes to ensure that every child can receive a healthy, nutritious meal in school by 2030.

#Scaling Up Healthy School Meals for Every Child by 2030

Apr

2025

Article: Comprehensive Sexuality Education, Healthcare Professional Associations, and the Future of the World’s Youth

Just published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, Science Direct: “Comprehensive Sexuality Education, Healthcare Professional Associations, and the Future of the World’s Youth”[1].

Sexual and reproductive health rights are agreed in international laws. In recent years, however, diminishing reproductive health rights have been seen across the globe, including limitations in the provision of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) for adolescents and young adults (AYAs). CSE aims to empower AYAs to realize their health and dignity, consider the impact of their health choices, and develop respectful relationships in order for them to lead their best lives. Recognizing these increasing threats to what AYAs need and want, five healthcare professional associations engaged in discussion with UN agencies and each other about advocating effectively for evidence-based CSE; this commentary summarizes five policy statements motivated by these discussions and registers publicly their collective organizations’ support for CSE in schools.

Four common themes about CSE were drown out of the five position statements that the five associations published in 2023-24. Collectively, they offer a compelling case for the ongoing promotion and scale-up of CSE within national curricula in schools. They also highlight the roles of healthcare professionals in advocacy and in practical capacity-building support for schools, families, and communities:

CSE Is Vital for the Healthy Growth and Development of Children and AYAs—It is Not an “Optional Extra”
CSE Development Needs the Involvement of Children and AYAs
CSE Is an Intersectoral Endeavor
Members of Healthcare Professional Associations Have Untapped Agency in Advocacy for Evidence-Based CSE

The five healthcare professional association:

International Federation of Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology (FIGIJ)
International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO)
International Association for Adolescent Health (IAAH)
International Pediatric Association (IPA)
World Association for Sexual Health (WAS)

Read the full article

Read support statements

[1] Nicola J. Gray, C.P. Bansal, Esther Corona, Yasmin Jayasinghe, Melissa Kang, Marisa Labovsky, Aparna Sridhar, Linda Sussman, Jonathan D. Klein. Comprehensive Sexuality Education, Healthcare Professional Associations, and the Future of the World’s Youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 2025. ISSN 1054-139X. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2025.02.002.

Apr

2025

Webinar School is more than a place to learn – 22 June 2025

School is more than a place to learn: An intersectoral assessment of adolescent well-being prior to and after the COVID-19 pandemic in the WHO European Region

13:00 – 14:00 GMT, Wednesday 22th June 2025

Chaired by: Professor Ingrid Wolfe OBE, Professor of Paediatrics and Child Population Health, Consultant Paediatric Population Medicine, Kings College, London

Speakers:

Dr. Nicola Gray, Co-Chair, UNESCO Chair ‘Global Health & Education’
Mary Cronin, Specialty Registrar in Public Health
Dr. Maximilian Limburg, Specialty Registrar in Public Health

A webinar supporting the development of a new WHO/UNICEF regional strategy for Child and Adolescent Health in Europe and Central Asia, as part of our Public Health in Practice Special Issue

This webinar will present a research study that examined changes in adolescent well-being across the WHO European Region following the Covid-19 pandemic. Adolescent well-being was assessed using the UN H6+ framework, which includes: 1) Good health and optimal nutrition, 2) Connectedness, positive values, and societal contribution, 3) Safety and a supportive environment, 4) Learning, competence, education, skills, and employability, and 5) Agency and resilience. Secondary analysis of data from two large datasets concerning adolescents, the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Survey and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), revealed a decline in well-being across European countries from 2018 (pre-pandemic) to 2022 (post-pandemic). Additionally, the study highlighted a significant widening of educational inequalities in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Key Issues for Debate:

How can we prevent existing inequalities in educational attainment from widening?
How can we improve our data collection strategies about school closure impact for future health crises?
What would an intersectoral strategy on adolescent well-being look like, to minimize the impact of future emergency measures?

More information and registration

Apr

2025