Community

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
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
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
22
May
2025
5th edition Global Community Health Annual Workshop – Confirmed speakers

5th edition Global Community Health Annual Workshop – Confirmed speakers

On 10, 11 and 12 June 2025 the 5th 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.

Posted by Didier in News
04
Apr
2025
5th edition Global Community Health Annual Workshop – Register now

5th edition Global Community Health Annual Workshop – Register now

On 10, 11 and 12 June 2025 the 5th 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.

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.

Posted by Didier in News
04
Mar
2025
Save the date! Global Community Health Annual Workshop 10-12 June 2025

Save the date! Global Community Health Annual Workshop 10-12 June 2025

On 10, 11 and 12 June 2025 the 5th edition of the Global Community Health Annual Workshop will take place. 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.

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.

Registration will start soon!

Posted by Didier in News
16
Feb
2024
Global Community Health Annual Workshop 4th edition – register now

Global Community Health Annual Workshop 4th edition – register now

The fourth edition of the Global Community Health Annual Workshop will take place from 4 till 6 June 2024 as an online event.

The main theme of this year’s workshop is ‘How can community health contribute to fighting poverty?’ The workshop will explore the root causes of poverty, and how poverty impacts community health. The value of community-based interventions – as a research method and also as a key health promotion strategy – should be recognised in this work. The workshop will be solution oriented. This year’s focus of capacity-building for the participants will be on ‘advocacy and activism’.

The 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.

Format of the workshop

The global workshop will run during 3 consecutive days. 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.

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 and build their regional and global networks.

The online lectures are held in the English language. We do not want language to be a barrier for participation. Therefore we are trying to organise simultaneous translation.

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 28 May 2024, 16.00 CEST.

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), University of Clermont Auvergne and University of Huddersfield.

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

Posted by Didier in News
02
Feb
2024
Save the date – Global Community Health Annual Workshop 4th edition

Save the date – Global Community Health Annual Workshop 4th edition

The fourth edition of the Global Community Health Annual Workshop will take place from 4 till 6 June 2024.

The main theme of this year’s workshop is ‘How can community health contribute to fighting poverty?’ The workshop will explore the root causes of poverty, and how poverty impacts community health. The value of community-based interventions – as a research method and also as a key health promotion strategy – should be recognised in this work. The workshop will be solution oriented. This year’s focus of capacity-building for the participants will be on ‘advocacy and activism’.

The interactive workshop will take place online and is free of charge. Practitioners, students, policy makers and researchers from all over the world are welcome to join. Registration will open on 15 February 2024.

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), University of Clermont Auvergne and University of Huddersfield.

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

Posted by Didier in News