Urgent Appeal for Humanitarian Action in Gaza – Join the Call for Peace

The most lethal attack ever registered against a hospital happened on Oct 17, 2023 in the Gaza Strip (or Gaza), with hundreds of people dead and injured. The World Health Organization issued a strong protest.

This week, The Lancet featured an open letter written by Luis Eugenio Portela Fernandes de Souza, President of the World Federation of Public Health Associations. The letter is addressed to influential leaders, including the Presidents of the United Nations Security Council, United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Secretary-General, high-ranking political and health authorities of Israel and Palestine, and His Excellency Pope Francis.

Plea for Peace: A Call to Protect Innocent Lives

The ongoing war between Hamas and the State of Israel has taken a devastating toll on the lives of innocent civilians in the region. The World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) has taken a bold and responsible step by sending a letter to key global leaders and authorities, including the President of the Security Council, the President of the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Secretary-General, the Authorities of Israel and Palestine, Pope Francis, and the Director-General of the World Health Organization, to plead for the health and lives of innocent Palestinian and Israeli civilians, elderly persons, women, men, children, and babies caught up in the fight between Hamas and the State of Israel.

The WFPHA urges the key global leaders and authorities to use all their power, influence, and voice to stop this insane manifestation of pure evil. “We all know that the eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth paradigm will only lead to further loss and suffering. This has to stop. Use your power for this to happen.”

The WFPHA invites member associations, institutions, communities, and individuals to join this call by signing the letter. Together, we stand for peace!

WFPHA Condemns Attacks on Civilian Populations Everywhere

Following the strong condemnation of the terrorist attacks on civilians in Israel perpetrated by Hamas, the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) also strongly condemns the Israeli forces’ attacks on civilians in the Gaza Strip.

As alerted by the United Nations Secretary-General (UN-SG), António Guterres, while Israel’s security concerns are legitimate, military operations must be carried out strictly with international humanitarian law, and “civilians must be respected and protected at all times, and civilian infrastructure must never be a target”. Similarly, the European Union Foreign Policy Chief (EUFP-Chief), Josep Borrell, said clearly: “A collective punishment against all Palestinians will be unfair and unproductive. It will be (…) against the interest of peace. Not all the Palestinian people are terrorists.”

As a global public health organization, the WFPHA stresses that besides deaths and immediate threats to life, war and recurrent violence profoundly impact the mental health of people living in regions of armed conflict. Moreover, in conflict-affected areas, access to health services is limited due to the destruction of infrastructure and lack of resources.

Civilians in the Gaza Strip must have access to humanitarian aid, food, clean water, and healthcare services. The immediate release of hostages and the safe removal of children, women, and older people must be carried out urgently.

The WFPHA joins the UN-SG and the EUFP-Chief’s calls for respect for the lives of civilians in the Gaza Strip, remembering that Palestinians and non-Palestinians, including UN staff have been victims in this war.

WFPHA Condemns Terrorist Attacks on Civilian Populations

The World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) strongly condemns the terrorist attacks on civilians in Israel perpetrated by Hamas. To date, Hamas has killed over 900 Israeli and non-Israeli civilians, including women, children, babies, and 260 young people who attended a music festival. WFPHA considers these attacks as a severe violation of human rights and an infringement of international law. As a global public health association, WFPHA is deeply concerned about the many lives lost and the negative repercussions on the physical and mental health of individuals and communities.

WFPHA is fearful for the wellbeing of about 150 non-combatant civilians taken hostage by Hamas, including children, toddlers, disabled and elderly persons. Although no official list was given, it seems that among the hostages there are those with Canadian, US, EU, Philippines, and Thai citizenship, as well as Israeli citizens. Their lives, as well as their physical and mental health, are at great risk. WFPHA joins the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region’s (ASPHER) call for their immediate release and for rapid intervention on their behalf by organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent.

WFPHA is concerned about non-combatant civilians in the Gaza Strip. They deserve protection like civilians everywhere.

This latest atrocity by Hamas, which is a crime against humanity, has only added to the cycle of violence in the region. WFPHA appeals to all parties involved to seek peaceful lives together, respecting the rights of all people in the region.

WFPHA is a membership organization representing more than 5 million public health workers in 130 countries. Its mission is “protecting people and the planet, preventing diseases, and promoting health, peace, and wellbeing”. It again stresses the need for peace work.

WFPHA greatly values public health colleagues in the region. It is a testimony of their efforts to work harmoniously together in the interests of peace and health for all. WFPHA will support the Israeli public health community in all its further efforts.

Public Mental Health: Joint Statement by WFPHA, WONCA, & WPA

Today is World Mental Health Day. “Mental health is a universal human right” is the main theme of this year.

On this occasion, the World Federation of Public Health Associations, the World Organization of Family Doctors, and the World Psychiatric Association publish a joint statement representing commitment to collaborative working in order to improve the implementation of public mental interventions to treat mental health conditions, prevent associated impacts, prevent mental health conditions, and promote mental wellbeing.

Mental health conditions (MHCs) are responsible for a large proportion of global disease burden and result in a broad range of impacts across sectors. Mental wellbeing has a broad range of impacts across sectors at individual and population level. Particular groups are at several-fold increased risk of MHCs and poor mental wellbeing.

Mental health conditions and wellbeing are determined by a complex interplay of risk and protective factors at individual, community, and structural levels.

Evidence-based public mental health interventions exist to treat and prevent MHCs, prevent associated impacts, and promote mental wellbeing and resilience. Different types of public mental health interventions are provided by various sectors, including primary care, secondary mental health care, and public health. Higher-risk groups require more targeted approaches to prevent widening of inequalities.

However, only a minority with MHCs receive any treatment even in high-income countries, far fewer receive interventions to prevent associated impacts, and there is negligible coverage of interventions to prevent MHCs, or promote mental wellbeing and resilience. Implementation failure breaches the right to health and results in population-scale preventable suffering, broad impacts across sectors and associated economic costs. Furthermore, the implementation gap has further widened since the COVID-19 pandemic. It underscores the importance of coordinated action to address the implementation gap particularly in the face of global challenges stemming from health crises, climate change, migration, conflicts, and wars.

The World Federation of Public Health Associations, the World Organization of Family Doctors, and the World Psychiatric Association acknowledge that a whole system approach is required to address this implementation failure and the universal right to mental health. They therefore commit to support collaborative working in order to improve the implementation of public mental health interventions. This will support sustainable reduction in MHCs, improved population mental wellbeing, and broad associated benefits across populations. It is time to join forces and address both the wider determinants of mental health and those of mental health conditions overcoming limitations and shortcomings of monodisciplinary approaches to mental health and MHCs.