Promoting Oral Health for Refugees: A Call to Action

The scale of global forced displacement is increasing worldwide as a result of persecution, armed conflict, generalized violence, natural disasters, famine, and economic changes. Refugees are one of the most vulnerable and marginalized populations globally, facing significant challenges in accessing health care, including oral health care.

Like all people, refugees are entitled to access health care, including oral health care, as guaranteed by the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. This right is further reinforced by the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, which require countries to ensure that such care is provided without discrimination and on the same basis as nationals.

Oral health is an integral part of overall health and well-being. However, oral health and access to oral health care for refugee populations remain areas of concern. The FDI World Dental Federation, Framework Convention on Global Health Alliance, Sustainable Health Equity Movement, and World Federation of Public Health Associations believe that access to oral health care is a fundamental human right and recognize that oral health is an integral part of overall health and well-being. They urge policymakers, healthcare providers, and international and national organizations to:

1. Include oral health as a part of current and future refugee health strategies and priorities, including for pregnant women, mothers, and young children,
2. Promote the importance of oral health and the rights of refugees among both healthcare and non-healthcare staff who encounter refugees to raise awareness of refugees’ right to health, including oral health, and
3. Ensure equitable access to essential oral health services for refugees as an integral component of primary and antenatal care and as a matter of their rights, in partnerships with national and local dental and health organizations.

IC2PerMed: Healthcare Professionals’ Education and Citizens’ Empowerment in Personalized Medicine

Technological and medical advancements have played a significant role in fostering personalized medicine. Nonetheless, for successful implementation of personalized medicine, it is crucial that all stakeholders involved, including healthcare professionals, citizens, and policymakers, achieve adequate health literacy. The Integrating China in the International Consortium for Personalized Medicine (IC2PerMed) project addresses this matter by highlighting the need to educate healthcare professionals and empower citizens. In an article published by the researchers of the IC2PerMed project, of which the WFPHA is a partner, they sought to identify the priority areas of intervention for healthcare professionals’ education and curricula and the engagement and empowerment of citizens and patients.

The article identified 17 priorities, of which 7 were related to health professionals’ education and curricula, whereas 10 focused on citizen and patient awareness and empowerment.

7 Priorities on Health Professionals’ Education and Curricula

• Foster research aimed at identifying the most effective methods to improve healthcare professionals’ literacy and expertise in the field of personalized medicine.
• Strengthen healthcare professionals’ ethics.
• Improve healthcare professionals’ knowledge of ethical, legal, social, and economic issues related to personalized medicine.
• Improve healthcare professionals’ communication skills to inform and empower citizens and patients in the field of personalized medicine.
• Foster multidisciplinary collaborations between different healthcare professionals and stakeholders in personalized medicine-related practices.
• Establish collaborations/partnerships among institutions/countries aiming at improving healthcare professionals’ literacy and expertise in the field of personalized medicine.
• Include healthcare professionals’ health literacy in personalized medicine as an emerging priority in national governmental strategies, policies, and plans.

10 Priorities on Citizen and Patient Awareness and Empowerment

• Promote and support citizens’/patients’ engagement in self-management of health and disease.
• Improve populations’ health literacy and skills as a prerequisite for better citizens’ and patients’ engagement and empowerment in the field of personalized medicine.
• Improve citizens’ and patients’ digital literacy and skills, considering the role of digital tools in supporting the engagement of citizens in personalized medicine.
• Foster needs-assessment research in the field of citizens’ and patients’ education related to personalized medicine.
• Foster research activities aimed at identifying effective methods to improve citizens’ and patients’ literacy and engagement in the field of personalized medicine.
• Improve healthcare professionals’ genomic literacy as a prerequisite for effective citizens’ and patients’ engagement in the field of personalized medicine.
• Strengthen communication and enhance communication activities in the field of personalized medicine.
• Promote public trust in scientific research, public organizations, and private institutions, given their importance in advancing personalized medicine-related research and technology.
• Foster collaborations/partnerships between different institutions/countries aiming to improve citizens’ and patients’ literacy and empowerment in the field of personalized medicine.
• Consider ethical, legal, social, and economic challenges for citizens’ and patients’ engagement in the field of personalized medicine.

According to the article, the identified priorities emphasized the importance of education and health literacy, multidisciplinary and international collaboration, public trust, and consideration of ethical, legal, and social issues. The article highlighted the relevance of the involvement of stakeholders in informing decision-makers, developing appropriate national plans, strategies, and policies, and ensuring the adequate implementation of personalized medicine in health systems.

The IC2PerMed project aims to support the EU-China collaboration over the developments of personalized medicine research, innovations, and policies through the International Consortium for Personalized Medicine (ICPerMed) initiative, providing people with access to personalized, smart, and inclusive healthcare solutions in the near future.

Personalized Medicine Landscape in the EU & China: A Survey of Experts

Personalized Medicine is one of the main priorities of the research agenda of the European Commission and the focus of the Integrating China in the International Consortium for Personalized Medicine (IC2PerMed) project. Similar to the European focus, personalized medicine is a current priority of the People’s Republic of China’s government through dedicated policies and its investment plans.

In an article published by the researchers of the IC2PerMed project, of which the WFPHA is a partner, they conducted an expert survey to identify policies, programs, initiatives, and stakeholders linked to the development and implementation of personalized medicine in the European Union (EU) and China and ease opportunities for Sino-European research collaborations.

47 experts participated in the survey, 27 from Europe and 20 from China. According to the article, only 4 participants were aware of the implementation of personalized medicine-related policies in their working country. Experts reported big data and digital solutions, citizen and patient literacy, and translational research as the personalized medicine areas with the greatest policy impact so far. The lack of shared investment strategies and the limited application of scientific developments in clinical practice were found as the main obstacles. Aligning European and Chinese efforts and finding common ground across cultural, social, and language barriers were considered as actions needed to enhance efforts in applying personalized medicine strategies internationally.

According to the article, to achieve efficiency and sustainability of health systems, it remains crucial to transform personalized medicine into an opportunity for all citizens and patients with the commitment of all the stakeholders involved.

The IC2PerMed project aims to support the EU-China collaboration over the developments of personalized medicine research, innovations, and policies through the International Consortium for Personalized Medicine (ICPerMed) initiative, providing people with access to personalized, smart, and inclusive healthcare solutions in the near future.

Thank You to Outgoing Governing Council Member

The WFPHA recognizes the outstanding contributions and unwavering commitment of its Outgoing Governing Council (GC) member, Dr Jesus Gonzalez.

Dr Gonzalez, a surgeon from the Faculty of Medicine of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), served the GC as a representative of the Americas region.

Dr Gonzalez’s tenure as a member of our GC has been marked by his exceptional dedication, expertise, and relentless efforts to promote global public health. The WFPHA expresses its sincere gratitude to him for his invaluable contributions, which have undoubtedly advanced the organization’s mission to promote and protect public health worldwide. His exceptional leadership, vision, and dedication have been a source of inspiration for colleagues and peers alike.

As Dr Gonzalez embarks on new endeavors, the WFPHA extends its heartfelt appreciation and wishes him a fruitful journey ahead, confident in his ability to continue making a significant difference in the field of public health.

Achieving Health Equity through Stronger Actions Against Racism & Discrimination

Racism and discrimination are fundamental determinants of health. Despite the increasing evidence for the impact of racism and discrimination on both mental and physical health inequities in multiple ways, the issue has gained too little attention in the public health domain so far.

The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) has initiated and led the pan-European Thematic Network DisQo: anti-discrimination and health equity (DisQo), bringing together more than 40 organizations and individuals, with the shared ambition to address institutional and structural racism and discrimination for health equity.

In May 2023, DisQo sent a joint statement to the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE), calling for stronger action against racism and discrimination to achieve health equity.

WFPHA joins organizations working across sectors in this call and commits to taking an active stance against all forms of racism and discrimination.