The Use of Chemical or Nuclear Weapons in Ukraine or Anywhere Is Unacceptable!

The World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) and International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) acknowledge the profound adverse effects of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons on the health and well-being of all people on the planet. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the immense public health threat these weapons pose. This threat exists independent of actual use.

The war in Ukraine, even only as a conventional war, is destroying the lives and livelihoods of the people of Ukraine, their economy and importantly their environment. This produces a massive, multi-generational public health disaster.

The use of nuclear or chemical weapons in this conflict will magnify that public health disaster by orders of magnitude, causing causalities at a scale rendering any medical and humanitarian responses totally inadequate. The suffering resulting would constitute a clear crime against humanity. Even the threat to use such weapons causes needless extra trauma to already severely traumatized people.

Accordingly, the WFPHA and IPPNW demand that all combatants immediately and explicitly rule out the use of weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine.

GPHW2023: Closing Ceremony

The closing ceremony of Global Public Health Week 2023 (GPHW) will see the participation of the presidents of three prestigious societies in the field of public health: Prof. Luis Eugenio de Souza, President of the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA); Prof. Roberta Siliquini, President of the Italian Society of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine (SITI); and Prof. Carlo Signorelli, President of the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER).

The ceremony will be a platform for the Presidents to discuss the state of global public health and the challenges that still persist in this world in turmoil, as well as to present the upcoming 17th World Congress on Public Health, jointly organized by the three societies.

The event will be held on April 7, 2023, at 13:00 (CEST). It will be chaired by Prof. Walter Ricciardi, Immediate Past President of the WFPHA and Chair of the congress organizing committees.

#WorldinTurmoil: Strengthening the Primary Care Safety Net: Lessons from the United States

In the United States, more than 27 million people do not have health insurance, and another 109 million adults are estimated to be underinsured. The United States healthcare system has been the subject of debate on several occasions within the federal government and the states. Despite legislative efforts to try and ensure that more people have access to healthcare, the situation remains precarious for a lot of people. Nevertheless, minorities are the most affected.

Through her article, Dr Julie S. Darnell, from Loyola University Chicago, explains how free and charitable clinics constitute a safety net for all those who do not have health insurance or are underinsured. And she hopes that not only the United States but also other countries reflect on opportunities and lessons that merit closer examination because they might stimulate new and better ways to organize, finance, and deliver care to the uninsured.

By clicking on the link below, you can read the article on the Croakey Health Media website.

This article is published as part of the #WorldinTurmoil series.

GPHW2023: Opening Ceremony

Global public health leaders, including Dr Jarbas Barbosa da Silva Jr., Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), will officially open the second edition of Global Public Health Week (GPHW) on April 3, 2023, during a dedicated ceremony to be held at 12:00 (CEST). The ceremony will be followed by the event “Decolonizing Public Health”, organized by the WFPHA.

Join us to advance the importance of public health in everyone’s lives!

GPHW2023: ISMOPH: Information Session & Briefing

Theme: A World in Turmoil: A Discussion to Be Continued

Date and Time: 07 April 2023 | 18:00 – 19:00 (CEST)

Event Description: The International Students’ and Young Professionals’ Meeting on Public Health (ISMOPH).

Event Type: Panel Discussion & Round Table

Event Format: Virtual

Language(s): English

Organiser(s): WFPHA

How to Attend In-person: N/A

How to Attend Virtually: Zoom

Registration: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nbr_bqRiRCSPPx18bZ89HQ