GPHW2024: Keeping it Reel: Disseminating Public Health Information in the Current Social Media Era

Theme: Rethinking Public Health Paradigms

Date and Time: 8th April 2024 | 14:00 – 15:00 (GMT)

Event Description: Over the past two decades, social media platforms have significantly changed how people consume information. In the past, a small number of professional bodies, organizations, and charities used to provide health advice through specified channels. However, this model no longer aligns with the methods and formats in which the general public, particularly the younger generation (Millennials to Gen Alpha), now interacts with and receives news. This communication gap has resulted in the spread of misguided, incorrect, and harmful health information, as evidenced during the global COVID-19 infodemic. Such misinformation has the potential to have real-world consequences for the public.

“Keeping it Reel: Disseminating Public Health Information in the Current Social Media Era” is an event organised by the Young World Federation of Public Health Associations (Young WPHA) for the 2024 Global Public Health Week. It aims to create a forum in which stakeholders can discuss the challenges and opportunities created by social media in the field of health communication. Young WFPHA wishes to explore the ever-changing landscape of social media, identify the skills public health professionals require to navigate this, and discuss how social media has affected the younger generation’s consumption and understanding of health information. This event would also like to offer solutions, collaboration opportunities, and grounds for hope in tackling this global challenge.

We will begin the event with an introduction to the topic and the speakers, who include social media influencers, public health communication experts, and representatives from social media platforms. This introduction will be followed by a panel discussion on the topic, concluding with a Q&A session. In the second part of the event, the Young WFPHA communication team will give a presentation on the launch of their new public health social media channel, which is aimed at addressing some of the issues discussed earlier.

Instagram Page

Event Type:Webinar format with Q&A chat

Event Format: online

Language(s): English

Organiser(s): Young WFPHA Working Group

How to Attend Virtually: Zoom Link (will be sent after registration)

Registration: Link

GPHW2024: Empowering Growth: Cultivating a Pan-African Network of Emerging Public Health Professionals

Theme: Enhancing and Democratizing Governance in Global Health

Date and Time: 9th April 2024 | 13:00-14:30 (CEST)

Event Description: The event will be a panel discussion with an interlude of Networking session during break-out sessions. The first two speakers will each be given a maximum of 10 minutes each to talk on the title of the event. The participants will then be given 20 minutes for networking and share their views on what the first two speakers highlighted. The last two speakers will also be given 10 minutes each to share their views about the title or theme of the event. This will be followed by a question and answer session that will last for at most 20 minutes.

Event Type: Panel Discussion

Event Format: Online

Language(s): English, Portuguese, Spanish

Organiser(s): Nuha Fofana and Alessandro Berionni

How to Attend Virtually: Zoom Link (will be sent after registration)

Registration: Link

GPHW2024: Addressing Public Health Challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean WHO Region a youth perspective Capacities for Infodemic Management

Theme: Rethinking Public Health Paradigms

Date and Time: 8th April 2024 | 10:00-11:00 (GMT+1)

Event Description: The Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), encompassing 22 countries and territories in West Asia, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, and Central Asia, confronts a diverse array of public health challenges. This includes communicable and non-communicable diseases, environmental health concerns, healthcare infrastructure fortification, and emergency response preparedness. To highlight these multifaceted challenges, our panel event endeavors to cultivate a platform for the exchange of insights and collaboration among experts and stakeholders within youth from health organizations, in the EMR.

Content of the panel discussion:

1. Identification of Key Public Health Challenges: Through collaborative discourse, the panel seeks to pinpoint the most pressing public health issues prevalent in the EMR, considering the unique socio-economic and geopolitical factors at play.

2. Sharing of Insights and Best Practices: Participants will share their experiences and successful strategies in addressing public health challenges within the EMR, fostering a dynamic environment for cross-learning and knowledge dissemination.

3. Exploration of Innovative Solutions: Delving into the realm of innovation, the panel will explore novel approaches and solutions aimed at bolstering public health outcomes in the EMR, leveraging technological advancements, interdisciplinary collaborations, and community engagement.

4. Discussion of Collaborative Opportunities: Recognizing the significance of collective action, the panel will facilitate discussions on potential avenues for collaborative efforts and partnerships, with a focus on strengthening public health systems, promoting health equity, and building resilience against future health crises.

Outcome: The panel, composed of youth health actors from the EMR, hopes that the wealth of expertise and diverse perspectives shared during the event will not only enrich collective understanding but also contribute to the development of tangible ideas for advancing public health concerns in the EMR.

Event Type: Panel discussion & round table

Event Format: Online

Language(s): English

Organiser(s): Organizers from Young WFPHA: David Peyre-Costa, Duha Shellah, Lwando Maki, Alessandro Berionni

How to Attend Virtually: Zoom Link 

Registration: N/A

GPHW2024: Maintaining Health Security: Strengthening Health Workforce Capacities for Infodemic Management

Theme: Fostering the Development of the Right Competencies within Tomorrow’s Health Workforce

Date and Time: 12th April 2024 | 14:00-15:00 (CEST, UTC +02:00)

Event Description: As the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic slowly fades from the public eye, we are confronted with a resurging public health issue: the decrease of routine immunization coverage, leading to outbreaks of preventable infectious diseases like measles and whooping cough. Unfortunately, the global community has not been able to maintain or increase confidence in health systems, and many people still lack high-quality health information to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.

In 2024, many countries are expected to hold elections while deadly conflicts persist worldwide, resulting in an even greater division within society. This polarization will inevitably affect health promotion activities, making infodemic management crucial to maintaining health security.

This online roundtable will bring together international speakers of different backgrounds and affiliations to discuss how we can use the existing health workforce capacities in infodemic management. What is higher education institutions’ role in combating misinformation and disinformation in the health sector?

Speakers:

• Amy Rowland, Emory Global Health Institute, Emory University, USA
• Dilek Aslan, Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health
• Tina Purnat, University of Memphis School of Public Health, USA
• Neville Calleja, University of Malta, Faculty of Medicine & Surgery, Department of Public Health
• Stefan Mandić-Rajčević, Laboratory for Infodemiology and Infodemic Management, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade

Event Type: Seminar / Webinar

Event Format: Online

Language(s): English

Organiser(s): Laboratory for Infodemiology and Infodemic Management, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade

How to Attend Virtually: Youtube Live

Registration: N/A

GPHW2024: Quick read

Theme: Global Public Health Week

Date and Time: 8-12th April 2024 | all-day

Event Description: We will publish 2 scientific articles each day on our social media

Event Type: Publication of scientific articles on website and social media channels

Event Format: Online

Language(s): Spanish

Organiser(s): Universidad de Antioquia

How to Attend Virtually: 

Instagram | Tik Tok | Twitter | Youtube | LinkedIn

Registration: N/A

GPHW2024: The role of AI and communities in national defense: Protecting lives, public health, and healthcare services against crippling attacks in the era of artificial intelligence

Theme: Promoting a Sustainable Life for Thriving Communities

Date and Time: 11th April 2024 | 10:00-11:00 (GMT-7)

Event Description: It is estimated that most major cities have enough energy and water reserves to meet the necessities of their inhabitants for up to a week following a major power outage, either due to a malicious act or a natural disaster. Although there is a surprising dearth of studies with reliable data, the outlook is similar for cities to withstand a complete failure of their digital infrastructure, and even worse to deal with a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) attack. The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) is dramatically increasing the risk, efficacy, and magnitude of the catastrophic effects of these threats, all of which can devastate population health and cripple the healthcare system, resulting in hastened societal collapse. This reality demands a radical reimagining of national defense, one that places communities at the forefront of a resilient and adaptive strategy.

The panelists will focus on novel ways to harness the power of communities to secure population health and to ensure the uninterrupted operation and provision of essential healthcare services in the face of an AI-induced complete failure of the digital infrastructure, or a prolonged power outage, or a CBRN attack. They will also illustrate the critical role of analog technologies, social networks, community engagement, and computational management in the creation of a national defense system to protect lives, ensure the continuity of healthcare services, and protect the population and public health in an increasingly uncertain global security environment.

Moderator: Alex Jadad, Member, Public Health Leadership Coalition, WFPHA

Panelists: Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, Howard Hu and Thomas Valente, Professors, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck Medical School, University of Southern California (USC)

Tamen Jadad Garcia, Partner, Vivenxia Healthcare Consulting, Los Angeles, USA 

Event Type: Panel discussion & round table

Event Format: Online

Language(s): English

Organiser(s): Keck School of Medicine of USC

How to Attend Virtually: Zoom Link

Registration: N/A