GPHW2024: Sustainability Sparks: Igniting Global Change from the Grassroots Up

Theme: Promoting a Sustainable Life for Thriving Communities

Date and Time: 11th April 2024 | 10:00-12:00 (GMT+3)

Event Description: Our initiative seeks to spotlight grassroots projects that are revolutionizing sustainability within public health, catalyzing tangible change worldwide. By showcasing these projects through interactive showcases, inspiring talks, and collaborative workshops, we aim to empower participants to leverage grassroots action for sustainable, thriving communities. Through fostering connections and sharing best practices, we anticipate sparking a global movement for positive change.

Relevance: In an era marked by escalating environmental crises and widening health disparities, grassroots initiatives offer a beacon of hope. According to the United Nations, grassroots movements have historically played a pivotal role in driving social change, often achieving remarkable outcomes despite limited resources. For instance, a study published in Nature Sustainability found that community-based initiatives are key drivers of sustainability efforts, leading to significant reductions in carbon emissions and improvements in environmental quality. Moreover, the World Health Organization highlights the critical role of community engagement in addressing public health challenges, citing examples such as community health worker programs that have successfully improved health outcomes in underserved areas.

Our proposal aligns seamlessly with the theme of “Promoting a Sustainable Life for Thriving Communities,” offering concrete strategies for building resilient, equitable societies. By spotlighting grassroots projects, we demonstrate their potential to drive transformative change at the local level and beyond. Furthermore, our initiative underscores the importance of community-led approaches in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

Other Comments or Suggestions: We are confident that our proposal will deliver a compelling and impactful experience for participants, inspiring them to become agents of change in their own communities. By harnessing the power of grassroots action, we have the potential to create a more sustainable, equitable future for all. Thank you for considering our proposal.

Event Type: Panel discussion & round table

Event Format: Online

Language(s): English

Organiser(s): Hararghe Health Research Partnership (HHR)

How to Attend Virtually: Zoom Link

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

WFPHA’s Key Role in Shaping Vaccination Policy for Long-term Care: Insights from the IFA Meeting

On March 25, the World Federation of Public Health Associations actively participated in the “Mobilizing Vaccination Policy in Long-term Care Settings” meeting. This pivotal event, organized by the International Federation on Ageing (IFA), featured WFPHA’s Executive Manager, Dr. Marta Lomazzi, as its representative. The meeting was a gathering of thought leaders in public health, alongside experts in immunization, long-term care, and health policy, where the IFA’s study, “Improving Adult Vaccination Policy in Long-Term Care Settings,” was presented and thoroughly explored.

The discussions aimed to influence the World Health Organization’s technical guidelines by fostering communication between the vaccine, ageing, and health technical units. This effort aligns with the broader objectives of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing and the Immunization Agenda 2030. Key goals included driving policy reform through partnerships with long-term care provider associations at the national level, influencing national ageing policy agendas by collaborating with organizations advocating for the rights of older people in long-term care, elevating the political importance of immunization within these settings to guarantee its inclusion and integration in national immunization plans and aged care strategies, and ultimately enhancing adult vaccination uptake rates in long-term care environments.

The WFPHA’s engagement in these significant discussions and initiatives underscores its deep-rooted commitment to public health. By prioritizing immunization as a strategy to prevent disease and safeguard community health, the WFPHA continues to make meaningful contributions to global health endeavors. It aspires to a future where communities, irrespective of age, enjoy comprehensive access to the protective benefits of immunization. This ongoing work highlights the WFPHA’s dedication to addressing contemporary public health challenges and its role in shaping policies that foster healthier, more resilient communities worldwide.

Webinar: Global Perspectives on Maternal and Child Oral Health

Date and Time: 7th April 2024 |09:00 (EDT)

Event Description: The World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA), the Oral Health Section, and the Student Assembly are collaborating on a webinar titled:  Global Perspectives on Maternal and Child Oral Health.

Speakers:

Dr. Hyewon Lee – Chair of WFPHA Oral Health Workgroup, Director of Global Maternal and Child Oral Health Center of Seoul National University, South Korea.

Katy Battani – Project Manager and Assistant Research Professor at National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center at Georgetown University, USA.

Dr. Sonia Groisman – Professor, Coordinator of Post Graduation & Master Course in Community Dentistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro URFJ, Brazil.

Dr. Khabiso Ramphoma –  Senior Lecturer and Specialist in Community Dentistry, University of the Western Cape, Faculty of Dentistry, Cape Town South Africa. Public Health Association of South, Chair for Dental Public Health Special Interest Group. South African representative WFPHA Oral health workgroup.

Dr. Irene Adyatmaka – Director Global Health Interest Group, Consortium of Universities for Global Health, Senior researcher Center for health administration and policy studies, faculty of Public Health Universitas Indonesia, Docent faculty of dentistry Maranatha Christian University, Country Manager GC Indonesia.

Dr. Kiran Nagdeo – Vice Chair of WFPHA Oral Health Workgroup; External Relations Co-Chair at APHA Student Assembly; Scientific Planning Committee Member at American Public Health Association (APHA) Oral Health Section. 

Event Format: Online

Language(s): English

Organiser(s): The World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA), American Public Health Association (APHA)

Any questions, please send to Dr. Kiran Nagdeo at kn2293@NYU.edu

How to Attend Virtually: Zoom Link

Registration: N/A

GPHW2024: Digital Health Citizenship: Advancing digital health and civic literacy through intergenerational dialogues

Theme: Enhancing and Democratizing Governance in Global Health

Date and Time: 9th April 2024 | 14:00-15:15 CET

Event Description: In the era of digital transformation, ensuring the health and well-being of young people requires strategic action. The Lancet and Financial Times Commission on Governing Health Futures 2030: Growing up in a digital world has outlined essential recommendations that stakeholders must heed to support the thriving health and well-being of the younger generation. To move the Commission’s recommendations into tangible action, the Digital Transformations for Health Lab (DTH-Lab) was established in 2023. The global consortium with hubs in Africa, Asia, and Europe is a multidisciplinary platform aiming to strengthen digital and data governance to improve young people’s health and well-being.

Enfranchising young people to co-design and critically engage with digital-first health systems is a core project of the DTH-Lab as part of efforts to increase public participation and digital health citizenship. By partnering with youth and youth organizations at the global, regional, and country levels, the DTH-Lab is launching an assessment of young people’s perception of digital health citizenship to support the co-creation of desired health outcomes, promote youth leadership and support a generation of informed and enfranchised digital health citizens.

Digital health citizenship emerges from the intersection of digital transformations, health, and citizenship. Recognizing that individuals have rights, responsibilities, and agency in the digital health landscape, digital health citizenship promotes active participation, informed decision-making, and ethical use of digital health technologies and platforms. To advance digital health citizenship, particularly among the youth population, improved capacity must be enacted particularly focusing on the unity of digital, health, and civic literacy.

This intergenerational dialogue aims to assess the current perception of digital health citizenship with a particular focus on garnering youth insights and their key asks in becoming more enfranchised digital health citizens. Discussants will share preliminary work on this topic including a current scoping study on digital health literacy tools from the Young World Federation of Public Health Association (YWFPHA) and the general landscape of current work on digital health citizenship. Moreover, the DTH-Lab will launch an online survey to support its broader work of co-designing and solution creation with young people in becoming enfranchised digital health citizens in the age of digital transformations.

DTH-Lab links:

Website|Twitter |Linkedin | Instagram| Twitter

YWFPHA links:  

LinkedIn| Instagram| Whatsapp| Telegram

Event Type: Seminar / Webinar

Event Format: online

Language(s): English

Organiser(s): Young World Federation of Public Health Association (YWFPHA)

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

Registration: Link

GPHW2024: Revolutionizing Pediatric Mental Health: Public Health Strategies for Post-COVID Resilience and Equity

Theme: Enhancing and Democratizing Governance in Global Health

Date and Time: 9th April 2024 | 11:00-12:30 (CEST)

Event Description: The “Revolutionizing Pediatric Mental Health” workshop will be a dynamic and forward-thinking event uniting professionals and stakeholders worldwide to explore the transformative potential of innovative strategies in pediatric mental health. Over 90 minutes, participants will embark on an immersive journey into the future of pediatric mental health care in the post-COVID era. Through interactive discussions, captivating presentations and real-world case studies, attendees will gain invaluable insights into cutting-edge interventions and visionary approaches aimed at promoting resilience and equity among pediatric populations. By uncovering emerging trends and fostering collaborative dialogue, the workshop will catalyze inspiring action and driving positive change in pediatric mental health on a global scale. Join us as we pave the way for a brighter and more inclusive future for children and adolescents everywhere.

Event Type: Seminar / Webinar

Event Format: Online

Language(s): English

Organiser(s): Giovanna Failla 

How to Attend Virtually: Zoom Link

Registration: N/A