GPHW2024: The WHO’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Body Significance for Pandemic Preparedness

Theme: Enhancing and Democratizing Governance in Global Health

Date and Time: 9th April 2024 | 09:00-10:00 am (CET)

Event Description: In response to the devastating impacts wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO established the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) in December 2021 with the intent to develop an international instrument under the Constitution of the WHO to bolster the International Health Regulations (IHR) to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. As the INB approaches final negotiations, it is important to understand the significance of the proposed instrument and the INB, the political tensions surrounding it, and what’s at stake regarding the language and passage of such an instrument. To provide a brief overview of the process and its importance, several WFPHA representatives will share a summary of the proceedings and their experiences as public health professionals in civil society regarding the ongoing negotiations. Presentations will be pre-recorded due to time differences and scheduling conflicts.

Event Type: Seminar / Webinar

Event Format: online

Language(s): English

Organiser(s): World Federation of Public Health Associations

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

Registration: Link

GPHW2024: Empowering Future Public Health Professionals: A Workshop on Professional Development

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

Date and Time: 12th April 2024 | 14:00-15:30 (CET)

Event Description: The “Empowering Future Public Health Professionals” workshop aims to empower students and young professionals in the field of public health by providing them with opportunities to discuss, share opinions and experiences, and actively engage in their professional development, fostering a sense of individual and collective responsibility towards addressing global health challenges.

Organised by leading organizations of students and young professionals in the field, including the Young WFPHA Working Group, International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF), International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), International Veterinary Students Association (IVSA), and the European Public Health Student and Alumni Association (EPHSA), the workshop addresses the evolving needs of public health professionals by involving students in shaping curriculum competencies.

The structure proposed for the workshop includes an introduction to set the context, through the involvement and engagement with expert keynotes to provide valuable insights into public health competencies and professional pathways.

Following, interactive activities, including Mentimeter mapping and breakout sessions, will allow participants to discuss challenges, desired competencies, and strategies for professionalization.

The discussions in the breakout rooms will serve to collect the ideas and proposals to draft a document, such as manifestos or calls to action, that will lay the groundwork for future initiatives, with a mid-long-term goal of informing and influencing prominent global health forums such as the World Health Assembly or the World Health Summit.

The workshop aims to foster collaboration and dialogue, contributing to building a dynamic public health workforce capable of addressing global health challenges.

Event Type: Workshop / Online Training

Event Format: online

Language(s): English

Organiser(s): Young WFPHA Working Group, International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF), International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), International Veterinary Students Association (IVSA), and the European Public Health Student and Alumni Association (EPHSA)

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

Registration: Link

GPHW2024: Enhancing and democratizing Governance in Global Health

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

Date and Time: 9th April 2024 |15:00-16:00 BRT (Brasília Time) UTC/GMT

Event Description: The recent crises in Western democracies pose new questions for healthcare systems around the world. To celebrate World Health Day, we propose to debate this issue with the participation of members of two Latin American public health associations (from Colombia and Argentina) and a specialist in Global Health from Portugal. Colombia faces serious challenges and attacks on its democratic government, which has undertaken a reform aimed at making Colombians’ access to the right to health more equitable. Argentina has just elected a right-wing government that has put access to healthcare and the very subsistence of its public policies into question. How are these themes related, what do we have to learn in the framework of international relations and Global Health? What is the role of public health associations in these circumstances?

Panelists:

Juan Eduardo Guerrero – Colombian Public Health Association

Alejandra Sanches Cabezas – Argentine Public Health Association

Tiago Correia – Professor of Global Health – NOVA University of Lisbon

Event Link

Event Type: Seminar / Webinar

Event Format: online

Language(s): Portuguese, Spanish

Organiser(s): Rosana Onocko Campos – Associação Brasileira de Saúde Coletiva

How to Attend Virtually: Youtube Link

Registration: N/A

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

Shaping the Future of Public Health Sustainable Investments

On January 23, 2024, the WFPHA Immunization Taskforce hosted an insightful conversation on Shaping the Future of Public Health Sustainable Investments.

This webinar is part of the Immunization Taskforce activities led by the World Federation of Public Health Associations.

Anuradha Gupta, President of Global Immunization at the Sabin Vaccine Institute and Hugo Marín Piva, Head of the Pharmaco-economy Area at the Pharmacoepidemiology Department at Costa Rican Social Security Fund explored real-world cases, emphasizing the critical need for strategic and impactful investments in the realm of global health.

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