Fostering Global Connectivity: A Recap of the Global Young WFPHA Networking Event

In an era marked by dynamic shifts in public health, the significance of uniting young professionals on a global scale has taken center stage. On October 31st, we marked a significant milestone with the launch of our Global Young WFPHA Networking Event.

Under the coordination of Luis Solis and Alessandro Berionni, and with the invaluable support of Wilmer Sancho, and David Peyre-Costa, we embarked on a journey to connect young public health professionals worldwide, laying the foundation for meaningful collaborations and visionary endeavors.

Building the Groundwork

Luis Solis, representative of the Health Equity Network of the Americas (HENA) commenced the event with a warm welcome, providing a compelling insight into the event’s mission. At its core, the Young WFPHA seeks to create a platform for global interconnectedness among young professionals in public health. This vision extends beyond a single event; it envisions the expansion of international networking opportunities and the introduction of regional events to fortify our community further.

The Unveiling of Young WFPHA

Alessandro Berionni, chair of the Young WFPHA, set the stage with an overview of the Young WFPHA. His presentation delved into the organization’s mission and objectives, connecting the event with our broader vision. Of particular note were the various Young Activities introduced to cater to the diverse interests of our community.

Guiding Young Professionals in the Global Health Arena

Alessandro Berionni also introduced the session that provided profound insights into the avenues available for young professionals to engage with international associations and organizations in the health field. We further augmented this session by providing a comprehensive summary document, outlined by Kerrie Stevenson, with all the main young regional and international associations to join.

This session was enriched by the presence of distinguished representatives from prominent WHO young networks, including Maurice Remy, representing the WHO Youth Council, Alessandro Catalini, representing the WHO Interns Board, and Balkiss Abdelmoula, representing the WHO GHWN Youth Hub.

Upcoming Endeavors and Regional Collaboration

Our commitment to enhancing the international public health landscape is exemplified by our forthcoming in-person regional event in Dublin at the European Public Health Conference.

This event, jointly organized with EUPHAnxt and expertly coordinated by Monica Georgiana Brinzac, promises to be a pivotal gathering.

In our pursuit of regional collaboration, we are actively establishing official contacts with Young Branches of National Public Health Associations worldwide. For those affiliated with such branches, we invite you to complete the form provided here.

Interactive Networking Activities

The core of our event was made by these networking activities that provided participants with an opportunity to interact and contribute actively. These activities were thoughtfully organized into five separate breakout rooms, each led by our dedicated regional coordinators:

Luis Solis for the American Region (AMR)

Frederico Israel for African Region (AFR)

Duha Shellah for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR)

Mariam Hachem for the Western Pacific Region (WPR)

Monica Brinzac for European Region (EUR)

Soun Thida for Southeast Asia Region (SEAR)

After 30 minutes the groups reconvened to present and discuss together the main points raised during the breakout rooms.

Key Takeaways and Profound Outcomes

Throughout the event, we deliberated on key topics, generating valuable takeaways. Our discussions spanned issues such as workforce capacity, equitable remuneration, the impact of starting at the local level on a global scale, ensuring the right tools are in place, strategies to reach a broader audience, and the complex challenge of retaining young professionals within the field.

This event has underlined the extraordinary potential of collaborative efforts, further galvanizing our commitment to making a positive impact on global health.

#WFPHA #YoungWFPHA #GlobalHealth #NetworkingEvent #youthforhealth

World Federation of Public Health Associations Endorses SESPAS Statement

The Spanish Society for Public Health and Health Administration (SESPAS) has strongly denounced the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the devastating impact on public health. The endorsement of the European Union’s communiqué on the Israel-Hamas conflict is acknowledged, but SESPAS calls for concrete and immediate measures to prevent a public health catastrophe.

SESPAS urges the European Union to ensure the protection of civilians by maintaining the supply of essential services. Water, energy, and basic supplies must not be used as weapons of war. SESPAS calls on Spanish and European authorities to influence international bodies, emphasizing the need for a cessation of hostilities and respect for international humanitarian law.

Facing Leadership that Kills receives the Best Paper Award at APHA 2023

Join us in congratulating Dr. Alex Jadad, a member of our Public Health Leadership Coalition, for ‘Facing Leadership that Kills’, which received the Best Paper Award sponsored by the Journal of Public Health Policy, during the 2023 American Public Health Association Meeting, and was published in The World Federation of Public Health Associations’ Pages.

5th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury

Edited from the Earth Negotiations Bulletin

The Minamata Convention on Mercury, which is an international treaty, was adopted on October 10, 2013 and entered into force on August 16, 2017, and governments committed themselves to protecting human health and the environment from mercury and mercury compounds.

Mercury, as a naturally occurring element, can be released into the air and water through the weathering of rock containing mercury ore or through human activities such as industrial processes, mining, deforestation, waste incineration, and burning fossil fuels. Mercury-containing products such as dental amalgam, electrical applications, laboratory and medical instruments, batteries, antiseptic and antibacterial creams, and skin-lightening creams can also release mercury.

Effects on fetal neurological development, lowered fertility, brain and nerve damage, and heart disease have been linked to exposure to mercury. The Minamata Convention bans new mercury mines and calls for the phase-out of existing ones. It also contains control measures on emissions and products containing mercury and the regulation of mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining. The Convention also addresses interim storage of mercury and its disposal once it becomes waste, sites contaminated by mercury, and health issues.

This year, when parties to the Minamata Convention convened for the 5th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-5), while commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Convention, they discussed further actions that will help make the promise of this treaty a reality. COP-5 took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from October 30 to November 3, 2023. Over 846 delegates participated in person, and for the first time, the meeting was broadcast via livestream to 900 viewers, with the recordings available following each plenary session. The Convention currently has 147 parties.

Parties agreed to update Annexes A and B of the Convention to list phaseout dates for certain types of batteries, switches and relays, fluorescent lamps, and cosmetics, and mandate the phaseout of mercury as a catalyst in polyurethane production by 2025. They also agreed on language declaring mercury-free processes for production of sodium or potassium methylate or ethylate to be technically and economically feasible. However, efforts by the African Group and other parties to agree on a phaseout of dental amalgam, which is still widely used for dental fillings, did not achieve consensus. The final decision only requires parties that have not yet phased out dental amalgam to report on how they plan to do so.

A decision on mercury waste thresholds means that countries have a fixed standard now for measuring whether imports and exports contaminated with mercury contain more than the allowed total concentration value of 15 mg/kg. This is important for countries who fear becoming global dumping grounds for mercury-contaminated wastes, as it gives an international standard for deciding whether a shipment should be blocked. It also means that producer nations now have a benchmark for blocking exports of mercury-contaminated waste.

COP-5 applauded the 95% rate of national reporting on what parties have done to meet their obligations under the Convention. Parties welcomed the second review of the Convention’s financial mechanism, which provides new guidance to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and notes that the GEF increased its funding for the Minamata Convention by more than 30% in its latest replenishment. COP-5 adopted the budget and program of work for the 2024–25 biennium, approving a core budget of USD 8.4 million and estimating needs of USD 4.83 million for its Special Trust Fund. COP-5 also saw some emerging themes that are likely to shape the work of the Convention in years to come.

COP-5 accomplished a lot. However, several issues for COP-6 in November 2025 are to be resolved, including phasing out dental amalgam and all mercury-added cosmetics and establishing the feasibility of mercury-free vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) production. COP-6 will also examine the draft guidance on trade, a report on national emission inventories and plans.

Leaving No One Behind: Integrating Oral Health into Primary Healthcare for Refugee Populations

In a world that has been marred by conflict and turmoil, the devastating impact of wars and conflicts on daily life and health cannot be ignored. This year, the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) has taken a significant step towards addressing a critical yet often overlooked aspect of primary healthcare for refugee populations: oral health.

The WFPHA, in collaboration with several international organizations, including the World Dental Federation, Framework Convention on Global Health Alliance (FCGH Alliance), and Sustainable Health Equity Movement (SHEM), has spearheaded an initiative to emphasize the importance of oral health in the lives of refugees. Led by the dedicated efforts of the Oral Health Workgroup within the WFPHA, a policy brief has been developed. This policy brief calls for the integration of oral health into the primary health packages provided to refugee populations around the world.

The WFPHA, in collaboration with its Oral Health Workgroup and Public Health in Emergencies and Disasters Workgroup, is dedicated to identifying strategic partners and opportunities to integrate oral health into primary healthcare packages for refugees. The goal is to ensure that refugees receive comprehensive healthcare that addresses their oral health needs, contributing to their overall well-being and dignity.

Translating the Essential Public Health Functions into Public Health Curricula

On October 26, 2023, at 13:00 (CEST), the WFPHA held a webinar that provided an overview of the work the WFPHA’s Public Health Professionals’ Education and Training Working Group has been undertaking in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other key partners on the Public Health and Emergency Workforce Roadmap.

During this webinar, esteemed global speakers outlined how the WHO Essential Public Health Functions (EPHF) have been unified and unpacked as part of the Roadmap project, how the revised EPHF have been used to inform a competency and outcomes framework towards the delivery of the EPHFs, and mechanisms intended to support incorporating the EPHF into curricula to train the future public health and emergency workforce.

This webinar is available to view by clicking on the link below.