Global Public Health Week

During Global Public Health Week (GPHW), the WFPHA brought together institutions, communities, and public health actors from around the world to recognize the contributions of public health and its workforce. This annual event engendered discussion on the best practices and missing gaps fundamental to disease prevention and the promotion of health and wellbeing.

Public health had been the “invisible guardian” of our health for decades. The COVID-19 pandemic made the public health field more apparent and appreciated. However, the risk of regression post-pandemic was high. We could not afford to lose that momentum; we needed to act then to prevent the next pandemic. Making public health visible and understood was a key step for emergency preparedness. Facilitating sharing of the knowledge, resources and barriers faced by public health professionals globally was key to improving public health in all contexts.

The second edition of GPHW was held from April 3 to April 7, 2023, with the theme “Building a More Equitable, Sustainable, and Resilient Health System”. It was a hybrid event, combining face to face and digital gatherings worldwide. Over 100 events across 40 countries have been organized, with more than 600 social media posts and 4 million impressions, all made possible by the remarkable involvement of public health professionals and organizations worldwide.