The most important news about health equity, wellbeing, and their determinants.

Health Highlights
 

Welcome to Health Highlights, EuroHealthNet's monthly newsletter. We bring you the most important news and information about health, equity, wellbeing, and their determinants.  

 

Health Headlines

World Mental Health Day in focus

While recognising the progress to improve mental wellbeing in Europe, EuroHealthNet calls for a European Strategy on mental health

Marking the occasion, the European Commission presented an updated tracker marking progress on mental health and published an EU Support Package on Stigma. The package includes best practices to improve mental health at work and will be implemented with national authorities and organisations. The Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU and WHO/Europe jointly organised a policy dialogue on the mental health impact of climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss to exchange evidence and stimulate cross-sectoral action.

Additionally, WHO and UNICEF launched guidance to improve mental healthcare access for children and young people and help ensure more robust support systems globally.
 
EuroHealthNet joined 45 other organisations in a call for substantive action to develop a comprehensive European mental health strategy.

European Parliament hearings of the candidates for European Commissioners are set for 4-12 November

Commissioners will appear in front of Parliamentary committees, which will assess their suitability for the role

Between 4 and 12 November, European Parliament committees will hold public hearings for the Commissioners-designate, during which they will be asked a broad range of questions about their prospective roles.
 
Olivér Várhelyi, the proposed Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, will be asked about his priorities on health inequalities, prevention (including pending legislation on tobacco and alcohol control), and delayed measures such as the EU-wide front-of-pack labelling scheme of food and the legislative proposal on sustainable food systems.
 
For Roxana Mînzatu, candidate for Executive Vice-President for People, Skills, and Preparedness, key questions will focus on further implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) and on the future of the European Education Area.

G7 health ministry group discusses global health, healthy ageing and One Health 

The group adopts a joint declaration on key health issues and presents a policy brief on artificial intelligence (AI) in health

The group brings together health ministers from G7 Member States (including France, Germany and Italy), the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, and international organisations such as WHO and OECD. It produced a joint declaration focusing on healthy and active ageing through life-long prevention and Health in All Policies approaches. Its policy brief on AI in health sets out the health sector's main opportunities and challenges.

 

EU leaders vote to strengthen air quality standards

The Council of the EU adopts directive for zero pollution by 2050

The Council formally adopted stricter air quality standards (limits and targets) against all major pollutants causing respiratory problems, to be reached by 2050. The limits more closely align with the WHO air quality guidelines. The new directive mandates that air quality roadmaps need to be prepared before 2030 if there is a risk that the new standards cannot be met by then. Moreover, Member States would need to ensure citizens’ right to access justice and compensation for damage to their health.

EU countries will have two years to transpose the directive into national law. The air quality standards will be reviewed by the European Commission by 2030.

 

EuroHealthNet Partnership

European Health Forum Gastein: shifting sands of health
 

The 2024 European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) focused on democracy, demography, digitalisation and impacts on public health. EuroHealthNet is part of the EHFG Advisory Board and spoke at WHO/Europe’s session on the political activity of commercial actors and as part of a panel on improving the European Semester for better health outcomes and health equity. EuroHealthNet colleagues also moderated a session on transforming food systems and chaired a press briefing on the challenges faced by Ukraine’s health system.

EuroHealthNet joins FEAST General Assembly on sustainable food systems
 

The FEAST initiative organised its General Assembly in Portugal, exploring local initiatives to transform the region's food system.

Field visits demonstrated that local farmers, fishermen, and producers cannot be left to navigate an unequal system by themselves and need more robust support from EU-level food policies that enable local, sustainable and healthy alternatives to flourish.

Schools4Health organises training on Health Promoting Schools in Romania
 

Participating schools (including school principals, staff, and students) received training on engaging in systemsthinking to implement the health promoting school approach. Schools4Health partners from Romania, the UNESCO Chair for Global Health and Education and EuroHealthNet, also met with policymakers from the Romanian Ministry of Health and Education to demonstrate the work with the schools to implement this approach.

Schools4Health is an EU4Health-funded initiative led by EuroHealthNet.
 

EuroHealthNet responds to EU consultations
 
Read all our consultation responses here.  

WHO designates Trimbos Institute as Collaborating Centre for Mental Health and Life Course Interventions

As a Collaborating Centre, Trimbos will support WHO/Europe’s efforts to promote, among other things, mental health activities in the workplace and schools in the European Region. It will offer support through expert insights, research, and evidence to contribute to mentally healthy communities where people feel connected and empowered to participate in society.  

The Andalusian School of Public Health joins forces with UNICEF Spain to work on protecting children’s rights

The first activities to be launched within the framework of this collaboration are linked to the 'Mental Health and Children on the Move' Programme, which UNICEF Spain is developing. The aim is to improve the mental health and emotional wellbeing of migrant children and adolescents through changes in public policies, enhancement of the capacities of the professionals involved, and strengthening of intersectoral coordination.

Public Health Wales: smoking causes 10% of deaths, with tremendous inequalities in deprived communities

Public Health Wales’s study shows that over one in ten of all deaths over 35 are due to smoking. It highlights the significant health impact of smoking across the country, showcasing the vast inequalities in death rates between the most and least deprived communities. In the most deprived communities, the rate of deaths attributable to smoking is three times higher.
Polish National Institute of Public Health helps educators promote healthy nutrition

As part of the National Health Program for 2021-2025, the Institute of Public Health has published a training (in Polish) to equip educators with the knowledge to promote healthier nutrition in schools. It focuses on aspects such as communicating sensitive issues in a school environment and the role of nutritional education in schools.
More news from the Partnership
  • European Platform for Rehabilitation (EPR) and EuroHealthNet organised a webinar titled ‘An Economy of Wellbeing for Inclusion’. The event explored how investing in wellbeing can drive inclusive growth and presented different approaches to implementing policies centred on economic models that promote wellbeing.
     
  • EuroHealthNet presented on the role of civil society in the European Semester process at an event organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). Through the annual Semester cycle, Member States align their policies with EU objectives. Recommendations to support civil society’s engagement include simplifying information on the Semester and strengthening communication with EU officials.
     
  • EuroHealthNet participated in an event on ‘Social Europe’ organised by the EU office of Diakonie Deutschland. Members of the European Parliament discussed what to expect in the coming EU legislative period, underlining that social and health must be kept high on the agenda and that the EU Green Deal is crucial to future EU prosperity. 
     
  • EuroHealthNet presents the role of Schools4Health in renewing impetus around health promoting school approaches at the Global Health Literacy Summit in Rotterdam and at the first Conference of Health Promoting Schools, organised by the Spanish Ministries of Health and Education.
     
  • Will you attend next monh's European Public Health Conference in Lisbon? Participate in the free pre-conference on 12 November, 'From insight to impact: advancing equitable vaccination across Europe', organised by RIVER-EU, Rise Vac and AcToVax4NAM.
     
  • Calling all health and care professionals! BeWell has launched an open public consultation on its skills strategy to help professionals boost their digital and green skills. Please fill out the survey here to share your expertise and experiences.
     
  • The Austrian Health Promotion Fund (FGÖ) co-organised a networking conference on school health promotion and the shifts needed to move from crisis-oriented to resource-oriented action in schools.
     
  • “Being able to live healthily is a shared responsibility.” The Flemish Institute for Healthy Living launched a new awareness campaign to demonstrate that eating healthily and exercising are feasible if people are well-supported.
     
  • The National Center for Public Health and Analyses in Bulgaria co-organised a national meeting on limiting smoking and alcohol consumption and promoting healthy nutrition. The meeting formed part of implementation efforts towards the National Program for the Prevention of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases 2021-2025.
     
  • In a new edition of its journal ‘Health in Action’, Public Health France published a report on the value of nature and biodiversity as public goods essential to human physical and mental health.
     
  • Marking Poverty Eradication Day, the Italian Institute of Health highlighted all its projects addressing health inequalities, including the new 'Italian Network of Cities for Health Equity'–a network inspired by the 'Marmot cities’ concept.
     
  • The EMOTICon-Net project, coordinated by the Regional Agency for Health and Social Affairs of Puglia, Italy (AreSS), focuses on creating personalised interventions to promote physical activity mediated by digital technology. A dedicated app provides citizens with a personalised training program and a map of spaces and services to allow them to carry out physical activity in their city.
     
  • Representatives of the Latvian National Network of Health Promoting Schools visited a secondary school to learn more about its health promotion practices. Supported by the Latvian Center for Disease Prevention and Control, the visit focused on the links between art, culture and better physical and mental health.
     
  • Public Health Scotland welcomed the increase in the minimum unit pricing of alcohol products, from 50p to 65p, which entered into force on 30 September. They additionally called for urgent comprehensive action to address alcohol harm in Scotland and the societal relationship with alcohol.
     
  • The Luxembourg Institute for Socio-Economic Research (LISER) invites individuals to participate in a study on psychological health and wellbeing at work, as part of the Heart@work initiative.
     
  • In a risk and vulnerability analysis by the Swedish Public Health Agency, findings show how climate change affects people's health today, future health risks and society's ability to deal with these challenges.
     
  • Research by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine looked into digital tools that provide advice on reducing alcohol use. It found that industry-funded apps may contain covert ‘misinformation strategies’, omit crucial public health information, and could prompt users towards drinking more alcohol.
 

News from the Institutions

Key EU developments in social affairs and employment 

Under the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, a conference and informal ministerial meeting discussed labour shortages and the employment situation of persons with disabilities. Separately, EU leaders endorsed the country-specific recommendations for national reforms on social and economic policies, ending the 2024 European Semester cycle.

Action against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) takes centre stage at international meetings

European and global leaders endorsed a political declaration at the United Nations General Assembly to accelerate action against AMR through the One Health approach. The European Commission strongly welcomed the decision. A side event of the 74th WHO Regional Committee for Europe similarly addressed the need to tackle AMR with the support of behavioural and cultural insights. WHO also published a study highlighting that better use of vaccines could reduce global antibiotic use by 2.5 billion doses annually.

EESC publishes blueprint for a European Green and Social Deal based on a Wellbeing Economy

The opinion calls for a shift beyond GDP-focused economies to Wellbeing Economies, which benefit people and the planet. It emphasises the importance of balancing public investment in key areas such as education and healthcare with fiscal sustainability. It underlines the role of the European Green Deal in adopting a wider societal perspective that is reinforced through a Wellbeing Economy approach. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) also urges stronger civil society engagement and a robust European Commission focus on future generations.

New evidence further elevates concerns about social media use and mental health of young people

A WHO report on excessive screen time and adolescents’ mental health finds that problematic social media use has gone up from 7% in 2018 to 11% in 2022. It calls for healthier online habits, supported by health promoting school environments, better mental health services and open dialogue.

A report on a safer internet for children by the European Consumer Organisation BEUC recommends that the new EU Digital Service Act protect minors by clarifying which practices are illegal, restrictingg advertising, and forc ing platforms to turn off algorithms driven by engagement and interaction by default.

European Parliament discusses key developments to tackle tobacco consumption and obesity

Most Parliament members from the SANT subcommittee on public health supported the Council Recommendation on smoke and aerosol-free environments. The subcommittee raised concerns about new tobacco products and inquired about the revision of current tobacco legislation.

During the meeting, a new report on obesity was also presented, setting out the current challenges and possible EU policy measures to address obesity and highlighting the need to create supportive environments to boost prevention.

State of Water Report 2024: “Pollution, over-use and climate change threaten water resilience in Europe”

The report, produced by the European Environment Agency, indicates that Europe is falling behind in achieving its goals for enhancing water health, which are in line with the targets set through the EU’s Water Framework Directive. Improved water management is crucial to strengthening water resilience, reducing pressures on water resources, and guaranteeing that European citizens, nature, and industries have access to sufficient, high-quality water.

EuroHealthNet's BlueAdapt initiative explores the links between climate change and waterborne pathogens to prevent future pandemics. Read its latest newsletter here.

 

 
What we are reading...

Ageing WHO urges action to transform care and support systems for older people and notes the critical role played by countries in providing services that support their health and wellbeing.

Alcohol consumption WHO launched the ‘Redefine alcohol’ campaign to raise awareness of the health risks associated with alcohol consumption and inspire healthier choices. In parallel, the campaign urges policymakers and health authorities to help bring about a broader cultural shift in how alcohol is viewed and regulated in society.
 
Alcohol marketing Latvia is set to ban beer and wine advertisements on TV and radio to curb alcohol consumption and the negative impact of such marketing on young people – Baltic News Network.

Alcohol marketing and sales The Polish government is tightening restrictions around alcohol sales and marketing in response to increasing levels of alcohol consumption among minors – EuroWeekly News.

Child poverty A European Parliament report provides a snapshot of the EU’s contribution to tackling child poverty, including through instruments such as the European Child Guarantee.

Child poverty A Save the Children position paper calls for better implementation of the European Child Guarantee and the development of an ambitious EU Anti-Poverty Strategy.

Digital health A new report by WHO and the International Telecommunication Union shows that an additional US$0.24 per patient per year in digital health interventions could save more than 2 million lives from non-communicable diseases over the next decade.

Economic inequalities A study commissioned by the European Commission reviews trends in income inequality in the EU over the last fifteen years. It shows that four out of five EU citizens perceive inequality as too high in their country. Distributional Impact Assessments are presented as cross-cutting policy tools that can help policymakers to reduce disparities.

Environment Ireland’s State of the Environment Report shows that there are still substantial challenges to deliver action on climate, air, nature, water and the circular economy. Cross-government initiatives such as the Wellbeing Framework for Ireland are important vehicles for change.

Food People’s realities shape how people respond to and engage with policies, influencing their impact. For policies to deliver better eating, they need to consider the full picture of people’s realities - Nature.

Health systems WHO has launched a new technical guidance to help countries strengthen health systems after disruptions. The guidance focuses on addressing gaps, improving resilience, and integrating recovery efforts into broader health reforms.

Housing exclusion A report by the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless and Foundation (FEANTSA) highlights increasing housing exclusion across Europe, especially among young people.

Material deprivation Austria’s ‘Ready to Start School’ initiative aims to ease material deprivation by providing vouchers to pupils from households receiving minimum income or social assistance – European Commission.

Mental health Marking World Mental Health Day, the European Parliament developed a brief highlighting the state of play of mental health at work and action at the EU and WHO levels.

Prevention budget Patient groups react to the new Flemish government’s decision to increase its prevention healthcare budget by just €10 million. They argue that a larger investment is needed to effectively address key health issues – Euractiv.

Racism A new report by the UCL Institute for Health Equity lays out the effects of racism on health and its contribution to avoidable inequalities in health between ethnic groups in London.

Social cohesion An analysis by Eurofound shows that countries are performing better in creating human capital (knowledge, skills, and health) through education. It also finds inequalities in human capital in the labour market and mobility, where differences in employment opportunities result in different mobility flows. 

Social convergence The Employment and Social Developments in Europe (ESDE) review highlights significant social convergence in the EU over the last decade, meaning that the gap between countries with more and less developed economies is getting smaller. It explores how social investment, housing policies, and green reforms can support this progress.

Social protection A Eurofound report on unemployment and minimum income benefits for people of working age finds that social benefits helped reduce the proportion of people in the EU aged 16-64 at risk of poverty by half (from 31% to 15.5%).

Tax policy The OECD’s Tax Policy Reforms 2024 report highlights a shift from pandemic tax cuts to increases in corporate taxes and social security contributions. Governments are addressing long-term challenges like climate change and ageing populations while scaling back VAT relief and expanding carbon health-related taxes, especially on tobacco, alcoholic beverages, sugar-sweetened beverages, and gambling.

Tax policy The European Parliamentary Research Service produced a briefing on behavioural taxation in the EU as a way to shape choices on tobacco, alcohol, food travel and energy use. 

Tobacco control The European Commission approved a decision by the French government to ban disposable e-cigarettes, supporting efforts to reduce waste and vaping among youth - Euractiv

Tobacco control An analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 indicates that the implementation of new tobacco control policies is crucial in avoiding additional smoking-attributable burden in the coming decades and in building on the success of existing efforts – the Lancet Public Health.

Youth Council The WHO Youth Declaration on Creating Healthy Societies calls for youth to play a central role in creating healthier and safer societies.
 

Events

In case you missed it...
  • European Health Forum Gastein – 23-27 September (Recordings available here)
     
  • Institute of Public Health Ireland: Reducing Alcohol Harms in Northern Ireland: The Potential of Minimum Unit Pricing - 3 October (Recording available here)
     
  • Global Gateway High-Level Youth Event Engage, Empower, Connect – 9-10 October (Recommendations available here)
     
  • Institute of Public Health Ireland: Tobacco and Mental Health – 10 October (Recording available here)
 
Full calendar of events
 
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EuroHealthNet is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of EuroHealthNet only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

 

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