Arja ja Kaija had the excellent opportunity to participate in the 9th European Public Health Conference in Vienna 9.-12.11.2016. The conference was organised by the European Public Health Association, an umbrella organisation for public health associations and institutes in Europe. The theme for the conference was ‘All for Health, Health for All’ – underlining that a healthy population is a key requirement for the achievement of society’s goals.
The conference addressed the World Health Organisation’s Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (1986) which changed the way we think about health. In Vienna, the EPH partners reiterated their commitment to the principles of the Ottawa Charter, including the need to create supportive environments, to strengthen community actions, to develop personal skills, and to re-orientate health services, in each case taking account of the changing circumstances facing public health in the early 21st century. Vienna conference partners pledged to create a motivated, highly qualified workforce who, in their many different roles and sectors, can contribute to improved health for the entire population.
In order to build capacity for triggering change in the spirit of the Ottawa Charter, professional competence and skills development is highly relevant: “The public health community must call for a sustained investment in public health training, ensuring not only the creation and expansion of educational infrastructure but also attractive, adequately rewarded career pathways for those it trains, ensuring that they have the competencies necessary to deliver essential public health operations. There is a particular need to invest in development of the next generation of public health professionals and in the leaders of tomorrow.” (Source: Vienna Declaration)
The conference confirmed once again that the Health Promotion Programmes project is very relevant and strongly in accordance with the European guidelines for health promotion.
