History

The European Public Health Association, or EUPHA in short, is an umbrella organisation for public health associations and institutes in Europe. EUPHA was founded in 1992 by 15 members (12 countries). EUPHA now has 69 members from 40 countries:

1. 42 national associations of public health
2. 13 institutional members
3. 8 European NGOs
4. 6 individual members.

EUPHA is an international, multidisciplinary, scientific organisation, bringing together around 12’000 public health experts for professional exchange and collaboration throughout Europe. We encourage a multidisciplinary approach to public health.

Our vision
Our vision is of improved health and reduced health inequalities for all Europeans. We seek to support our members to increase the impact of public health in Europe, adding value to the efforts of regions and states, national and international organisations, and individual public health experts.

Our mission
Our mission is to build capacity and knowledge in the field of public health, and to support practice and policy decisions through scientific evidence and producing and sharing knowledge with our members and partners in Europe.

Working in partnership
Sustainable advancements in public health can only be achieved through collaboration. EUPHA is dedicated to working in partnership with European and international intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations as well as national institutes and organisations endorsing EUPHA's values and commitment to improve public health in Europe.  

Strategic objectives

1. Capacity building

Capacity building includes the enhancement of skills and knowledge through training, technical advice and the development of awareness, skills, knowledge, motivation, commitment and confidence.

EUPHA’s focus on capacity building includes the following:

• Human resource development, the process of equipping public health experts with the understanding, skills and access to (international and comparative) information, knowledge and training that enables them to perform more effectively.
• Organisational development, the elaboration of management structures, processes and procedures, not only within organisations but also the management of relationships between the different organisations and sectors (public, private and community).
• Institutional and legal framework development, making legal and regulatory changes to enable organisations, institutions and agencies at all levels and in all sectors to enhance their capacities.

As an organisation, EUPHA will:

• Provide overviews of national and international research, policy, practice and training and education.
• Actively support the exchange of information and the sharing of knowledge.
• Assist our members in their efforts to further public health.
• Assist international bodies, such as the European Union and WHO, in their efforts to further public health in Europe and globally.

2. Knowledge building

Knowledge building includes the synthesis, creation, dissemination and use of scientific knowledge and experience.

EUPHA’s focus on knowledge building includes the following:

• Develop international knowledge building by using all tools available to EUPHA.
• Promote multidisciplinary work and sharing of knowledge.
• Support the development of strong public health research at national and European level.
• Be proactive in the sharing of knowledge by taking initiatives, developing new tools and collaborating with partners.
• Focus on transfer of research into policy and practice.

As an organisation, EUPHA will:

• Continue to use its existing tools (European Journal of Public Health, annual scientific conferences, database, sections, newsletter, website) to create and share knowledge as widely as possible.
• Proactively develop new tools to increase knowledge building.
• Interact with major partners in public health in Europe to further knowledge building.

  Four Pillars
  All EUPHA activities will be based on four pillars:

• Research
• Policy
• Practice
• Training and education

3. Pillar I: Research

EUPHA’s objectives in research are:

• To develop the understanding of national and European-level public health research in terms of outputs, priorities, structures and funding.
• To provide a forum for promoting and developing research, and for networking researchers
• To encourage the use of research results and implications for public health policy and practice

As an organisation, EUPHA will:

• Develop descriptions of national research activities on the EUPHA web-site, providing a matrix by country, topic and research-base.
• Work with national associations to list European public health research institutions
• Encourage EUPHA Sections, national members and major partners to develop European public health research agendas, support literature reviews, and state of how national health systems would benefit from this research.
• Promote research as a knowledge base for public health practice and policy
• Support the engagement of other civil society organisations in the public health research agenda by continued membership of European Health Policy Forum and Global Forum for Health Research.

4. Pillar II: Policy

EUPHA’s objectives in policy are:

• To promote evidence-based public health policy and healthy public policy.
• To contribute to policy through networking and alliance building.

As an organisation, EUPHA will:

• Maintain dialogue with international health organisations by proactively participating in consultations and providing feedback and reactions to policy proposals.
• Work with EUPHA member national associations to encourage common developments in public health policy at a European level.
• Draw out policy implications and recommendations from research that is gathered or carried out through EUPHA activities.
• Seek to provide an independent voice for evidence-based public health policy at European level.

 
5. Pillar III: Practice

EUPHA’s objectives in practice are:      

• To develop a collaborative network of public health specialists and practitioners for the sharing and exchange of best practice.
• To encourage applied health service research, service evaluation and audit to inform policy and practice and to use practice to inform research and training/education priorities.
• To use practice developments to formulate the needs for research.

As an organisation, EUPHA will:

• Further develop a dedicated focus on practice in all its activities.
• Integrate a practice perspective into all EUPHA activities.
• Actively recruit – among its member associations – a cohort of members from public health practice.
• Develop a practice perspective within the currently active membership.

6. Pillar IV: Training and education

EUPHA’s objectives in training and education are:

• To become a focal point for training and education in public health in Europe.
• To bridge curriculum development between science and practice.
• To identify the needs of public health experts for training and education.

As an organisation, EUPHA will:

• Collect and disseminate information on training and education activities in Public Health.
• Actively participate in the organisation of summer schools, ad-hoc courses and other training and education activities.
• Advise on programmes and curricula for training and education in public health professionals across Europe.

7. EUPHA is the bridge between public health research, policy, practice and training and education

With this new strategy, EUPHA will build bridges between public health research, policy, practice and training and education. We will increase the impact of public health in Europe, adding value to the efforts of regions and states, national and international organisations and individual public health experts.

Our activities
EJPH - Annual scientific conferences - Sections - Projects - Statements and reports

 

EJPH
EUPHA publishes a scientific journal six times a year entitled European Journal of Public Health. The EJPH does not only publish refereed original articles, but also provides a forum for discussion and debate of current international public health issues with a focus on the European region.

Annual scientific conferences
EUPHA convenes a scientific conference every year, bringing together public health experts throughout Europe and beyond. The conferences offer a platform for the exchange of information and an opportunity for international research groups to meet and present their work.

Sections
EUPHA encourages the creation of sections for specific public health themes, which are international and open to all regular EUPHA members. The goal is to bring together researchers and public health professionals working in the same field for the exchange of information and the setting up of joint policies, reports and research.

Current sections:
Child and adolescent health
Chronic diseases
Environment-related diseases
Ethics in public health
Food and nutrition
Health promotion
Health services research
Infectious diseases control
Injury prevention and safety promotion
Migrant health
Public health economics
Public health epidemiology
Public health genomics
Public health practice and policy
Public mental health
Social security and health
Urban health
Utilisation of medicines

Projects
EUPHA is also an active partner in projects. For a complete overview of our projects, please click here (link to projects)

Statements and reports
Actions on European health issues - EUPHA and its members aim to be proactive in public health in Europe by giving out statements, reports and by actively participating in the planning of the future of public health in Europe. Click here for an overview of our statements/reports.