European Public Health Alliance, 4th annual conference

4–5 September 2013, Brussels, Belgium

The 4th annual conference of the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) will examine how the European Union (EU) can strive to make coherent decisions and improve the health and well-being of people living in Europe. The conference is an official event of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

The conference will bring together national and EU policy-makers, international, European and national agencies, public health networks, nongovernmental organizations and academics. WHO Regional Director for Europe, Zsuzsanna Jakab will address the gathering as guest speaker.

Issues affecting the European public health arena will be discussed.

• Putting people, public health and well-being at the heart of EU policy-making
• The impact of austerity on public health systems, and proposals to address it
• The importance of increasing the efficiency and sustainability of health care systems through enhanced innovation and research
• The economic weight of the health sector as an engine for wealth and job creation, investment and growth
• The role of good governance in improving national health systems
• The need to break the cycle of inequalities through committed leadership and inclusive growth

Additional speakers at the conference include the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, the Director-General for Health and Consumers at DG SANCO, the Lithuanian Minister of Health, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the Director-General for DG Communications Networks, Content and Technology.

The event is free for EPHA members. Registration for non-EPHA members is closed, but those interested in attending the conference can contact Javier Delgado (e-mail: epha.events@epha.org; tel.: +32 (0) 2 233 3876).