At the hybrid European Health Forum Gastein 2023, decision-makers, experts, and community members from the public and private sector, civil society, and science and academia came together to discuss how we can ride out the current shockwaves and explore how crises can help catalyse the development of new approaches to health system problems.
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At the hybrid European Health Forum Gastein 2023, decision-makers, experts, and community members from the public and private sector, civil society, and science and academia came together to discuss how we can ride out the current shockwaves and explore how crises can help catalyse the development of new approaches to health system problems.
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Three years since the last onsite meeting in the Gastein Valley, the European public health community once more came together to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) and its first ever hybrid conference. Discussions focused on the challenges and policy options for action urgently needed across sectors, borders, and disciplines at this watershed moment for peace, health, security, and solidarity.
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Three years since the last onsite meeting in the Gastein Valley, the European public health community once more came together to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) and its first ever hybrid conference. Discussions focused on the challenges and policy options for action urgently needed across sectors, borders, and disciplines at this watershed moment for peace, health, security, and solidarity.
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The European Health Leadership Award (EHLA) showcases and supports the achievements of individuals and organisations that display exceptional leadership in safeguarding or improving the health of people in Europe.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has upended lives and radically altered the political landscape. While we continue to fight fires and look towards an uncertain future, amidst the ashes of this unprecedented crisis there lies an opportunity for renewal and rebirth. Health is having a rare moment in the political spotlight: now is the time to fight for solidarity, equity and transformation in health, within Europe and on the global stage.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has upended lives and radically altered the political landscape. While we continue to fight fires and look towards an uncertain future, amidst the ashes of this unprecedented crisis there lies an opportunity for renewal and rebirth. Health is having a rare moment in the political spotlight: now is the time to fight for solidarity, equity and transformation in health, within Europe and on the global stage.
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The determinants of health and well-being are often driven by the interests of big players, which are not always aligned with public health agendas. In order to purposefully engage with these giants while safeguarding the interests of people, we need to conceptualise new partnership models – learn to “dance with elephants” - but we should be careful not to get our toes crushed. The COVID-19 pandemic has put into sharp focus the current fault lines in our systems and highlighted the need for true cross-sector and cross-border collaboration.
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The determinants of health and well-being are often driven by the interests of big players, which are not always aligned with public health agendas. In order to purposefully engage with these giants while safeguarding the interests of people, we need to conceptualise new partnership models – learn to “dance with elephants” - but we should be careful not to get our toes crushed. The COVID-19 pandemic has put into sharp focus the current fault lines in our systems and highlighted the need for true cross-sector and cross-border collaboration.
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In diesem Jahr richtete sich die Ausschreibung des jährlichen EHFG Health Leadership Awards an non-profit Organisationen sowie Einzelpersonen, die in Österreich tätig sind. Das Ziel: Innovatives Denken und herausragende Arbeit in Zusammenhang mit den Auswirkungen der COVID-19 Pandemie hervorzuheben und öffentlichkeitswirksam zu unterstützen.
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The 22nd edition of the European Health Forum Gastein concluded on the 4th of October with 600 leading health policy experts agreeing on the need for disruptive changes for health and societal well-being. Disruption can be critical to precipitating necessary changes and requires robust leadership and courageous collaboration. Only with joint efforts and platforms for candid exchange can we harness positive disruption, within the delivery system of healthcare as well as in what is being delivered
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Throughout the conference several press points gathered high-ranking experts to discuss some of the issues related to disruptive change for health and societal well-being such as the human touch in a digital world and global climate crisis.
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Detailed information about the winner and all shortlisted projects.
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The EHFG hosted its second hackathon, jointly organised with EIT Health and with the organisational support of PROIDEA. A hackathon nurtures competition built upon collaboration and aims for an acquisition of knowledge, which is expected to bring forward new ideas. The application call was open to anyone interested in developing innovative solutions for health-related problems.
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In 2019, 69 young professionals working in the field of health from EU Member States and beyond were awarded a scholarship. They participated in the #EHFG2019 conference as Young Forum Gastein scholars and were introduced to the YFG Network.
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The 21st edition of the European Health Forum Gastein, an event on the Austria EU presidency calendar, concluded on the 5th of October with 600 leading health policy experts agreeing on the need to make bold political choices for health system sustainability in Europe. Experts acknowledged the necessity to avoid reversing the strides achieved in improving health and well-being in Europe, and raised concerns about the possible impact of the 2019 European elections on the European health agenda.
“Health and Sustainable Development – bold political choices for Agenda 2030” was the broad theme that set the scene for forward-looking and solution-oriented discussions involving the European Commission, civil society representatives, key opinion leaders from the academic world, and private sector stakeholders from the pharmaceutical industry and beyond.
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In this section you will find press releases and blogs by the European Health Forum Gastein, as well as press releases and publications about the EHFG2018 by our partners.
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The Winner of this year's European Health Award is the "European Cancer Patient’s Bill of Rights: A catalyst for change and an empowerment tool for cancer patients across Europe".
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This year, the European Health Forum Gastein hosted its first hackathon, jointly organised with EIT Health and with the organisational support of PROIDEA. A hackathon nurtures competition built upon collaboration and aims for an acquisition of knowledge, which is expected to bring forward new ideas. The application call was open to anyone interested in developing innovative solutions for health-related problems.
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The discussions at the 20th EHFG aimed to dig deep, taking the technocratic concept of HiAP to the political level of policy implementation – Health in All Politics. Against a background of increasing populism and a post-truth era across Europe and beyond, the challenge to the EHFG on its twentieth anniversary is to build bridges between the different policy areas, guided by the European values of universality, access to good quality care, equity and solidarity.
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In 2017, the European Health Forum Gastein celebrated its 20th anniversary. On this page, we want to take you on a journey back in time – explore the history of our Forum, European health policy, and the interlinkages between both.
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A major feature of the EHFG is its broad range of topics: issues such as the refugee crisis and its impact on health systems are just as current as topics like the affordability of innovative medicines. Thus, the Gastein Forum is a meeting place for experts from different sections of the health system and beyond, and is fundamentally different from events which are specialised in highly restricted areas.
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Winning project: Gen-Equip Project
Detailed information about the winner and all shortlisted projects.
Press releases and photo archive are also available in this section.
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In 2017, 70 young professionals working in the field of health from EU Member States and beyond have been awarded the scholarship. They will participate in the #EHFG2017 conference as Young Forum Gastein scholars and will be introduced to the YFG Network.
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The 2016 conference took place against a backdrop of concerns about the future, both in terms of the European political landscape and the challenges posed by demographic change - including population ageing, the rise of multimorbidity, increased societal diversity and migratory pressures.
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Throughout the conference several press points gathered high-ranking experts to discuss some of the issues related to demographic change from various angles: the scope of the problem, economic implications and how to translate talk into action. Featuring Nobel Prize Laureate Paul Krugman.
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Winning project: European Antibiotics Awareness Day
Detailed information about the winner and all shortlisted projects.
Press releases and photo archive are also available in this section.
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The YFG celebrated its 10th anniversary. 70 young professionals working in the field of health from EU Member States and beyond were awarded the scholarship.
Learn more about the activities during the EHFG conference and throughout the year.
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The EHFG 2015 covered topics such as sustainable health systems and health economics. With the focus on health system performance, pricing of medicines and health security, including health threat responses, European development aid and health policy development.
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The press conferences at the EHFG 2015 addressed topics such as the refugee crisis and pricing of medicines. Among the high-ranking speakers were Vytenis Andriukaitis, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, and Meinie Nicolai, President, MSF Operational Centre Brussels.
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Winning project: Health with Migrants for Migrants in Europe (MiMi)
Detailed information about the winner and all shortlisted projects.
Press releases and photo archive are also available in this section.
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76 young professionals working in the field of health from Member States of the European Union and beyond were invited to attend the 18th EHFG conference. The YFG network was also very active throughout that year.
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The EHFG 2014 reflected on the opportunities and risks for health in light of the outcome of the recent European elections, and discussed how to maintain and improve the health of European citizens.
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Issues discussed at the 2014 conference ranged from late-breaking topics like Ebola to more long-term health systems challenges, e.g. the need to implement a true shift to prevention. Press conferences included speakers such as Dr Alojz Peterle, MEP and Peteris Zilgalvis, DG CONNECT.
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Winning project: EpiSouth Plus Project
Detailed information about the winner and all shortlisted projects.
Press releases and photo archive are also available in this section.
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77 young professionals were invited to attend the 17th EHFG. This year, scholarships were supported by the European Commission (DG Health and Consumers; DG Communications Networks, Content and Technology and the Joint Research Centre), ASPHER, and the Gastein Forum.
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The 16th edition of the EHFG explored the relationship between austerity policies and necessary innovations in health care systems in order to keep them resilient. Experts looked for answers to the following three questions: 1) What are the key strategies to make health systems resilient? 2) What are the most important innovations to promote health system performance and resilience? 3) How can decision-makers best introduce and implement these innovations?
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Press conferences at EHFG 2013 were all about shock-proofing European health systems. Speakers came from diverse backgrounds and included Greek Minister of Health Adonis Georgiades and Josep Figueras, Director, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policy.
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Winning project: ReDNet Project. New and rapid forms of identification and dissemination of evidence-based information on novel psychoactive substances (NPS) among vulnerable individuals
Detailed information about the winner and all shortlisted projects. Press releases and photo archive are also available in this section.
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75 young researchers and officials working in the field of health from Member States of the European Union and beyond have been awarded the scholarship. for the first time, a number of NGO representatives joined the YFG network.
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Health communication and the future development of healthcare were two of the key topics. We also looked at the performance of European health systems in times of economic crisis and both the challenges and new possibilities that such conditions create for healthcare.
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How can health systems provide affordable care for everyone? Improving efficiency in spending was one of the crucial topics of the EHFG 2012. Press points gathered representatives from ministries, EU institutions, the OECD, and agencies such as ECDC.
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Winning project: European Health Literacy Project (HLS-EU)
Detailed information about the winner and all shortlisted projects.
Press releases and photo archive are also available in this section.
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In 2012, 70 young researchers and officials working in the field of health from Member States of the EU have once again been invited to attend the EHFG conference. In addition, the WHO Regional Office for Europe contributed to the initiative, supporting several Young Gastein Scholars from Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
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The conference provided a timely opportunity to reflect on the United Nations High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), which had taken place just a few weeks previously.
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14th edition of the EHFG conference - press and media coverage.
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Winning project: Child Safety Report Cards – Prevention of accidents among children
Detailed information about the winner and all shortlisted projects.
Press releases and photo archive are also available in this section.
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73 young professionals were granted the YFG scholarship. The initiative has expanded not just in numbers and countries represented, but also in tasks and responsibilities during the EHFG conference.
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This year was marked by the growing awareness that the future of health will be complex, with the pace of change accelerating and the boundaries blurring. The discussions have shown that demographic change, globalisation, individualism and new technologies are four trends that will shape our lives in future.
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13th edition of the EHFG conference - press and media coverage.
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Winning project: European Chronic Diseases Alliance
Detailed information about the winner and all shortlisted projects.
Press releases and photo archive are also available in this section.
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In 2010 the YFG Network reached 160 members. 71 young researchers and officials from 28 European countries working in the field of health were invited to attend the EHFG conference. Apart from actively participating in the general programme various YFG oriented events, such as a networking workshop and thematic working groups were scheduled.
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The focus in 2009 was on health policy in times of financial crisis to find appropriate solutions for a balanced interaction between the industry, health systems and patients.
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12th edition of the EHFG conference - press and media coverage.
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Winning project: European Practice Assessment (EPA)
Detailed information about the winner and all shortlisted projects.
Press releases and photo archive are also available in this section.
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We welcomed 72 young researchers and officials from the Member States of the European Union to the EHFG conference.
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Values as a guideline for human behaviour become increasingly important in a time when globalisation leads to the application of economic principles in many areas of life.
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11th edition of the EHFG conference - press and media coverage.
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Winning project: CAWT Renal Project
Detailed information about the winner and all shortlisted projects.
Press releases and photo archive are also available in this section.
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51 young professionals from Europe participated in the Young Forum Gastein. A special meeting with EU Commissioner for Health Androulla Vassiliou took place during the EHFG conference.
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The EHFG celebrated its 10th edition. Under the motto "10 Years Gastein – Shaping the future of health" main aspects and challenges of European health policy were discussed to develop solutions for the future.
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10th edition of the EHFG conference - press and media coverage.
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Winning project: European Alliance against Depression
Detailed information about the first-time winner and all shortlisted projects.
Press releases and photo archive are also available in this section.
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The Young Forum Gastein scholarship was initiated, to enable promising young health professionals to attend the annual EHFG conference for learning and networking. The initiative was established by the European Health Forum Gastein, with the support of the European Commission, DG Health and Consumers and DG Research, on the occasion of its 10th anniversary in 2007.
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A range of timely and urgent topics were discussed within the framework of the main theme, among them health policy innovation, healthcare infrastructure, health professional migration, pandemics and European Health Technology Assessment.
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9th edition of the EHFG conference - press and media coverage.
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Debates on topics such as nutrition, eHealth, involvement of citizens as partners in health, research, the safety of medicines and healthy choices were at the centre of the 8th EHFG edition.
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8th edition of the EHFG conference - press and media coverage.
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Topics relating to values, principles and objectives of health policy in Europe were at the centre of the EHFG 2004. Further, issues that pose major challenges to health systems but are sometimes neglected, such as mental health, health at the workplace, women's health, were part of the programme.
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7th edition of the EHFG conference - press and media coverage.
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The EHFG 2003 investigated a series of pivotal challenges for European health policy, among others pharmaceutical policy in Europe, a macro-economic view of the health sector and healthy ageing. Several timely issues such as crisis management and health policy against the backdrop of the SARS epidemy, safety and quality of human blood products in an enlarged Europe and patient oriented quality management in healthcare were also discussed.
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6th edition of the EHFG conference - press and media coverage.
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Topical issues such as patient mobility, the adaptability of healthcare systems in a changing environment and the future of public health research were discussed. Followed by inequalities in health and the resulting challenges for social policy, nutrition and food policy.
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5th edition of the EHFG conference - press and media coverage.
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The 4th edition addressed a major challenge to European health policy: the necessity of integrating health issues into different policy areas. The following topics were discussed: health policy against the background of globalisation and world trade, health policy in the context of the Single Market and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the relationship between health technology and health policy.
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Fourth edition of the EHFG conference - press and media coverage.
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During the EHFG 2000 possibilities to communicate high-quality information about health, risks and disease to citizens were discussed. The increasingly significant role of IT applications in health systems was addressed and pros as well as cons were examined. The discussions about the future EU health strategy entered a decisive phase, the EHFG offering an excellent opportunity to put the EU Commission's proposals to a broader audience for debate.
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Third edition of the EHFG conference - press and media coverage.
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Experts coming from various sectors of health policy - science, economy, industry, politics, patient organisations – met to discuss the main topic and to create visions to shape the future of health policy in Europe. Topics, such as the quality of care, equity, the role of technology, research on rare diseases and the impact of biotechnology were on the agenda.
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Second edition of the EHFG conference - press coverage.
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First edition of the EHFG conference. The programme included a range of sub-topics such as European Health Policy at the Turn of the Millennium, Global Development, National Responsibility and Regional Challenge in a Changing Europe and International Networks. The Gastein valley hosted 235 congress participants from 21 countries, the EU Member States and the membership candidates, as well as delegates from international organisations.
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First edition of the EHFG conference - press and media coverage.
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