Media service:
– Last minute grants for journalists – to request accreditation please contact the EHFG Press Office at press@ehfg.org. The current programme is available at: http://www.ehfg.org/conference.html
– Two press conferences will be held during the European Health Forum Gastein and will be attended by European health experts and politicians (30 September 2015 at 10.45 am and 2 October 2015 at 10.45 am).
This year, the European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) will focus on securing European healthcare systems – and the health of European citizens. For the 18th time, leading figures from politics and science as well as healthcare experts and opinion leaders from Europe and overseas will meet to discuss the current situation and the future of “Health in Europe”.
Bad Hofgastein/Salzburg, 16 September 2015. This year, the European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) will again attract some 600 participants from Europe and beyond to Bad Hofgastein/Salzburg. IFG President Helmut Brand: “Again this year, the EHFG will be working on providing answers to the all-embracing question of how the health of all European citizens can be secured and of course also improved.“ In the Opening Plenary, the EHFG will focus on a highly topical issue – the challenges posed by the integration of refugees and migrants in European healthcare systems. Brand: “The current refugee crisis is however not the only matter that calls for shared responsibility in Europe. The whole of Europe also needs to share responsibility when it comes to matters such as funding and access to medical care. There needs to be a joint response and a common approach.”
EHFG: Discussions with Experts, Politicians, Business Leaders and NGOs
Again at this year’s EHFG, presentations and workshops will be held by high-ranking EU policy makers, international scientists, leading health specialists as well as representatives from the NGO and industry sectors. Participants including Sabine Oberhauser (Federal Minister of Health/Austria), Hans Jörg Schelling (Federal Minister of Finance/Austria), Vytenis Andriukaitis (EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety), Zsuzsanna Jakab (Regional Director, WHO Regional Office for Europe), Lydia Mutsch (Minister for Health and Equal Opportunities/Luxembourg) and Martin McKee (Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) have already confirmed their attendance.
Two press conferences will be held for media representatives during the EHFG and there will also be opportunities for discussions with presenters and other participants.
Cross-thematic and transnational fora, workshops and discussion events
Topics that will be addressed and discussed during the EHFG range from the current refugee crisis and its impact in Europe in terms of healthcare policy, through to the challenges posed to our healthcare systems by non-communicable diseases and the increasing number of multi-morbid patients. Today, 86 per cent of deaths in Europe can be attributed to diseases such as Alzheimer‘s, cancer or other chronic diseases. The WHO will hold a workshop dedicated to the topic at the EHFG. A range of other events will focus on related issues, in particular also with regard to the long-term funding and the sustainable organisation of our healthcare systems. There will thus also be an eagerly awaited presentation focusing on an international comparison of different approaches in the implementation of effective and efficient primary healthcare services organised by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Health. Further contributions on other current healthcare policy issues such as eHealth and mHealth, funding of and access to new medicines, and cross-sector cooperation in the healthcare field will be offered by representatives from the European Commission and other key national and international stakeholders from the European healthcare policy sector.
Presentation of the European Health Award
The European Health Award is presented every year at the EHFG. The Award seeks to honour cross-border projects aimed at improving public health and healthcare in Europe. IFG President Helmut Brand: “We present the European Health Award in recognition of transnational projects that we believe will make an innovative and sustainable contribution towards realising our vision of a healthy, socially responsible and growing Europe.“ For further information please go to http://www.ehfg.org/award.html
About the European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG)
The European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) offers a unique platform made up of and for experts, policy makers, opinion leaders and interest groups from the health policy field. Over the last 18 years, the EHFG has developed into an institution which addresses and discusses current and future trends and developments in European health policy and thus plays a role in shaping European health policy. The EHFG is in receipt of funding from various bodies including the European Commission, the Austrian Ministry of Health and the Province of Salzburg. The EHFG is organised by the International Forum Gastein.