From Research to Policy: GHTM at the 2025 European Public Health Conference
Three researchers from PPS-GHTM Research Group attended the 2025 European Public Health Conference (EPH), held from 11 to 14 November in Helsinki, participating in sessions and discussions across a range of public health topics.
The WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Workforce Policy and Planning (WHOCC Workforce) once again played an active role at the EPH. Tiago Correia, coordinator of the WHOCC Workforce, contributed to high-level discussions addressing the future of the health workforce in Europe and globally.
In collaboration with the European Public Health Association (EUPHA) Sections on Health Workforce, Public Health Ethics, and Public Health Policy and Practice, as well as with the UK Faculty of Public Health, the Global Network for Academic Public Health, and WHO/Europe, the WHO Collaborating Centre advanced critical debates on topics such as:
🔹 How to strengthen health workforce retention, particularly by addressing the specific needs of rural and remote areas;
🔹 How to protect the right to health and human rights in the context of rising nationalism and populism affecting migrant health workers;
🔹 How to ethically govern the migration of health professionals, while balancing global solidarity with European and national priorities.
At a time when the sustainability of the health workforce is crucial for the resilience of health systems, these exchanges underscored GHTM and Intituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (IHMT NOVA)’s commitment to evidence-informed, ethically grounded public policies and to fostering global collaboration.
The conference also showcased contributions from emerging researchers at GHTM | IHMT-NOVA. Two PhD students presented their work:
- Réka Cane, “Characteristics of Anemia in Young Children: A Study from a Pediatric Hospital in Lisbon, Portugal”, highlighting the following key messages:
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- Childhood anemia poses a moderate public health issue in Lisbon, Portugal.
- Factors such as child’s sex, caregivers’ education level, and maternal country of origin may influence anemia risk and should be further investigated.
- Iolanda Alves, “Child (0–6 years) Primary Healthcare Use by Migratory Status in Lisbon: Pre/Post COVID-19 Pandemic”, with the following key messages:
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- Persistent gaps in healthcare access between immigrant and non-immigrant children in Lisbon were identified, underscoring the need for targeted outreach and equity-driven health strategies.
- The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily reduced disparities in healthcare use among children, revealing opportunities to sustain more equitable access in the post-pandemic period.
These contributions reflect GHTM | IHMT-NOVA’s commitment to advancing evidence-informed, fair, and innovative global health workforce policies.