International Conference on Health Promoting Hospitals 2013

For the program of the 21st International Conference on Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services (HPH) in May 2013, the Scientific Committee decided to focus on approaches and tools to develop more health oriented health services.

For the program of the 21st International Conference on Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services (HPH) in May 2013, the Scientific Committee decided to focus on approaches and tools to develop more health oriented health services. This selection was made for two reasons:

First, the conference will mark the 20th anniversary of the European Pilot Hospital Project of Health Promoting Hospitals (EPHP). This project came to life in 1993 with the aim to make the WHO Ottawa Charters’ demand to “reorient health services” a reality for hospitals. This endeavor was taken up with regard to positive health, a comprehensive health orientation that refers to body and mind alike, and a stronger contribution of health services towards public health. In light of today’s NCD epidemic, the increasing inequity in health, and new health threats such as climate change, this reorientation is stronger needed than ever before. This need is also reflected in WHO-Euro’s new health policy paper Health 2020 which demands to strengthen person-centred health systems and public health services alike.

Second, after 1995, the HPH conference 2013 will be the second one hosted by the Swedish HPH network. The 2013 conference will take further discussions on health gain measurement and related topics that were initiated earlier on. Top international speakers and experts and experienced HPH practitioners will come together to discuss specifically the following topics:

WHO’s Health 2020 strategy– what can HPH contribute?
In its Health 2020 strategy, WHO-Euro reinforces the need for a reorientation towards public health. The conference will explore the potential contributions of HPH.

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