The 27th European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) focussed on the critical and interconnected transformations shaping health systems and society as a whole, the "3D" forces: democracy, demographics, and digitalisation. Co-organised by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection, with support from the European Union, and in collaboration with the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, the EHFG 2024 brought together diverse participants to generate innovative strategies and forge strong alliances to safeguard and promote health in a rapidly changing world.
Frank Vandenbroucke
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health, Belgium
Viktor Liashko
Minister of Health, Ukraine
Ana Povo
Secretary of State for Health, Ministry of Health, Portugal
Denis Kordež
State Secretary, Ministry of Health Slovenia
Pamela Rendi-Wagner
Director, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
Hans Henri P. Kluge
Regional Director for Europe, World Health Organization
Pedro Gullón
Director General of Public Health and Equity, Ministry of Health, Spain
Lilian Vildiridi
Secretary General for Health Services, Ministry of Health, Greece
Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat
Director, Division of Country Health Policies and Systems, WHO Regional Office for Europe
Marco Marsella
Director, Digital, EU4Health and Health Systems Modernisation, European Commission Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety
Nathalie Moll
Director General, European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations
Vytenis Andriukaitis
Member, European Parliament
Lena Schilling
Member, European Parliament
András Tivadar Kulja
Member, European Parliament
Tilly Metz
Member, European Parliament
Steffen Thirstrup
Chief Medical Officer, European Medicines Agency
Anca Toma
Executive Director, European Patients' Forum
Jarno Habicht
Head of Country Office, Ukraine, WHO Regional Office for Europe
Nathalie Berger
Director for Support to Member States’ Reforms, European Commission Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support
Josep Figueras
Director, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies
Francesca Colombo
Head of OECD Health Division, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Ilona Kickbusch
Founding Director and Chair of the Global Health Centre, Graduate Institute for International and Development Studies Geneva
Nason Maani
Lecturer in Inequalities and Global Health Policy, University of Edinburgh
Barbara Prainsack
Professor for Comparative Policy Analysis, University of Vienna, and Chair of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies
As Europe tackles rising populist and autocratic political movements, the need for transparent and participatory policymaking has now become critical. Are fresh and creative approaches to democracy needed to ensure an equitable Europe and to protect fundamental health rights? Sessions in this track will explore how cooperation and social values can continue to shape Europe’s health policies for a resilient and sustainable future for all its citizens.
How can we balance the changing expectations and needs of all generations, the disillusioned, and marginalised? How can we better prepare for unexpected population shifts resulting from migration and external shocks? Our sessions shall present solutions to the healthcare workforce shortage and discuss how Europe’s health systems can be future proofed with sufficient resources to care for an ageing and ever-changing population.
Rapid digital developments promise to solve many of Europe’s health challenges, offering effective diagnosis and treatment. As we enter this new territory, does history provide us with a cautionary tale of our faith in innovative technology? In this track, we will examine the ethical concerns of governance, inequity and privacy, in addition to how appropriate technologies can be best adopted and shared across health systems.