The European Health Forum Gastein is being held for the 26th time this year, with “Health systems in crisis – countering shockwaves and fatigue” as its main topic. EU Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge, as well as health ministers Johannes Rauch from Austria and Frank Vandenbroucke from Belgium, will be among the key speakers at the event.
The European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG), Europe’s most important health policy conference, is being held in the Gastein Valley for the 26th time this year – and for the second time as a hybrid event. This allows participants to attend the conference both in person and also online. EHFG 2023 is co-organised together with the Austrian Federal Ministry for Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection and in collaboration with the European Commission and, for the first time, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe.
“The unprecedented crisis facing health systems in Europe has exhausted our health workers and eroded people’s trust in their government and health authorities. This year’s European Health Forum Gastein will be a unique opportunity for us to join forces across sectors, and as WHO Europe we will look forward to working with all partners to find new solutions to address these challenges,” remarked WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge in the run-up to the coming event.
The main topic of EHFG 2023 is “Health systems in crisis – countering shockwaves and fatigue”. It was chosen as a response to the exacerbation of the problems that have been prevalent in our health systems for decades – from workforce shortages and the growing number of chronic diseases, through to insufficient investment in health promotion, primary and social care – due to the pandemic, inflation and the war in Ukraine. Health and care workers are affected disproportionately here, and one of the plenary sessions at EHFG 2023 therefore explores the topic “Great Attrition or Great Attraction? Addressing healthcare workforce challenges”.
Another plenary meeting considers the future of the European model of the welfare state and a third focuses on the dramatic situation in the health systems overall. Artificial Intelligence, anti-microbial resistance, vaccine hesitancy, the treatment of rare diseases, mental health, climate protection, and also the availability and accessibility of medicines are some of the other topics on the programme for the conference in the Gastein Valley. Around 500 participants are expected again on-site this year, together with about another 1,000 online.
Besides Hans Kluge, the key speakers at EHFG 2023 include Andrea Ammon, Director, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; Sandra Gallina, Director-General, European Commission Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety; Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety; Johannes Rauch, Federal Minister of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection, Austria; and Frank Vandenbroucke, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health, Belgium.